Organizing, Adjusting, and Displaying Media

Media can be arranged on Timeline tracks to create and edit a video. Using multiple tracks allows for unlimited layering of content. Drag and drop audio, video, and images from the Media panel to any track on the Timeline, at any point on the Timeline. It is also possible to drag text, transitions, elements, behaviors, filters, and overlays to specific media locations on the Timeline. Captions will be added at the Playhead. After media has been added to the Timeline, move the media to a desired location by selecting and dragging.

Timeline Tracks

Use the tracks on the Timeline to create a layered hierarchy of content. For instance, if a media asset is placed on Track 1, but then another media asset is added on Track 2 at the same point in time, the media asset on Track 2 will visibly cover the media asset on Track 1 when the project is played back. However, the way in which media appear can be altered by adjusting its opacity and blend mode. Opacity determines the transparency of the media. By altering the opacity of the media asset on Track 2, the media asset on Track 1 can show through. Blend modes determine how layers blend together.

To adjust media properties:

  1. Select a Media Asset on the Timeline.
  2. The Media Asset will display its properties within the Properties tab, found by default in the bottom-left of the program.

Properties Panel Options

The Properties Panel is where you will find various properties for any media file you're using in LUXEA Pro 7. The Basic pane will change to represent the file selected. You can control a Media Asset's Speed, Behavior, Mask, and Filter settings in the Properties Panel, as well as audio settings if your Media Asset contains audio.

Video

 

Composite

Composite contains Opacity, which allows you to set the opacity levels with keyframes, and Blend Mode, allowing you to configure how colors blend with each other.

Opacity

Use the Opacity setting to increase or decrease the opacity as desired

Blend Mode

Set the color blend mode

Transform

Transform contains a standard suite of properties to adjust such as position, scale, scale width, rotation on X, Y, or Z axes, and cropping on any side.

Position

Set the position of the element with X and Y parameters

Scale / Scale Height

Set the scale of the element. If Uniform Scale is unchecked, this setting will only scale the height

Scale Width

Set the scale width of the element. This setting is only available if Uniform Scale has been unchecked

Rotate X, Y, Z

Set the rotation value for X, Y, and Z axes.

Crop Left, Top, Right, Bottom

Set crop values for the left, right, top, and/or bottom of the element.

Audio

Audio will appear if the Media Clip selected contains audio

Volume

Adjust the audio volume level.

Channel Volume

Adjust the channel volume for the left or right audio channels.

Panner

Adjust the audio balance by panning to the left or right.

Pitch

Increase or decrease the semi tones of a clip to adjust its pitch.

Equalizer

Click on the dropdown to choose an equalizer preset, or click the arrow to the left of Preset to reveal the equalizer bars and create your own custom setup.

Speed

 

Uniform Speed

Uniform speed will remain the same throughout the clip's playback

Speed

Use the speed meter to increase or decrease the speed of the clip. The clip's overall duration will increase/decrease accordingly.

Duration

Use the duration to set the length of the clip. Speed and Duration are directly related.

Reverse

Select Reverse to play the clip backwards.

Ripple

Select Ripple to allow audio clips to retain gaps automatically when a clip's speed/duration has changed.

Pitch

Select Pitch to ensure the pitch remains the same, regardless of whether the clip has been sped up or down.

Speed Ramping

Speed ramping allows for both gradual and rapid changes in speed with smooth transitions from speed to speed. Every option can be adjusted in the Properties panel.

None

Applies no changes to speed.

Custom

Allows you to set your own custom speed changes.

Montage

Montage starts off ramping up the speed quickly, then just as quickly slows down.

Hero Moment

Hero Moment gently speeds up the clip, then drops the speed for a slow-mo moment of glory, before speeding back up and then returning to standard speed.

Bullet Time

Bullet Time begins at a high speed, and dips for slow-mo, before returning to high speed.

Jumper

Jumper begins at a low speed, and spikes quickly, increasing the speed dramatically before returning to the original, slow speed.

Flash In

Flash In starts off at a high speed, and slows down to standard speed.

Flash out

Flash out starts off at standard speed, and speeds up as the clip ends.

Maintain Pitch

Enabled by default, use the toggle to enable/disable maintaining pitch when using Speed Ramping.

Behaviors

 

In/Out

Adjust settings for behaviors placed on the entrance and exits of your media

Style

Use the Style drop-down menu to change the behavior's style

Movement

Use the Movement drop-down menu to customize the behavior's flow

Speed

Use the Speed slider to increase or decrease the behavior's speed

During

Adjust settings for behaviors set to occur during your media

Style

Use the Style drop-down menu to change the behavior's style

Movement

Use the Movement drop-down menu to customize the behavior's flow

Loop Time

Set the amount of time for which the behavior will loop

Loops

Drag the slider to set the behavior's number of loops

Loop Forever

Toggle to enable continuous looping

 

Selecting and Re-arranging Timeline Tracks

Timeline tracks can be selected by clicking on the track head on the left side of the Timeline.

To re-arrange a Timeline Track

Do one of the following:

  • Click the track head and drag it up or down.
  • Right click on the track head and select Move Up or Move Down.

Copying and Pasting Properties

The properties applied to any media asset can be applied to any other media asset on your timeline.

