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Ulead VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB Manual

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  • Page 3 User Guide Ulead Systems, Inc. September 2005...
  • Page 4 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or storing in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form without the express written permission of Ulead Systems, Inc.

  • Page 6: Table Of Contents

    Contents Chapter 1: Getting started ..........3 Understanding the basics ..................4 Working with the Filmstrip panel ................. 6 Viewing edit windows ..................15 Working with frames in a project ............... 17 Customizing Video Paint ..................21 Chapter 2: Painting............27 Working in different display modes ..............

  • Page 7: Chapter 1: Getting Started

    Chapter 1 Getting started Video Paint is a powerful rotoscoping program that allows you to paint directly over any frame in a video sequence. With Video Paint, you can quickly and easily create special effects such as lightning bolts, lasers beams, virtual sets and mattes. You can also use the wide range of natural and particle-based painting tools to work on single images for use in other projects, such as Web pages and presentations.

  • Page 8: Understanding The Basics

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Understanding the basics Video Paint allows you to select, draw, paint, and enhance each image that makes up the frames of a video sequence. Each of the frames appears as a clip in the Filmstrip panel. You can scroll through this panel to view the clip or select a specific frame to work on.
  • Page 9 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE Standard toolbar View in Normal mode Cut an View in Onionskin image mode Copy an View in Ruby Mask image mode Paste an View in No Source image Video mode Production Save a Video View in Library Paint project Composite mode...

  • Page 10: Working With The Filmstrip Panel

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Working with the Filmstrip panel The Filmstrip panel displays each frame of a clip in the Video Paint workspace. At the bottom of the Filmstrip panel, there is a thin gray scroll bar which indicates the current frames in view. By dragging on this gray bar, you can scroll through these frames to see the entire contents of the clip.
  • Page 11 In Video Paint, the video clip you are working on is referred to as a project which you save as a special Ulead Video Paint file (UVP). UVP files do not save the source video file, just the clip information which contains a pointer to the original video file as well as a list of all the edits performed on each frame in the video sequence.
  • Page 12 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Packaging a Video Paint project While you can save your work as a UVP file, you may also want to occa- sionally package it with the File: Package command. This backs up the original files, making them easier to transport as well as archive. Packaging a file saves a project as a UVP file as well as the original video or image file it references, moving or copying that file to a new location.
  • Page 13 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE To open a video file: Click the Open Video File button on the Standard toolbar or File: Open - Video File to open the Open Video File dialog box. 2. Click the Duration button to open the Duration dialog box. In this dialog box, you can preview the file as well as select which frames to open.
  • Page 14 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Starting a new Video Paint project In Video Paint, you are not restricted to working only on existing video and image files. You can create a new "empty" project which you can paint on to create your own virtual set or background matte. Once finished, you can insert the UVP file into Video Editor as part of a larger project.
  • Page 15 (in Paint Layer mode.) If there are no edits, then the commands work over the entire image. Note: You can paste image data to and from Video Paint to any other image editor such as Ulead PhotoImpact. If pasting to PhotoImpact, any mask information is retained.
  • Page 16 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Performing a paste operation Once the Clipboard contains an image, either from Video Paint or any other image editor, you can paste it into an edit window. To do this, click the Paste button on the Standard toolbar or Edit: Paste .
  • Page 17 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE active floating selection, while Duplicate Last Paint Layer copies every- thing present in the last active paint layer. To duplicate an action over several frames, you need to perform a power duplication. Power duplication is much more flexible than the other Duplicate commands as it allows you to not only specify how many frames to duplicate over, but also the transparency for each duplication and whether or not to add an effect to each duplicated portion.
  • Page 18 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Click OK. The dialog box closes and the active floating selection or paint layer is duplicated over the specified number of frames. If you power duplicate over a number of frames, a message box may appear...

  • Page 19: Viewing Edit Windows

    VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE Managing project cues To change the name of a cue, click View: Cue Manager. This opens the Cue Manager dialog box which allows you to delete cues, rename them or select specific ones to jump to. For renaming a cue, the Rename Cue dialog box appears for you to type a name and description.
  • Page 20 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Using the Zoom tool Use the Zoom tool when you want to zoom in on an image while at the same time controlling which part of the image is displayed in the edit window. To use the Zoom tool, select it and then click the area of the image you want to see better.

