This section includes “Creating a Transition” and “Editing a Transition.”
By default, FX Builder displays a basic “cut” transition, but you can alter this transition and add 3D effects. To create a transition with FX Builder, you work with one or more of each of the two clip placeholders, “A” and “B.”
When creating a transition, keep in mind that the only part of the effect that will actually be seen in a movie is what is happening within the movie viewport outline in center of the 3D viewer.
These are the basic steps, with links to more detailed instructions. These instructions assume that you've have already opened FX Builder by clicking New in the start up dialog (see “Using the FX Builder Start Up Dialog”).
Decide on the content.
There are different types of transitions you can create:
a transition with frame animation, without imported objects
a transition that has one or more imported objects, but does not have customized frame animation
a transition that has frame animation and imported objects
Animate.
You create one movement at a time, so choose an object to start with and follow steps 1 through 4 below to animate it. Note that source clips, represented by the “A” and “B” placeholders, are objects you can animate.
Position the initial keyframe.
To animate placeholder A or B, there is no need to create an initial keyframe— keyframes already exist by default at the beginning and end of the A and B timelines. If you want to reposition an initial keyframe, you can edit it. See “Editing Keyframes” for instructions.
To animate an imported object, set the time indicator (the red line—see also “Working With the Timelines and Time Indicator”) at the point at which you want the object to start appearing in the effect, then import the object (see “Importing Objects” for details). A keyframe automatically appears. See also “Creating and Deleting Keyframes” for more details.
Position the time indicator for the next keyframe.
Drag the time indicator to the point that you want the object to move to on the timeline. See “Working With the Timelines and Time Indicator.”
Manipulate.
Now select the object by clicking on it and manipulate it to the position and size you want it to be at the new point in time (explained in “Editing and Manipulating Objects”).
Preview.
To preview the animation you've created, click the Play button at the bottom of window. See “Previewing the Effect” for details.
Add more animation if desired.
Return to the instructions in Step 2 for every new movement you want to create. You can edit keyframes at any time (see “Editing Keyframes” and “Deleting Keyframes”).
For information on other effects you can add to your transition, see “Some Additional Techniques For Creating Effects.”
Apply and/or save transition for later use.
To apply the transition to the current movie selection, click the Apply button.
To save it as a custom transition, choose File > Save. Specify a pathname for the effect, then click OK.
 | Tip: If your movie includes computer-generated graphics, such as those created by including a 3D filter in your movie, it may flicker when played on a TV monitor. To remedy this, use Media Convert to apply a flicker filter to the movie. |
The basic steps in editing an existing transition are as follows:
Select the transition and open it in FX Builder.
You can select a template transition (see “Using the FX Builder Start Up Dialog” for instructions), or select a transition from your movie editing application (refer to the documentation in your movie editing application for instructions on selecting the transition).
Use FX Builder to create, delete, or edit keyframes and to create new animation.
See “Animating Objects” for instructions on all of these actions. If you want to include new objects in the transition, import them (as described in “Importing Objects”).
For information on additional effects you can create, see “Some Additional Techniques For Creating Effects.”
Note: Keep in mind that the only part of the effect that will actually be seen in a movie is what is happening within the movie viewport outline in center of the 3D viewer. Apply and/or save transition for later use.
To apply the transition to the current selection of the movie, click the Apply button.
To save it as a custom transition for later use, choose File > Save. Specify a pathname for the effect, then click OK.
| Note: When you bring a movie into your 3D effect, the movie is not copied into the effect, but rather it is referenced from its current location on your system. This behavior conserves your disk space. You need to be aware, however, that if you move the movie file, it will no longer be referenced in your effect, and if you alter the movie file, the altered movie will appear in your effect. |