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eZedia Resources
eZedia Tips & Tricks
 Non-Destructive Video Editing in eZediaMX
Non-Destructive Video Editing is a term used to describe a method of editing a video in a way that changes its playback, without changing the original file itself. In this article, we'll be discussing how to use non-destructive video editing to control the playback sequence of a movie in eZediaMX. This style of editing is a good way to use pieces from a long movie, without the trouble of cutting the movie file into smaller pieces, and then re-compressing these multiple movie files.
In this article, we'll be using the file "Beach.mov" to demonstrate how non-destructive video editing with eZediaMX is accomplished. This file is installed with eZediaMX, and can be found in the Support Files folder (a subfolder located inside the main eZediaMX program folder).
Displaying Movie Timecodes
1. Import the "Beach.mov" file and position it wherever you like within the document window.
You can do this with the Movie Object toolbar icon, or by simply dragging and
dropping the file onto a new eZediaMX document.
2. Give the movie Playback Controls.
a) Double-click the Movie Object to open its dialog box.
b) Select the Controls check box.
Click here for a picture of the dialog box
showing the correct settings.
c) Click OK to save the changes and to close the Movie Object dialog box.
3. Create a Container Object with a Timecode type.
a) Click the Container Object toolbar icon.
An Untitled Container Object will appear in the center of the document window.
b) Double-click the Container Object to open its dialog box.
c) Type Timecode in the Contents text box.
While this name does not show up in Run Mode, it provides information to
you while you are working in the Editor to help keep your document organized.
d) Select Timecode Display from the Type list.
Timecode Display is found at the bottom of the Type list. You will have to scroll down the list to find it.
Click here for a picture of the dialog box, showing the correct settings.
e) Click OK to accept the changes and to close the Container Object dialog box.
4. Drag the Container Object to position it below the Movie Object.
5. Link the Movie Object to the Container Object.
6. Preview the project in the eZedia Player.
a) Select Frames > Preview Frame to preview your project.
Because the Activate setting for the Movie Object is set to Frame Open,
the movie begins playing as soon as the frame opens in the eZedia Player.
As the movie plays, the Container Object displays the Timecode values.
b) Click the Play/Pause button in the Controls.
The movie pauses. You can now use the Left and Right Arrow controls
to advance through the movie in multiples of 5/60ths of a second. You can
also drag the slider along the slide bar to advance through the movie.
c) Record the transition times.
Use the Controls at the bottom of the movie to advance through the movie.
Write down the times for the transitions that occur in the movie. These time values
will be important in a later section of our article.
Here are approximate times for the transitions that we recorded for "Beach.mov", which can be used as a comparison:
00:00:00 - Boogie Boarding
00:03:45 - Sailboats
00:07:20 - The Beach
00:10:30 - Waves rolling in
00:13:00 - Sunset
d) Press Esc to return to the eZediaMX Editor when you are finished previewing your project.
Sending Timecodes to a Movie Object
While Container Objects can be used to display Timecode values, they can also be used to send Timecode values to a Movie Object, forcing the movie to start playing at a specific time.
7. Create a Container Object to send a timecode value to the Movie Object.
a) Click the Container Object toolbar icon.
An Untitled Container Object will appear in the center of the document window.
b) Double-click the Container Object to open its dialog box.
c) Type 00:10:30 in the Contents text box.
All of the other options in the Container Object dialog box will be left
at the defaults. Because the information in the Content's text box is being passed
to the Movie Object, the Standard Container type doesn't need to be changed.
The Activate setting of Mouse Down will allow you to click on the Container
Object in Run Mode to test it.
Click here for a picture of the dialog box showing the correct settings.
d) Click OK to accept the changes and to close the Container Object dialog box.
8. Link the Container Object to the Movie Object.
9. Reset the Activation of the Movie Object.
a) Double-click the Movie Object to open its dialog box.
b) Select Frame Open from the Activate list.
When you drew the link from the Container Object to the Movie Object,
the Movie Object's Activation setting was automatically switched to Link Only.
You want the movie to automatically start playing when the frame opens.
c) Click OK to accept the changes and to close the Movie Object dialog box.
10. Preview the project in the eZedia Player. At any time while the movie is playing,
you can click the Container Object displaying the 00:10:30 value, to force the movie to jump
to that time value. Remember to press Esc to return to the eZediaMX Editor when you are
finished previewing your project.
Sequencing a Movie Object
Using a combination of the techniques described in the previous two sections, we can
change the playback order of a movie. To help sequence the movie, you will need to pass
the information gathered in the Container Object to a Branch Object. The Branch Object
will evaluate the value from the Timecode Container, and activate other objects based
on the evaluation.
11. Create a Branch Object.
a) Click the Branch Object toolbar icon .
A Branch Object will appear in the center of the document window.
b) Double-click the Branch Object to open its dialog box.
c) Type 00:03:3 and then select Contains from the list.
00:03:3 is the Timecode value in the movie that corresponds to the end of the boogie-boarding clip.
Reasons behind leaving out the last digit and using Contains:
The Timecode values represent Minutes:Seconds:60ths of a Second.
The Timecode of 00:03:3 represents 3 Seconds and 30/60ths of a Second. Leaving out the last
digit and setting the branch to Contains allows the Branch Object to match all values from
00:03:30 through 00:03:39. Because computers tend to process at different speeds, the Timecode
valuesthat are being sent to the Container Object are not always going to be the same. This
allows for the Branch Object to match any value that occurs within the range of values,
ensuring that the event doesn't get missed.
Click here for a picture of the dialog box showing the correct settings.
d) Click OK to accept the changes and to close the Branch Object dialog box.
12. Link the Timecode Container Object to the input area of the Branch Object.
13. Draw a link from the first branch of the Branch Object to the Container Object containing the 00:10:30 Timecode value.
14. Preview the project in the eZedia Player.
a) Select Frames > Preview Frame to preview your project.
When the movie plays in Run Mode, it shows the boogie-boarding clip,
then jumps directly to the waves rolling in. The time between is skipped completely.
b) Press Esc to return to the eZediaMX Editor when you are finished previewing your project.
Final Cleanup
15. Deselect the Controls checkbox in the Movie Object's dialog box.
16. Make each of the Container Objects invisible.
The benefit of using this method to edit the playback of a movie, is that the original movie file is not changed. You can still use the same Movie Object in other places in your presentation, and the whole movie will play from beginning to end.
Click here to download a complete project file that uses multiple Branch Objects and
Container Objects to change the order of all the scenes in the Beach movie.
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