  • Page 21: Working With Frames In A Project

    VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE Using the Global Viewer to change views Fitting an image in the edit window When you use the Zoom commands, the image window does not change to fit the new image size. Therefore, after zooming, the entire image may not be displayed in the edit window and scroll bars appear along the window’s edge.
  • Page 22 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Inserting frames There may be times when you need to extend the length of a video or insert a new sequence into the middle of existing frames. Video Paint allows you to do this by inserting frames. When you insert frames, you increase the duration of the project by the number of frames you add.
  • Page 23 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE Duplicating frames The Frame: Duplicate command is similar to the Insert command in that it adds new frames to the clip in the Filmstrip panel. The difference is that it fills the new frames with the same content of the frame currently displayed in the edit window.
  • Page 24 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE To replace frames: Select the frame in the Filmstrip panel where you want to begin your replacement. Click Frame: Replace Source Video to open the Replace Source Video dialog box. Specify the number of frames to replace in the Duration spin box and then specify what to replace the frames with in the Link with group box.

  • Page 25: Customizing Video Paint

    VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE Customizing Video Paint The Preferences dialog box (opened by double-clicking the Status bar or File: Preferences ) provides options for customizing certain aspects of the program’s behavior. This is always a good place to start before you do any editing as it helps optimize Video Paint for each project and adapts the program to more closely match your work habits.
  • Page 26 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE 4. Number of recently opened files specifies how many file names are stored in the Recent History list found in the File menu. 5. Title safe area margin specifies the margin percentage for displaying any titles in a video project.
  • Page 27 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 2. Hard disk displays how much free space you have on your hard drive. 3. Limit hard disk usage to specifies how much memory you want to allocate just for Video Paint’s purposes. If you are only using Video Paint and want to optimize performance, select the maximum amount possible.
  • Page 28 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE allocate to the programs for use as virtual memory. If you want to run other programs in the background, then choose about ½ the maximum amount. To use Video Paint defaults, leave this option unchecked. 4. Limit RAM usage to allows you to specify how much memory you want to allocate to the programs for use in RAM.
  • Page 29 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE To calibrate your display: Click File: Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and click on the Display tab. At the bottom of the tab are two Grayscale squares. The top square is a checkered pattern of black and white pixels, which when viewed from a distance, looks 50% gray.
  • Page 30 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE...

  • Page 31: Chapter 2: Painting

    Chapter 2 Painting Video Paint’s painting tools enable you to easily touch-up and enhance any frame in your video project. The painting tools them- selves present a variety of functions, from the advanced Retouch and Clone tools to the more common Paintbrush and Transform tools.

  • Page 32: Working In Different Display Modes

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Working in different display modes In Video Paint, you can choose to view edit windows in a number of different display modes. These modes make identifying your edits easier. They also provide a means for creating mattes and animations. There are...
  • Page 33 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO To create a video matte in Ruby Mask mode: Select the first frame of the video you want to apply the matte over. The frame appears as an image in the edit window. Click the Ruby Mask mode button on the Standard toolbar or View: Display Mode - Ruby Mask.
  • Page 34 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Onionskin mode Onionskin mode is extremely useful when you are creating animations and want to be able to see how your edits are progressing from frame to frame. It works by placing transparent layers of each successive frame you edit over its predecessors, allowing you to easily see your changes from the previous frame as you work in the current frame.
  • Page 35 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO Select the Show only paint layer option to have the onionskin applied just to the paint layer. This speeds up processing time because only the edited portions have a transparency applied. If left clear, the transpar- ency is applied to the source video plus the paint layer.

  • Page 36: Making Selections

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Making selections In Video Paint, whenever you apply a command or use one of the painting tools, it is applied over the entire image in the edit window. To restrict the command or painting tool to a certain area of an image, you first need to create a selection.
  • Page 37 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO Selecting in the Composite and Paint Layer modes If you are in Composite mode, any selection area you create selects elements of the actual image. Moving this selection or manipulating it in any way makes it a floating selection and moves it to the paint layer. Every time you create a new floating selection, any pre-existing floating selec- tions are merged with the paint layer.
  • Page 38 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE When you create a selection, it starts from where you first click your mouse. This is fine in most cases, but sometimes you may want it to start from the center, particularly if you are creating circular or square shapes.
  • Page 39 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO object against a dull background. (If you find the selection "pulls" to include unwanted areas, deselect the AutoSnap option or decrease the sensitivity.) Note: If you make a mistake while drawing a selection area or wish to start again, press the [ ] key.
  • Page 40 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Creating a selection containing similar colors Determining color similarity When using the Similarity entry box, enter a value that you feel closely reflects the range of colors you wish to select. To help determine the color similarity range, move the Magic Wand over target pixels in the image and notice the RGB color values displayed on the Status bar.

