Anatomy of the Fxbuilder Interface

Anatomy of the Fxbuilder Interface
Prev	Chapter 1. Using the FX Builder Plug In Tool	Next

This section includes:

Diagram of FX Builder

Figure 1-14. Diagram of FX Builder (Click to Display Enlarged Image)

The 3D Viewer

The 3D viewer is a 3-dimensional viewing area, where objects can be moved or rotated in any direction, including forward or backward, left or right, up or down (see “Animating Objects”).

The 3D viewer initially contains clip placeholder A if you are creating a filter, or A and B, if you are creating a transition. These placeholders represent the “source,” meaning the range of frames you have selected in your movie application. The square outline in the center is called the movie viewport—the section you'll see when the movie is actually played.

The FX Builder Menus

In addition to the Help menu, FX Builder contains the following menus:

The File Menu

The File menu contains:

New		Choose to start creating a new effect.
Import...		Use to import additional objects (see “Importing Objects”).
Save As Template...		Opens a file browser so that you can save the current filter or transition for later use.
Cancel		Closes FX Builder and cancels the application of the current effect.

The Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains:

Undo		Reverses last command.
Redo		Reverses the last Undo.
Cut		Cuts currently selected object or keyframe.
Copy		Copies currently selected object or keyframe.
Paste		Pastes currently selected object or keyframe.
Delete		Deletes currently selected object or keyframe.
Insert Source A		Inserts a copy of the source A clip placeholder at the time indicator.
Insert Source B		(transitions only) Inserts a copy of the source B clip placeholder at the time indicator.
Apply Source A Texture		Allows you to apply the source A clip (selected from your movie editing application) to an object in the 3D viewer. See “Texturing Images or Movies Onto a 3D Model.”
Apply Source B Texture		If you are working on a transition, this command allows you to apply the source B clip (selected from your movie editing application) to an object in the 3D viewer. See “Texturing Images or Movies Onto a 3D Model.”

The View Menu

See “About the View Menu.”

The Options Menu

The Options menu contains:

Keyframe Animation Settings...		This command brings up a dialog you can use to numerically edit keyframes. See “Using a Dialog to Numerically Edit Keyframes” for more information.
Linear Interpolation		Selecting this command turns linear interpolation on and off. See “The Difference Between Linear and Smooth Interpolation.”
Smooth Interpolation		Selecting this command turns smooth interpolation on and off. See “The Difference Between Linear and Smooth Interpolation.”
Higher Quality Scaling		Selecting this command turns high quality scaling on and off. A check mark indicates it is on. When enabled, this command mipmaps source images, which means that when scaling down an image, mipmap images are produced (which are images that sample more pixels and produce a better scaled-down image than non-mipmapped images). Therefore, it is better quality, but slower.

The Global Timeline

The global timeline represents the entire length of the effect (transition or filter). As you drag the time indicator backward or forward along the global timeline, the objects in the 3D viewer move with it, showing you what position the objects are in at any given time during the effect. For example, when the indicator is in the middle of the global timeline, the position of the objects in the 3D viewer represent the position they will be in when the effect has been played half-way through.

Note: Time is measured from %0 to %100, so that you are observing the relative time of the occurrences within the timeline. The actual time length of the effect itself depends on what you have selected in the movie editing application you are using.

Object Timeline Area

The object timeline area is in the lower half of the window. Each object has its own timeline, which contains the keyframes (see “What Are Keyframes?”) that correspond to that object.

Note: Time is measured from%0 to%100, so that you are observing the relative time of the occurrences within the timeline. The actual time length of the effect itself depends on what you have selected in the movie editing application you are using.

Timeline Zoom Controls

See “Zooming In On an Object Timeline.”

Transport Controls

The transport controls, located in the lower right-hand corner of the FX Builder window, enable you to preview the effect and also to jump the time indicator from one keyframe, or frame, to another. See “Previewing the Effect.”

Prev	Table of Contents	Next
Previewing the Effect		Glossary