Chapter 6. Movie Maker

This chapter contains these topics:

Using Movie Maker: Overview

Movie Maker is an application that enables you to easily compose movie files with video, image, and/or audio. Movie Maker has an intuitive interface, similar to a basic text editor—so you do not need any specific knowledge of professional or digital audio/ video editing techniques to yield polished results. It allows you to put together content for:

  • a web page

  • a presentation

  • a stand-alone movie, to play over a workstation or copy to another medium, such as videotape

Here are the basic steps, which are covered in detail in this online guide:

  1. To create a new movie, start with one or more existing media files, then use Movie Maker to form them into a new movie.

  2. See “Setting Movie Playback Options,” and “Changing Formats and Compression” for information on how to revise, manipulate, and set the format and compression scheme of your movie.


Tip: As you use Movie Maker and refer to this online guide, you may come across terms that are new to you. Anytime you see a word in this online guide that is underlined, simply click on it and a glossary definition window will appear. For example, click on this word: frame rate.


Starting Movie Maker

Two different ways to access the Movie Maker tool:

  • To open it immediately, click these red launch words: Movie Maker

  • To open it by clicking on an icon:

    1. Open the Find menu on the Desktop toolchest, and choose “Media Tools.”

      The Media Tools page of the Icon Catalog appears.

    2. Double-click the Movie Maker icon.


    Tip: Use the Find an Icon tool (click on these red words to launch the tool now) to locate the icon.



Tip: You can also open Movie Maker with a movie file, by dropping a movie file icon directly onto the Movie Maker icon.


Creating Source Files: Overview

If you don't already have the media files that you would like to use for your movie, you'll need to start by creating your own movie, audio, or image files. This section gives an overview of how you can do this using software tools that are included with your basic system software. If you already have media file(s) that you would like to start working with, go directly to “Editing a Movie.”

Choose from:

Creating Movie Files From Live Video

If you have a camera connected to your workstation (such as the IndyCam), you can record live video and audio with the Capture tool. To open the Capture tool now, click these red launch words: Capture tool.

For information on how to use the Capture tool to record a movie or create soundtracks and still images, use the Help menu on the Capture tool or see Chapter 2, “The Capture Tool.”

Creating Movie Files From Videotape


Note: Words in red are “launch words; “click on them to bring up the tool they represent.

You can record movie clips from a videotape, thus creating new movie files to use as source material for your movie. To do this, you need to:

  1. Connect the VCR or VTR to your workstation and use the Video Control Panel to choose the video input and select the appropriate signals.

    See “Connecting a VCR or Video Camera” in the Media Control Panels Guide for details.

  2. Use the Capture tool to record.

    Refer to the Capture tool Help menu for step-by-step instructions.


Note: Movie files can be very large. Depending on your frame rate and other settings, just a few seconds of movie can occupy a significant portion of your disk. If you are planning to record a large movie clip, make sure you have plenty of disk space.


Creating Audio Files for Soundtracks

You can use the following tools to create a soundtrack for your movie:


Note: Words in red are “launch words”; click on them to bring up the tool they represent.


  • Use the Capture tool to record sound from a microphone or other audio source.

  • Use Sound Editor to record sound and also to edit the track once it's recorded.

  • Use CD Manager or DAT Manager to record sounds from compact disc or DAT tape.

Creating Images

You can use one of the following tools to create images for your movie:


Note: Words in red are “launch words”; click on them to bring up the tool they represent.


  • Use the Capture tool to take pictures from a video camera or snapshots from the screen.

  • Use the program Image Works to edit and alter still images.

Editing a Movie

This section provides instructions on editing with Movie Maker. It contains:


Tip: You might want to first take a look at “Viewing a Movie During the Editing Process” for information on viewing options such as choosing the type of time unit to work with.


Opening a Movie File In Movie Maker

To edit your movie, you must first bring it into Movie Maker. Here are two ways to open a file in Movie Maker:

  • If Movie Maker is not already open, drop the movie file icon directly onto the Movie Maker icon. Movie Maker immediately starts up with the movie file.

  • If Movie Maker is already open:

    1. Open the File menu and select “Open...”

      The file browser dialog appears.

