Video Producer reference

Specifies camera shots and transitions that are combined and rendered as one animation. The camera shots can come from any Studio camera in the active document.

Transitions provide a means of smoothly moving between camera shots. These help improve the quality and clarity of the video production by helping the audience note changes in vantage points. Standard transition types are defined in the software.

To work with Video Producer see Compose Video Footage

Access:

Ribbon: Render tab Animate panel Video Producer

To create a Production, right-click the Productions folder and select New.

To activate or deactivate a Production, right-click the Production node and select Activate. When a production is active the context menu entry Activate is checked.

Attention: When rendering, productions have precedence over animations. To render an animation, and not a production, deactivate any active production. Right-click the production and select Activate to deactivate it.

Playback Controls

Plays the production in the graphics area without rendering, and records a rendered version of the production. The production timeline reuses applicable animation timeline controls.

Go to start

Sets the current time to zero, which is the start of the animation.

Play animation

Plays the animation. Changes to Stop Animation during playback.

Stop Animation

Plays the animation. Changes back to Play Animation.

Play animation in reverse

Plays the animation in reverse.

Current time mark

Moves the slider to the time location you enter. Accepts input to one decimal place, representing a one tenth second interval.

Go to End

Moves the current time to the end of the animation.

Toggle Repeat

Repeats the previous action in a continuous loop. The default acceleration is Constant Speed.

Record animation

Opens the Render Animation dialog box, Output property page, where you record the rendered version of the animation.

Expand Action Editor or

Collapse Action Editor

Displays and hides the Timeline Editor and browser for productions.

Timeline Editor provides interactive edit access to shots and transitions. You can drag the start, end, and reposition shots and transitions.

Shot/Transition Browsers Display a list containing cameras and camera transitions.

Shots

The Shots browser has a tree control that lists all cameras defined for the active assembly, no matter how many or few. Pausing the cursor over a shot node will preview the first frame of the shot.

To place a Shot into the timeline, drag and drop the shot onto the timeline. Alternatively, right-click the desired shot and select Add to timeline.

Editing a shot

Edit a timeline shot through a dialog box by double-clicking it or right-clicking and selecting Edit. Edit interactively by placing the cursor over the left or right edge of the shot, then click-drag to extend or contract the shot time.

When using the dialog box the following controls are available:

Animation Footage Specifies the animation and available animation footage in increments of time. The value cannot exceed the length of the shot.
  • Animation - specifies the animation providing the footage that is used.
  • Start - specifies the point in time, within the animation, that the footage is taken from. For example, if an animation is 4 seconds long (0s - 4s) and the desired footage starts at 1s, then the subsequent camera shot is made of footage starting at 1s or later if you so specify.
  • Duration - this value is driven by the shot duration and cannot be edited. It is presented as information.
  • End - states when the animation footage ends. It is the sum of the start position and duration.
Shot Footage Specifies the amount of camera footage presented in the animation.
  • Camera - Specifies the camera that provides the shot. The selected camera is shown but you can select any camera in the list.
  • Start - Specifies segment of animation footage used for the shot. Must be set equal to or greater than the Animation Footage start value.
  • Duration - specifies the length, in time increments, for the shot footage. This value drives the Animation Footage Duration.
  • End - specifies when the shot footage ends.

When multiple shots occupy the timeline, edit the sequence of the shots by dragging and dropping the shot where you want it. A shot cannot be dropped “inside” of another shot.

Transitions

The Transitions browser contains a list of available camera transitions. Right-click and select Add to timeline to append a transition to the timeline. To insert a transition between shots, drag and drop the transition between the shots in the timeline.

Editing a transition

Edit a transition through the dialog box by double-clicking it or right-clicking and selecting Edit. To edit a transition interactively, place the cursor over the left or right edge of the transition, then click-drag to extend or contract it.

Transition Specifies the transition type and displays the adjacent shots.
  • Type - select from the available transition types. There are no methods for customizing types.
  • From Shot - notes the adjacent shot before the transition.
  • To Shot - notes the adjacent shot after the transition.
Color Specifies the color used in the transition where applicable, such as when using fade or gradient wipe start and end transitions.
Timeline Position Specifies where in the timeline the transition takes place. The transition lays over the camera shot. It is possible to define a transition that eclipses the shot.
  • Start - specifies the point in time when the transition starts.
  • Duration - specifies the length, in time increments, for the transition.
  • End - specifies when the transition ends.
Editing the duration changes the end time position correspondingly. Editing the end time position changes the duration value correspondingly.