  • Page 41: Working With Color

    VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO Adding additional areas to a selection Moving a selection area marquee (mask) Sometimes you will want to use a selection area without moving the image data it contains. For example, you may want to move a selection area to expose certain portions of an image, or to protect other portions from any effects or changes you may apply to the image.
  • Page 42 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Using the Color palette The Color palette contains colors that you can apply to any image in the edit window. The way colors are displayed in the palette varies according to your selection in the View: Color palette submenu. You can display palette colors in one of four methods: Map, Wash, Swatch, and Custom.
  • Page 43 Color Picker menu by right-clicking over any color square in Video Paint.) Using the Ulead Color Picker Selecting the Ulead Color Picker command opens a dialog box which displays a continuous color spectrum. The color spectrum shows hue, or color, from top to bottom and luminance, or the amount of brightness, from left to right.
  • Page 44 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Using the Windows Color Picker When you select the Windows Color Picker command, the standard Windows Color dialog box appears from which you can select a basic or custom color. Selecting colors with the Eyedropper tool The Eyedropper tool enables you to select a foreground color from colors already in an image.

  • Page 45: Using The Painting Tools

    VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO Using the Painting tools The Painting tools in Video Paint offer an extensive variety which allow you to paint over an image using anything from a felt-tip pen to an oil brush. When you use a paint tool, the paint is applied directly to the paint layer and not the actual image itself.
  • Page 46 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Specifying Brush panel attributes When you choose a painting tool, the Brush panel displays the attributes for that tool in four folders: Shape, Options, Color, and Advanced. The current settings of these attributes are the same as they were when last selected.
  • Page 47 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO Weight defines how heavy the paint color is. The heavier the weight, the stronger the impression it leaves. Distribution defines the placement of the brush bristles. The higher the value, the narrower the placement, while a lower value means a wider placement. Random creates a random (although proportional) size variation among the bristles of a brush.
  • Page 48 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE • Addition applies the color that is produced from adding the color values of the original colors with that of the painted color. For example, if the overlying frame is R:10 G:210 B:125 and the underlaying clip is R:30 G:100 B:100 then the resulting color will be R:40 G:255 B:225 –...
  • Page 49 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO BRUSH PANEL: COLOR TAB 1. Single Color applies a single color as the brush paint. 2. Multiple Colors applies multiple colors as the brush paint. You choose which colors from the neighboring Delta Hue, Delta Saturation, and Delta Bright- ness options.

  • Page 50: Transforming Selections

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Filling an area with color Apart from painting over an image with a paint tool, you can also fill a selection or the entire image with a solid color. To do this, click Edit: Fill . This opens the Fill dialog box from which you can select the...

  • Page 51: Using The Clone Tool

    VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO Using the Clone tool The Clone tool is similar to the Paint tools except that it uses the image for its color palette. For example, you can paint onto an image with another part of the same image, or even from a second image in another edit window.

  • Page 52: Using The Retouch Tool

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE when you release the mouse.) This is useful if you are cloning large areas and often release your mouse and do not want to start from the beginning point. Frame is for cloning between different frames on the same clip.
  • Page 53 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO (To learn about cloning over several frames, see the "Duplicating changes over frames" section, page 12.) Notes: • Confine the area to retouch by first creating a selection area. • You need to be in Composite mode before you can start using a Retouch tool. Once you have edited an image, you can switch to Paint Layer mode to work on just that area.

  • Page 54: Recording Macros

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE BRUSH PANEL: OPTIONS TAB (RETOUCH TOOL) Dodge increases the amount of luminosity in an image, making areas lighter. Burn reduces the amount of luminosity in an image, making areas darker. Blur blurs the edges of an image making them less distinct.
  • Page 55 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO To record a macro: Click the Macro button on the Attribute toolbar (for Paint and Retouch tools only). A message box appears preparing for recording. Note: When you record a macro, Video Paint clears the previous Undo history to help free up system resources.

  • Page 56: Applying Filters

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE To play back a macro: Select the frame from where you want the macro to begin its playback. Click the Production Library button on the Standard toolbar and locate the macro in the Macro gallery that you want to play back.

  • Page 57: Previewing Your Work

    VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO differ in application. For example, in Video Paint, the filters are applied immediately to the frames in the clip, or to any frames included in the preview area, and the rendered result appears in the Paint Layer which you can then edit or paint over accordingly.
  • Page 58 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Performing a flick preview Performing a flick preview is a simple process of selecting the frame from where you want the preview to begin and then clicking the Flick Preview button on the Navigator or View: Flick .
  • Page 59 VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO Click OK. The dialog box closes and the settings will be apparent the next time you perform a flick preview. Performing a preview Apart from performing flick previews, you can also perform standard previews which create a preview file. To do this, first define your preview options by clicking the Preview Options button on the Standard toolbar or View: Preview Options.
  • Page 60 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE...

  • Page 61: Shortcuts

    Shortcuts Video Paint has many shortcuts that allow you to access commands and open dialog boxes without having to go through the menus.
  • Page 62 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE File Menu Ctrl + N Opens the New dialog box Ctrl + O Opens the Open dialog box Ctrl + W Closes the current window Ctrl + S Saves an existing file Ctrl + P Opens the Print dialog box...
  • Page 63 SHORTCUTS View Menu Enter Preview current project Shift + F Begins flicking the current video Zoom in Zoom out Ctrl + 1 Fit in window by 1 x Ctrl + 2 Fit in window by 1/2 x Frame Menu Ctrl + Home Go to previous cue Ctrl + Left arrow Go to previous frame...
  • Page 64 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Miscellaneous Displays the current active frame on the filmstrip Shift + F1 Activates help button on menu bar Shift + F10/Right mouse click on workspace Displays the Edit menu as a floating menu Double click on file...

  • Page 65: Index

    INDEX Index Edit windows ......... 17 Autosnap ..........34 Eyedropper tool ........40 Brush panel ........... 42 Files advanced tab ........45 creating ..........10 color tab ..........45 saving ..........7 options tab ......... 43 Filling an area with color ....... 46 shape tab ...........
  • Page 66 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE No Source Video mode ......31 Recording macros ......... 50 Normal mode ........28 Replacing frames ..........19 Retouch tool .......... 48 Ruby Mask mode ........28 Onionskin mode ........30 Saving ............7 Packaging ..........8 Selecting colors ........
  • Page 67 INDEX power duplicate ......... 13 preferences ........21 Video filters ..........52 previewing ......... 53 Video Paint program ........ 3 flicking ..........54 basics ..........4 projects brush panel ........42 new ..........10 advanced tab ......... 45 rendering ........10 color tab .........
  • Page 68 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE...
  • Page 70 Contents Chapter 1: Getting started ..........3 Understanding the basics ..................4 Controlling the alignment of objects ..............11 Customizing CG Infinity ..................13 Chapter 2: Working with objects ........15 Defining an object’s style ................. 16 Setting your default object style ............... 19 Creating text and shape objects ...............

  • Page 71: Chapter 1: Getting Started

    Chapter 1 Getting started CG Infinity is a specialized drawing program that allows you to create impressive titles and motion graphics that you can use in Video Editor projects or as standalone video and image files. With CG Infinity, you can easily produce television and film quality opening and ending credits as well as an extensive range of both regular and freehand graphical objects.

  • Page 72: Understanding The Basics

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Understanding the basics CG Infinity is a vector-based drawing program dedicated to creating impressive titles and motion graphics. Once you have created a title or graphic, it becomes an object which can be resized, reshaped and rede- signed without any loss in quality.
  • Page 73 CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE Standard toolbar Bring an object to the front Cut an Bring an object object forward Send an object Copy an object backward Send an object to Paste an object the back Save a View in wireframe Show the Time CG project mode...
  • Page 74 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Understanding objects Objects form the basis of your work in CG Infinity. They can be anything from text to regular squares and circles as well as freehand drawn shapes. Each object is a vector-based graphic which is created from a series of lines that form an outlined path to represent the object’s shape.
  • Page 75 CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE Click OK. The dialog box closes and a new edit window appears in the CG Infinity workspace. Changing the background of an edit window Once created, an edit window displays a solid white background. When you create a video or image file, this is the color of the background that will appear behind any objects.
  • Page 76 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Changing the view of an edit window CG Infinity offers the same controls for viewing edit windows as Video Paint: these are the View commands and the Zoom tool. CG Infinity, however, adds two extra commands to help you work at full screen: the View: Full Screen and View: Hide Menu Bar commands.
  • Page 77 (Copy dupli- cates a selected object while Cut removes it from the edit window.) Note: You can also paste the object into an image editor such as Ulead PhotoImpact. If pasting into PhotoImpact, the mask information is retained.
  • Page 78 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Another method to cut and copy is the Edit: Duplicate command which copies the currently selected object and makes a duplicate at the same time. The advantage of the Duplicate command is that you do not have to paste the object, therefore allowing you to quickly create copies of objects as you work.

  • Page 79: Controlling The Alignment Of Objects

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE Controlling the alignment of objects When you move objects around in CG Infinity, you often want to place them in particular areas within the frame of the edit window. This is especially the case when trying to match an object with a background video or image file, such as a car or a corporate logo.
  • Page 80 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Guides are reference lines that you pull out from either the horizontal or vertical rulers. When you pull out a guide, it appears as a dotted line which you can use to mark certain areas within the edit window. You can have any number of guides which can be easily repositioned by dragging on them.

  • Page 81: Customizing Cg Infinity

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE Customizing CG Infinity To better work with CG Infinity, it is important to customize the program’s behavior with the Preferences dialog box (opened by double- clicking the Status bar or clicking File: Preferences ). This dialog box has three tabs: CG Infinity, Memory, and Display.
  • Page 82 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE 4. Title safe area margin specifies the margin percentage for displaying any titles in a video project. This is useful if you intend on sending your video back out to video tape or for broadcasting as television has a different resolution than com- puter monitors, and edges which are viewable on screen may disappear.

  • Page 83: Chapter 2: Working With Objects

    Chapter 2 Working with objects The power of CG Infinity lies in its ability to create and manipulate objects. Using a wide range of drawing tools, you can easily create these objects by tracing over existing images, drawing your own shapes or using the Text tool to create impressive titles and text effects.

  • Page 84: Defining An Object's Style

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Defining an object’s style When you create an object, it takes its form from the path or shape you draw and its appearance from a number of attributes which make up its style. These attributes are defined in the Object Style Panel which you...
  • Page 85 CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 4. Soft Edge blends the edges of an object with the background. This option is useful if anti-aliasing does not create a smooth enough edge for some objects. 5. Line Caps defines how the ends of lines are drawn; you can choose between Round, Square or Flat.
  • Page 86 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE 3. Line color determines how the line of an object is filled. The first option, None, applies no fill to an object’s line making it clear. (If you do not select a color or style, then the line width specified in the General tab has no affect.) The second option, Color, selects a solid color to fill the line with.

  • Page 87: Setting Your Default Object Style

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO Setting your default object style Whenever you create an object, it takes its initial style from the current default as indicated by the graphic at the bottom of the Tool panel. You can change this default at any time by right-clicking it and choosing the Prop- erties command.

  • Page 88: Using The Text Tool

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Using the Text tool The Text tool in CG Infinity allows you to use any font currently installed on your system to create a text object. Once created, you can control the spacing between letters in a word as well as the spacing between lines of text.

  • Page 89: Using The Shape Tool

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO Using the Shape tool In CG Infinity, you can create both regular symmetrical shapes, such as squares and circles, as well as more complex polygons and stars. You can use these shapes to block out sections of a background image or video, as a background for text, or to create a variety of special effects.

  • Page 90: Using The Freehand Tool

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Click on the area of the image where you want the shape to appear and drag. As you drag, the shape takes its form based on the specified attributes. (If you choose a fixed size, the shape is drawn immediately.) Once you release your mouse, the shape is created as an object.

  • Page 91: Using The Path Tool

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO As you draw, a line appears in the edit window which follows your movements. To draw continuously, keep your mouse button down as you drag. If you release the mouse button, you end a segment. You can then choose to end the path or create a new segment by clicking in another area of the edit window.

  • Page 92: Selecting And Transforming Objects

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Move to the edit window and begin drawing the shape you want to create. Each time you click your mouse, a node is placed in the edit window and a line segment is automatically drawn connecting the two nodes.

  • Page 93: Selecting Multiple Objects

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO Selecting multiple objects You can select multiple objects by holding down the [ ] key as you SHIFT click each object. The bounding box changes each time to encase all the selected objects. Once selected, you can move them as one or resize them equally.

  • Page 94: Moving Objects

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Moving objects Once an object is selected, you can move it by dragging it with the Object tool. Apart from moving an object with your mouse, you can also move it using the Position spin boxes on the Attribute toolbar. When you view the Position spin boxes, they show the current horizontal and vertical position of the selected object respectively (All measurements are in pixels).

  • Page 95: Using The Envelope Tool

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO Note: To resize an object, you can click a button or enter the new dimensions for the object in the Width and Height spin boxes on the Attribute toolbar. (These spin boxes are useful when you need to make accurate adjustments to an object’s size such as to 1/10th of a pixel.) Original image Resizing...

  • Page 96: Adjusting Shapes

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Drag one of the nodes of the bounding box to change the shape of the envelope. Control handles appear which allow you to further control the curve of the envelope. Keep dragging the nodes and control handles until you have a shape you are happy with.
  • Page 97 CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO Change the shape of the path by dragging the node or one of the control handles. Dragging the node repositions it while dragging a control handle changes the curvature of the path around the active node and between the preceding and following nodes. You can control the behavior of these nodes as well as their directions by choosing one of the node options on the Attribute toolbar.

  • Page 98: Creating A Moving Path

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Creating a moving path An integral part of your work in CG Infinity is adding motion to your objects. This is done using the Moving Path tool which allows you to specify a path for an object to follow within the edit window. You can then position objects so that they move across the screen, either in unison or at different intervals.

  • Page 99: Changing The Shape Of A Moving Path

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO Creating a moving path Changing the shape of a moving path In CG Infinity, there are two ways in which you can change the shape of a moving path: with the Moving Path tool or by assigning the path of an object as a moving path.

  • Page 100: Changing The Size And Style Of An Object Over Time

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Changing the size and style of an object over time Using the Time Control Panel, you can make an object change its size over time as well as perform other effects such as fades and color transi- tions.

  • Page 101: Changing The Speed Of An Object

    CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO Changing the speed of an object In CG Infinity, changing an object’s position on a moving path at a par- ticular key frame controls the speed at which the object travels. For example, if you place a key frame at frame 15 of the moving path, and then move the object further along the path, you create a fast motion effect as the object has to cover more ground within the same time period.

  • Page 102: Timing The Movement Of Objects

    VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE Timing the movement of objects An important part of any CG Infinity project is the synchronization of objects with each other. For example, you will often want text to appear either before or after another object has been displayed. To do this, you again need to use the Time Control Panel and place key frames to act as timers before an action occurs.
  • Page 103 CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO To change the end time of a moving object: Select the object you want to change with the Moving Path tool. The moving path of the object appears. Move the Preview slider to the last frame in the Time Control Panel, the object moves to that position on the moving path.
  • Page 104 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE...

  • Page 105: Shortcuts

    Shortcuts CG Infinity has many shortcuts that allow you to access commands and open dialog boxes without having to go through the menus.
  • Page 106 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE File Menu Ctrl + N Displays the New dialog box Ctrl + O Displays the Open dialog box Ctrl + W Closes a project file Ctrl + S Saves an existing project file Alt+Enter Displays the Properties dialog box...
  • Page 107 SHORTCUTS Double-click title bar Maximizes or restores the active window Double-click toolbar or panel title bar Docking or floating the toolbar or panel. Double-click any toolbar Makes toolbar floating if docked or docks toolbar when floating Double-click Status Bar Opens the Preferences dialog box Closes dialog boxes without making changes...
  • Page 108 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE...

  • Page 109: Index

    INDEX Index defining style ......... 16 freehand ......... 22 layering .......... 25 Adding shadows to an object ....18 moving ........... 26 Adjust tool ..........28 shape ..........21 Adjusting an object's path ..... 28 text ..........20 Aligning CG objects ....... 12 timing ........
  • Page 110 VIDEOGRAPHICS LAB USER GUIDE default styles ........19 defining attributes ......16 Editing defining style ........16 duplicating ......... 10 dimensions ........16 Envelope tool ......... 27 freehand ..........22 moving ..........26 moving paths ........30 shape ..........21 Files text ............

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