    2. Use the file browser to select the file you want to bring into Movie Maker.

    3. Click OK.

Bringing Additional Media Clips Into a Movie

This section contains instructions on inserting additional movie, image, or audio clips into a movie. Choose from:

Importing Additional Movie Clips


Caution: If you are importing a movie with a soundtrack into a movie that already has a soundtrack, both soundtracks should have the same sampling rate (Movie Maker will automatically synchronize the sampling width, file format, and number of channels if necessary). You can use the Media Convert tool to adjust the sampling rate of an audio file.

To insert an additional movie clip into a movie:

  1. Place the time point where you want to insert the clip.

    The clip will be placed after the time point. See “Placing a Time Point” for directions on placing the time point.

  2. Choose “Import” from the File menu.

    A file browser appears.

  3. Use the file browser to move to the directory that contains the file you want to insert; then click on the name of the file.


    Note: Only one movie file can be inserted at a time.


  4. Click Accept.

    The cursor turns into a watch. After a few seconds, the clip appears in the viewing area.

  5. Open the File menu and choose “Save” to save your changes.


Tip: See the Movie Player section on “Copying Selected Frames and Audio Into Other Applications,” for information on copying from Movie Player to Movie Maker. You can also copy and paste between Movie Maker and IRIS Showcase, Image Works, and the InPerson whiteboard. With these applications, you can copy only one frame at a time, as opposed to a selection of frames. In addition, you can copy and paste between Movie Maker and Sound Editor.


Importing an Image

To insert a still image into a movie:

  1. Place the time point where you want to insert the image. The new image will be inserted after the time point.

    See “Placing a Time Point” for directions on placing the time point.

  2. Choose “Import” from the File menu.

    The file browser appears.

  3. Double-click the name of the image file you want to insert.

    The image is inserted into your movie at the time point.

  4. Open the File menu and choose “Save” to save your changes.


Note: When an image is inserted into a movie, it should be have the same dimensions as the other frames in the movie. Movie Maker automatically resizes images if necessary; however, the image may be distorted in the resizing process because the original aspect ratio cannot be guaranteed. Image Works is a tool you can use to scale and resize images visually.



Tip: You can copy an image from Image Works or Image View, Showcase, the InPerson whiteboard, or Movie Player and paste it into Movie Maker, by simply using each tool's copy and paste commands.


Importing Audio Tracks

With Movie Maker, you can add a soundtrack or a series of different sound clips to a movie, or selectively add sounds to certain areas of a movie.


Caution: If there is already a soundtrack in the movie you are adding a sound clip to, both soundtracks should have the same sampling rate (Movie Maker automatically synchronizes the sampling width, file format, and number of channels if necessary). You can use the Media Convert tool to adjust the sampling rate of an audio file.

To insert an audio track into a movie:

  1. Place the time point where you want to insert the sound. The new audio track will placed after the time point.

    See “Placing a Time Point” for directions on placing the time point.

  2. Choose “Import” from the File menu.

    A file browser appears.

  3. Double-click the name of the audio file you want to insert.

    The audio clip is inserted at the time point.


    Note: If you are viewing in Filmstrip mode, after a few seconds a waveform appears in the lower portion of the viewing area. This represents the audio file you inserted.


  4. Open the File menu and choose “Save” to save your changes.


Tip: You can copy and paste audio tracks from Sound Editor to Movie Maker. To do this, simply use the standard copy and paste commands in each of the tools.


Selecting a Section of a Movie

You select a section of your movie if you want to cut, copy, clear, save, replace, or just view a section of it. You can select sections of different tracks of the movie—the images or the soundtrack—or the entire movie.


Tip: If you know the specific numbers representing the range of frames or time that you want to select, you can set the time display to meet your needs. For example, if you want to select frames 10 through 20, you can set the time display to frames instead of seconds. See “Setting and Reading the Time Display” for more information.



Tip: Viewing the movie in Filmstrip mode can make selection easier, as it provides more visual cues. See “Changing the Viewing Mode” for more information.

To select a section of a movie:

  1. Place your cursor on the selection bar that represents the track(s) you want to select; then click and drag the cursor to select an area. See Figure 6-1 for an example.

    • To select images or frames, place the cursor in the selection bar labeled Image.

    • To select audio, place the cursor in the selection bar labeled Audio.

    • To select the entire movie—images and audio—place the cursor in the top selection bar.