To copy and paste properties:

  1. Right-click a media asset on the Timeline with any properties applied to it.
  2. Select Copy from the context menu, or press Ctrl+ C.
  3. Select another clip on the Timeline.
  4. Right-click and select Paste Properties, or press Ctrl + Alt + V.

Locking tracks:

Tracks and their associated media can be locked to prevent editing or other changes by clicking the Lock button.

To unlock the track, press the Unlock button.

Hiding tracks:

Tracks can be hidden or revealed, and by extension, the media on those tracks, by clicking the Disable button on the track.

Hiding tracks can be useful for isolating and editing specific parts of a video.

Video productions will not include media on tracks set to "Disabled".

Closing Gaps on the Timeline

Empty spaces between media can be removed on the Timeline by using Close Gaps on Track.

To remove an empty space on a track:

  1. Right-click an empty area on a track in the Timeline.
  2. Select Close Gaps on Track from the context menu.

To remove an empty space between multiple media assets:

  1. Select multiple media assets in a track on the Timeline.
  2. Right-click one of the selected media assets.
  3. Select Close Gaps from the context menu.

Trimming Clips

Clips can be trimmed to the playhead's current position on the Timeline. You can trim from the beginning of a clip, or the end of a clip.

To Trim from the Beginning of a Clip:

  1. Place the playhead on the timeline where you would like the clip to trim to
  2. Click Edit from the top menu, and select Trim Start or press Shift + [.

To Trim from the End of a Clip:

  1. Place the playhead on the timeline where you would like the clip to trim to
  2. Click Edit from the top menu and select Trim End or press Shift + ].

Default Video and Audio Tracks

When viewing media in the Media panel, you can right click on any piece of media and select Insert, Overwrite, and Append. Inserting will place the media file on the timeline at the playhead location on the default track for video or audio, depending on what type of media file you selected. Overwriting will place the media file on the timeline at the playhead location, overwriting anything that may have been there previously up to the end of the added media file. Appending will place the media file on the timeline in the designated audio or video track after the final item on the timeline.

Relink offline media

If files are moved to another folder on your computer after being added into a Project, they may display with a red thumbnail indicating that the file needs to be re-linked to the Project.

Media that becomes disconnected from its source location can be relinked by right-clicking the media file, and selecting Relink Media. This will open a File Explorer window for you to find and select the file, relinking it to the project.

Playback Quality

The video playback quality can be adjusted to help speed up the editing process. This is useful when working with high quality videos or if the host computer is processing the video slowly.

To change playback quality:

To change playback quality, do one of the following:

  1. Click the drop down menu beside the seek bar and select a quality.
  2. Select View | Playback Quality from the menu and make a selection from the list.

Changing the playback quality will not affect the quality of the final output.

Full Screen Playback

Video playback can be viewed in full screen to experience the video in more detail.

To view playback in full screen:

To view the video playback in full screen, do one of the following:

  • Select View | Display Area from the menu and select Full Screen/Restore.
  • Press F.
  • Click the Full Screen button.

Display Area

The Display Area previews how a video will look once rendered. Content can be moved around and resized within the Display Area. Resize by dragging the handles on the edges of the media. To resize while maintaining the aspect ratio, use one of the corner handles. To create an abnormal aspect ratio, hold down Shift while dragging the corner handles.

Media Assets can be shifted up, down, left and right on the Display Area by clicking the clip either on the Display Area, or in the Timeline, and pressing Ctrl + Up, Ctrl + Down, Ctrl + Left, or Ctrl + Right.

Zoom the Display Area to accommodate monitor size by using the percentages in the drop-down menu at the top of the Display Area. Select Fit to allow LUXEA Pro 7 to adapt automatically.

To Change the Magnification of the Display Area:

To change the magnification of the Display Area, do one of the following:

  • Select View | Display Area from the menu and Select a magnification level.
  • Select a magnification level from the drop-down menu on the bottom-left of the panel.
  • Increase Magnification with +, or decrease Magnification with -.


To configure the Display Area settings:

To configure the Display Area settings for a project and resulting video production, do one of the following:

  • Click the Project Settings button under the preview in the Display Area.
  • Click File and select Project Settings.

Configure the settings as described below and click Apply the apply button.

Change the size settings for a rendered video in the Settings dialog in the Export tool.

Project Settings

Aspect Ratio

Sets the aspect ratio of the project. Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the height and width of a Media Asset.

Resolution

Sets the resolution of the project. The chain icon found between the Height and Width will lock them to the set aspect ratio. This means if height is adjusted, width will be adjusted accordingly to ensure the aspect ratio stays the same.

Color

Customize the Display Area background color by selecting a color from the drop-down menu.

Frame Rate

Choose a Frame Rate for a video from 23.97 frames per second (fps) to 60 fps.

Media tools

Pan tool: use the Pan tool to move the Display Area without resizing it.

Ctrl + Shift + P

Edit tool: use the Edit tool to move and resize media within the Display Area.

Ctrl + Shift + E

Crop tool: use the Crop tool to remove unwanted parts of the media. Drag the handles of the crop window to your desired size. To maintain the media's aspect ratio, resize the crop window by dragging the corners. Move the crop window around. To restore cropped material, re-enter the Crop tool and resize the crop window as desired.

Ctrl + Shift + C

Audio Meter

When viewing media within your project, an audio meter will display the current left and right channel levels in the bottom right of the program. This can be toggled on or off by

See also: