Rules For Compositions; Choosing The Background; Positioning And Sizing An Element - Videonics MX-1 Instruction Manual

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rectangle was added ( ) and a second still ( ) was centered on the white
rectangle.

Rules for Compositions

The first step is to plan your composition. You can create almost anything
with the available elements, but there are a few rules to keep in mind.
• Each element you draw erases anything it overlaps. For instance, if you
draw a rectangle that overlaps part of a picture, the overlapped portions of
the underlying picture are gone forever. If you decide you want the erased
portions back, you will have to redraw them.
• Reducing a still or moving video image can introduce minor pixel arti-
facts, as described in Chapter 20, "Video Quality."
• A composition cannot be saved except by videotaping it.

Choosing the Background

Before you enter Compose mode, choose the source for the background.
The CURRENT source at the time you enter compose mode becomes the
background upon which you will build your composition. So the first step is
to set the CURRENT source to be the desired image:
• If you would like a solid color background, choose the color using the
BACK COLOR settings (Chapter 10, "Borders and Backgrounds"). Make
COLOR the CURRENT source, using the CUT buttons or a transition.
• If you want moving video as the background, use the CUT buttons or a
transition to make the CURRENT source the one you want in the back-
ground.
• If you want a video still, make the desired source the CURRENT source
and use FREEZE to freeze the picture.
• You can apply input effects to the background image before you enter
Compose mode. Use of some input effects will disable the FREEZE func-
tion.
• You can also use color bars (a set of bars in standard colors) as your
background by pressing SHIFT and COLOR at the same time after you
enter Compose mode.

Positioning and Sizing an Element

Once the background has been selected, press the COMPOSE button. The
normal PREVIEW screen will replaced by a full screen image of the CUR-
RENT source (the one on the OUTPUT monitor), with a flashing rectangle
superimposed. The flashing rectangle is used to position the elements you
will be adding to the image. Use the arrow keys to move and size the
rectangle:
VIDEONICS DIGITAL VIDEO MIXER