      Figure 6-1. Selecting an Image Section of a Movie


  2. Several visual cues indicate the area you have selected.

    • In the selection area, the part of the selection bar you selected is colored in.

    • If you are in filmstrip mode, your selection is outlined in the viewing area, followed by a time point line.

    • The bottom of the Movie Maker window displays the seconds, frames, or time codes of the first and last selection points.

A Non-Visual Option for Selecting a Section

You can use a dialog box to type the starting and ending points of the range you want to select. To do this:

  1. Open the View menu and choose “Select... ."

    The Make Selection dialog appears.

  2. Type the start point and duration (number of seconds or frames) in the fields provided.

Deleting a Section of a Movie


Note: Deleting a section of a movie is different from clearing it. If you wish to clear a section so that it is replaced with blank frames, see “Replacing a Section of a Movie With Blank Frames or Silence” instead.

To delete a portion of a movie:

  1. Select the portion of the movie that you would like to delete.

    See “Selecting a Section of a Movie” for instructions.

  2. Open the Edit menu and choose “Delete.”


    Tip: Press the <Backspace> key instead of using the Edit menu.

    The section of the movie you selected is deleted.

  3. Open the File menu and choose “Save” to save your changes.

Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Within a Movie

The copy, cut, and paste features allow you to rearrange your video, image, and audio clips in any way you desire.

Follow these steps:

  1. Select the section of the movie that you would like to copy or cut.

    See “Selecting a Section of a Movie” for instructions.

  2. Open the Edit menu:

    • Select “Cut” to remove the section so that you can paste it somewhere else.

    • Select “Copy” to simply copy the section so that you can paste it somewhere else.

  3. To paste the cut or copied section elsewhere within the movie, place a time point (see “Placing a Time Point”) and then choose “Paste” from the Edit menu.

    The section you cut or copied is added after the time point.


    Note: Instead of adding the cut or copied piece after a certain point, you can use it to replace another section of the movie. To do this, simply select the section you want to replace, then use the Paste command to replace the selected section with the cut or copied section.


  4. Open the File menu and choose “Save” to save your changes.


Tip: Instead of using the Edit menu commands, use the keyboard shortcuts:


  • Press <Ctrl-c> to copy

  • Press <Ctrl-x> to cut

  • Press <Ctrl-v> to paste


Tip: See the Movie Player section on “Copying Selected Frames and Audio Into Other Applications” for information on copying clips from Movie Player to Movie Maker. You can also copy and paste between Movie Maker and IRIS Showcase, Image Works, and the InPerson whiteboard. With these applications, you can copy only one frame at a time, as opposed to a selection of frames. In addition, you can copy and paste between Movie Maker and Sound Editor.


Replacing a Section of a Movie With Blank Frames or Silence

If you are working with a QuickTime movie, you can replace selected frames or audio with blank frames or silence:

  1. Select the portion of the movie you want to replace.

    See “Selecting a Section of a Movie” for detailed instructions.

  2. Open the Edit menu and select “Clear.”

    The selected portion of the movie is cleared. In the viewing area (when using Filmstrip mode), the cleared frames appear black; audio waveforms turn into a straight line.

  3. To save your changes, choose “Save” from the File menu.

Trimming a Section of Movie

You can select a section of your movie to keep, then have Movie Maker trim the rest of the movie away. To do this:

  1. Select the portion of the movie you want to keep.

    See “Selecting a Section of a Movie” for detailed instructions.

  2. Open the Edit menu and select “Trim”.

    The frames that you did not select are deleted from the movie.

  3. To save your changes, choose “Save” from the File menu.

Placing a Time Point

If you want to add an image, audio, or video clip, you need to place a time point in the movie. The time point indicates where the image or clip should be inserted (when you insert an image, audio, or video clip, it appears after the time point).

There are three different ways to place the time point. Choose from:

Placing the Time Point in Filmstrip Mode

To do this:

  1. View the movie in Filmstrip mode.

    See “Changing the Viewing Mode” for instructions.

  2. Click at the point in the movie or audio track where you would like to add the new track.


    Note: You can click in the viewing area or on a selection bar (which represents the timeline of the movie). Figure 6-2 shows how you can set a time point by clicking in either of these places.

    Figure 6-2. Placing a Time Point (in the Viewing or Selection Area)


    A few visual cues mark the time point, as you can see in Figure 6-2:

    • A time point appears as a line in the viewing area as well as the selection area.

    • The bottom middle of the Movie Maker window displays a time unit representing that point.

  3. To move the time point in small increments, click the Frame Forward or Frame Back buttons, as shown in Figure 6-3.


    Note: Alternatively, you can use the arrow keys on your workstation keyboard to move the time point frame by frame.


  4. To choose a new time point, simply click on a new point in the movie (image) or audio track.

Placing the Time Point in Preview Mode

  1. View the movie in Preview mode.

    If necessary, see “Changing the Viewing Mode” for instructions.

  2. Click and drag along a selection bar until to you get to the point in the movie at which you would like to insert a clip or image.

  3. Whatever frame is currently showing becomes the time point, after which the clip will be added.

    For example, if frame 17 is displayed in the viewing area, and you then import a clip, the clip that you import begins directly after frame 17.

A Non-Visual Option for Placing the Time Point

You can use a dialog box to type the time or frame representing the point at which you wish to place a time point. To do this:

  1. Open the View menu and choose “Go to... ."

    The Go To dialog appears.

  2. Enter the time point in the field provided.

Changing Formats and Compression

This section explains how to change movie formats and compression parameters using the “Save As...” or “Save Selection As...” menu commands. In addition, this section lists the accepted input and output formats for Movie Maker.

Choose from:

Converting Formats and Compression

Choosing “Save As...” or “Save Selection As...” from the File menu brings up a window that allows you to:

  • save the current file or selection as a new file with new format and compression settings

  • save the current movie file or selection as a new directory of image files


Note: The Save As dialog also allows you to set the frame rate and movie playback dimensions. See “Setting the Playback Size (Dimensions)” and “Adjusting the Frame Rate” for details.

This section includes:

Converting a Movie to QuickTime or SGI Formats

To convert a movie to the QuickTime or SGI format:

  1. Open the File menu and select “Save As... .”

    The Save As... dialog appears.

  2. Use the Save As menu button to select either QuickTime or SGI.

  3. Type a new filename in the pathname field.

  4. Click SAVE to save the new settings and exit the dialog.

Changing Movie Compression

  1. Open the File menu and select "Save As... ."

    The Save As... dialog appears.

  2. Click the Options button.

    The Options dialog appears.

  3. Use the Format menu button to select a compression scheme.

  4. Use the quality slider to set your preference on the scale from High Quality to High Compression.

    Generally, higher compression rates create smaller files, but lower quality; lower compression rates create larger files with higher quality.

  5. If you want to change the frame size, see “Setting the Playback Size (Dimensions).”

  6. If you want to change the frame rate, use the Frame Rate menu button.

  7. Click OK to apply the settings and exit the parameters dialog.

  8. Click SAVE in the Save As... dialog to save the new settings and exit the dialog.

Changing Audio Parameters

To change audio file parameters:

  1. Open the File menu and select "Save As... ."

  2. Click the Options button.

  3. Use the Audio Track parameters window to set:

    Channels 

    Choose mono or stereo.

    Rate 

    Use the menu button to select a sample rate (measured in kHz).

    Size 

    Use the menu button to select the sample width.

  4. Click OK to apply settings and exit the Audio Track parameters dialog.

  5. Click SAVE in the Save As... dialog to save the new settings and exit the dialog.

Saving a Movie As a Collection of Images

You can save a movie, or a selection of the movie, as a series of image files. Here's how:

  1. Open the File menu and select "Save As... ."

    The Save As window appears.

  2. Use the Save As format menu button to select “Collection of Images.”

  3. In the pathname field, type a directory name (this becomes the directory in which the images will be stored)

    For example, say you type the directory name /usr/people/bob/Images. After the “Save As” conversion process is complete, the movie frames are saved as image files in the directory /usr/people/bob/Images. The images are named sequentially: 001.rgb, 002.rgb, 003.rgb, and so on, with the suffix depending on the type of format (for example, .rgb, .jpg).

  4. If you would like to choose a different image format, click the Options button.

    • Use the Options dialog to choose a new image format.

    • Click OK to apply settings and exit the dialog.

  5. Click SAVE in the Save As... dialog to save the new settings and exit the dialog.

Supported Formats

Movie Maker accepts the following formats as input files:

Movie formats 

SGI, QuickTime

Audio formats 

AIFF, AIFF-C, WAVE, NeXt/Sun, MPEG-1 Audio

Image formats 

SGI (rgb), TIFF, GIF, JFIF (JPEG), Photo CD

Movie Maker can convert files to the following file formats:

Movie formats 

SGI, QuickTime

Image formats 

SGI (rgb), TIFF, GIF, JFIF (JPEG), Photo CD

Viewing a Movie During the Editing Process

This section contains:

Previewing a Movie

To preview your movie, Movie Maker should be in Preview mode. If it is in Filmstrip mode instead, turn Filmstrip mode off by opening the View menu and selecting “Filmstrip.”

Use the Preview controls to play your movie in Movie Maker. Figure 6-3 shows the Preview controls and identifies what each control does.

Figure 6-3. Movie Maker Preview Controls


Use the Movie Maker volume dial to adjust the volume of the movie you are viewing. Click on the dial and hold down the mouse button as you drag the mark on the dial clockwise to raise the volume, or counterclockwise to bring it back down.

Movie Maker volume settings can operate independently of the Audio Panel volume settings. For example, if you are playing a CD over your workstation while using Movie Maker, the CD volume is not affected by the Movie Maker volume.

Setting and Reading the Time Display

When you are editing a movie, there are three different ways you can have the movie's time displayed: by seconds, by frames, or by timecode.

This section contains:

Understanding the Time Display

Figure 6-4 shows the time display in the Movie Maker window. If only a time point (instead of a section of the movie) has been set, the time representing that single point is displayed (as shown in figure Figure 6-4). Alternatively, if a section of the movie has been selected, then the beginning and ending points of the selection are displayed below the time point number.

Figure 6-4. Movie Maker Time Display


To clarify, if you set a time point and choose to display:

Seconds 

the number displayed will represent the point your time point occurs in the movie, measured by numbered of seconds into the movie.

Frames 

the number displayed will represent the point your time point occurs in the movie, measured by frames into the movie. For example, the number might be 42, representing the forty-second frame in the movie.

Timecode 

the number displayed will represent the point your time point occurs in the movie, measured in SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) time code. SMPTE time code is a standard for determining the location of individual frames on video; a time stamp that is used by professional equipment. It numbers frames in this way: hour:minute:second:frame.


Note: The timecode display will not be relevant for most non-professional users, as it is generally applicable only when working with professional video equipment.


Choosing a Time Unit

To choose the time unit to display:

  • Open the View menu and choose “Seconds,” “Frames,” or “Timecode” from the “Time Unit” rollover menu.

Changing the Viewing Mode

There are two different viewing modes: Filmstrip (see “About Filmstrip Mode”) and Preview (see “About Preview Mode”).

Preview is the mode shown by default, and you can turn Filmstrip mode on and off by opening the View menu and selecting “Filmstrip.” A check mark in the Filmstrip check box indicates that filmstrip mode is turned on.


Tip: Instead of using the View menu, you can turn Filmstrip mode on and off by positioning the cursor in the Movie Maker window and pressing <Ctrl-f> on your keyboard.


About Preview Mode

Preview mode is the default viewing mode, shown in Figure 6-5. Preview displays one frame of the movie at a time, in the viewing area. It also allows you to preview your movie as you develop it, by clicking the Play button.

Figure 6-5. Preview Mode


About Filmstrip Mode

When you view the movie in Filmstrip mode, the movie is displayed like a filmstrip: you see the strip of frames in the viewing area and, if the movie contains audio, a waveform appears in the lower portion of the Movie Maker editing window. Filmstrip mode is shown in Figure 6-6

Figure 6-6. Filmstrip Mode



Note: If you click the Play button while Movie Maker is in Filmstrip mode, the filmstrip scrolls forward.


Setting the Number of Frames to Display

When you view a movie in Filmstrip mode, you can tell Movie Maker how many frames at a time should be displayed in the viewing area. By default, Movie Maker displays every frame in the movie, but squeezing all the frames into the small viewing area can make them very small. For this reason, you may want to limit the number of frames displayed at a time to 5, for example.

To set the number of frames displayed:

  1. Open the View menu and select “Number of Frames... ."

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Enter the number of frames you would like Movie Maker to display at a time (in Filmstrip mode).

  3. Click OK.

Zooming Up or Down

You can zoom the viewing area up or down in size, thus increasing or decreasing the size of the window, respectively.

Choose from two different ways to zoom up and down:

Zooming Up and Down Incrementally

To zoom the movie viewing area up or down:

  • Open the View menu and select “Zoom Up” or “Zoom Down.”

    The viewing area reflects the zoom command. You can continue to zoom the window up or zoom down by selecting either command repeatedly.


Tip: Instead of using the View menu, place the cursor over the Movie Maker window, then press <Ctrl-u> to zoom up or <Ctrl-d> to zoom down.


Setting the Zoom Percentage

Instead of zooming up and down in small increments, you can choose a zoom percentage to indicate how much to “blow up” or reduce your view of the movie.

To set the zoom percentage:

  • Open the View menu and select the “Zoom” rollover menu. Choose 25%, 50%, 100%, 200%, 300%, or 400%.

    This setting is applied until you change it or exit Movie Maker.

Setting Movie Playback Options

This section includes:

Adjusting the Frame Rate

You can adjust the frame rate by using the “Save As...” command.

  1. Open the File menu and select “Save As...”

  2. Choose the filename:

    • If you want to create a new copy of this file with a different filename, enter a new filename in the pathname field.

    • If you want to overwrite the file with these new dimensions, make sure that the current file's name is in the pathname field.

  3. Click the Options button.

    The options dialog appears.

  4. Use the Frame Rate menu button to choose a new frame rate.

    A higher frame rate produces a more fluid image and a larger movie file. Choose a lower frame rate if you want to conserve disk space.

  5. Click OK to apply the new settings and exit the Options dialog.


Note: When you select PAL or NTSC, the frame rate is adjusted to the PAL or NTSC standards (25 fps for PAL and 29.97 fps for NTSC).


Setting the Playback Size (Dimensions)

You can change the frame dimensions by using the “Save As...” command.

  1. Open the File menu and select “Save As...”

  2. Choose the filename:

    • If you want to create a new copy of this file with a different filename, enter a new filename in the pathname field.

    • If you want to overwrite the file with these new dimensions, make sure that the current file's name is in the pathname field.

  3. Click the Options button.

    The options dialog appears.

  4. Using the Size menu buttons, choose NTSC, PAL, or Custom, then choose the size (measured in pixels).

    The available NTSC dimensions are:

    Quarter size 

    160 x 120

    Half size 

    320 x 240

    Whole size 

    640 x 480

    The available PAL dimensions are:

    Quarter size 

    192 x 144

    Half size 

    384 x 288

    Whole size 

    768 x 576

    If you chose “Custom,” enter the width and height in the fields provided.

  5. Click OK to apply the new settings and exit the Options dialog.

Choosing to Play Once or Continuously

By default, movie files are set to play once through. This is called the playback mode. To change this playback mode while previewing a movie, see “Changing the Current Playback Mode.” To change the default Movie Maker playback mode behavior, see “Changing the Default Playback Mode.”

Changing the Current Playback Mode

To change the current playback mode:

  1. Open the View menu and select the Playback Mode rollover menu.

  2. Select “Stop at End” to play a movie through once, select “Loop” to play a movie over and over continuously, or select “Swing” to play a movie from beginning to end, then end to beginning continuously.

Changing the Default Playback Mode

  1. Open the Edit menu and choose “Movie Properties...”

    The Movie Properties dialog box appears.

  2. Next to the words “Loop Mode,” click on “Stop,” “Loop,” or “Swing,” depending on whether you want the movie to play once, loop (play over and over), or swing (play forward, then backward, then forward, and so on).

  3. Click OK to apply the settings and exit the dialog box.

Adding a Title and Internal Comments to a Movie File

Using the Movie Properties dialog box to assign a title and internal comment to a movie file serves two purposes:

  • It allows you to assign a title that appears in the title bar of the window of a movie when it is played back (with Movie Player). For example, if someone launches your movie from a web page or presentation, the movie title bar could display something like “The President's Speech” instead of a filename like president.mv.

  • You may want to add information that can be accessed during the editing of your movie file. For example, you may want give a short description of the movie clip and how you plan to use it, or a note for the next person who will use it. Once the notes are made, they are accessed the same way that they are created: by looking at the Movie Properties dialog box.

To add an internal title and comments to a movie file:

  1. Open the Edit menu and choose “Movie Properties...”

    The Movie Properties dialog box appears.

  2. Enter text in the Movie Title and/or Movie Comment fields.

  3. Click OK to apply your changes and exit the dialog box.


Note: The title can be different from the filename you give the movie when saving it.


Reference to the Movie Maker Interface

The Movie Maker interface includes the following:

The Viewing Area

The viewing area allows you to:

When you open a movie in Movie Maker, the viewing area displays one frame of that movie by default.

The Selection Area

The selection area displays selection bars representing the media files you have opened within Movie Maker. For example, if you have opened a movie that has a soundtrack, you see all three of the selection bars—the top one, representing both the image and the audio track; the second and third ones, representing the audio track and the image tracks.

Click and drag on these selection bars to select specific sections of the movie, or just click once to place a time point. See “Selecting a Section of a Movie” and “Placing a Time Point” for more information.

The Preview Controls

The preview controls work similarly to VCR controls. See “Previewing a Movie” for details. To use the volume dial, drag the dial counterclockwise to lower the volume, and clockwise t to raise the volume.

The Movie Maker Menus

In addition to the Help menu, Movie Maker contains these three menus:

The File Menu

The File menu contains the following commands:

Open... 

Brings up a file browser dialog so that you can select a media file to open in Movie Maker.

Import... 

Brings up a file browser dialog so that you can select media file to add to the currently open media file(s). The clips you insert appear at the time point (see “Placing a Time Point”).

Save 

Saves the file you are working on.

Save As... 

Brings up a Save As dialog box so that you can save the current file under a new name and/or location. Also offers format changing options. See “Converting Formats and Compression.”

Save Selection As... 


If part of the movie is selected, this command will open a Save As dialog box so that you can save the current selection under a new name and selection. This dialog box also offers format changing options. See “Converting Formats and Compression.”

Exit  

Exits Movie Maker.

The Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains the following commands:

Cut  

Cuts out the current selection, saving it in a buffer so that you can paste it somewhere else.

Copy 

Copies the current selection so that you can paste it somewhere else.

Paste 

Pastes the cut or copied material at the time point. See also “Placing a Time Point.”

Clear 

Replaces the current selection with blank frames or silence.

Delete 

Deletes the current selection.

Trim 

Trims away all material except the current selection. See also “Trimming a Section of Movie.”

Movie Properties... 


Brings up the Movie Properties dialog. See “Setting Movie Playback Options.”

The View Menu


Note: The View menu is a “tear off” menu, which means that once it is open, you can display it as separate window. To do this, open the View menu and highlight the dashed (- - - - - -) line that appears at the top of the menu.

The View menu contains the following commands:

Filmstrip 

Turns filmstrip mode on and off. See “About Filmstrip Mode.”

Number of Frames... 


See “Setting the Number of Frames to Display.”

Zoom Up; Zoom Down 


These are commands that either zoom up or down on the movie being displayed in the viewing area.

Zoom 

This rollover menu allows you to choose a zoom percentage.

Time Unit 

Choose from Seconds, Frames, or Timecode. These commands set the type of time unit displayed. See “Setting and Reading the Time Display.”

Playback Mode 


Select “Stop at End” to play a movie through once, select “Loop” to play a movie over and over continuously, or select “Swing” to play a movie from beginning to end, then end to beginning continuously.

Play Selection Only 


If you have selected a section of the movie, choosing this option allows you to play only the section you have selected. A check mark indicates it is turned on; no check mark indicates that it is off.

Go to... 

Brings up a dialog box that allows you to enter a specific frame or time to go to in the viewing area.

Select... 

Brings up a dialog box that allows you to enter specific starting and ending points in order to select a section of the movie.

The Movie Properties Dialog

See “Setting Movie Playback Options” for information on settings you can make with this window.

The Time Display Area

The Time Display area displays a time unit representing the current frame. In addition, if a group of frames are currently selected, this area also displays the time units that represent that selection. For example, if frames 3 through 17 were selected, it might read “3-17.”

You tell Movie Maker to display either seconds, frames, or timecode. See “Setting and Reading the Time Display” for more information.