AVID EDITING NOTES
TITLE TOOL
ADDING TEXT – SPECIAL CHARACTERS
• On a Mac, “KeyCaps” (in the Apple Menu) allows access to special characters and correct left and right inverted commas. Use Shift and Option keys to see alternative characters. Not all characters are available in all fonts
• On NT systems, use the Windows Character Map (Start/Programs/Accessories) to see extra characters. Copy and paste the characters into the Title Tool. Or, while in the Title Tool, hold down Alt and type a number on the numeric keypad
• Pair kerning is on by default but the default kerning may not be appropriate for larger point sizes. Place the cursor between a letter pair and Option/Alt + Click with the left or right cursor keys to adjust pair kerning
• To add a Border to text or a graphic, click the bottom most left button in the Text Tool and choose from the pop up what you want it to be.
• A Drop Shadow can be applied by dragging the shadow button (bottom right of the Text Tool) and Offset and direction are set by either dragging or entering a number.
SAVING TITLES
• Use the File Menu and the Save dialogue box offers choices for destination bin, media drive and resolution. The resolution must be the same or compatible with the clips in the sequence
• Always move a few seconds ahead from the first frame of a title incase you need to do an effect or transition.
ROLLING CREDITS
• To create a rolling credit, click on the “R” or “Roll” button and begin typing, with a Return at the end of each line. The text will scroll as you type. When finished, save and load into Source Monitor.
• Mark an In and Out in the Sequence (the duration between the marks is the time that the title will take to move up the screen.
• If marks are set on the Source side, one part of the title will be used
• To stop and hold the roller at the end, enter Effect Mode and add a keyframe at the position where you’d like the title to stop. Copy this keyframe and paste the parameters on to the final keyframe.
• TO FADE THE TITLE OFF THE SCREEN, move back from the final keyframe by the number of frames you’d like the fade to take and add a keyframe. Now move to the final keyframe and set the Foreground Level to zero. DON’T USE FADE EFFECT in this case, as your other keyframes will be removed or modified.
TITLE CRAWLS
• To create a title crawl, click “C” and choose a small point size (ie. 24 pt). Start typing at the top left of the screen, it will not scroll automatically but this is fixed in the next step.
• When the text is correct, click “Make Crawl” in the Object Menu and the text string is extended along the bottom of the frame.
• Adjust and Save.
• On Xpress, you will need to render rolling and crawling titles.
SAVING A TITLE MOVE
• When you drag the Title icon from the Effect Editor in to a Bin, it will save the title text and any keyframes and parameter changes
• If you hold Option/Alt and then drag the Title icon, this will just save the keyframes and parameters without the text. You can then apply this template to a new title by dragging the template on to the monitor window when the new title is selected in Effect Mode. If the destination title is larger than the original, adjust the crop parameters to show all of the title.
DOWNSTREAM KEYER
• This is a third, uncompressed, real-time graphics channel in the addition to the two real-time video streams on all systems.
• Downstream means that the graphics are keyed over the video after the two video streams are mixed together
• Static and rolling titles and imported graphics with alpha channels automatically use the DSK.
• If a title or graphic is promoted to 3d, the DSK is not used.
• On a 2d system, it is possible to resize a title or graphic only if the DSK is turned off (press the pink DSK button in the Effect Editor).
• Rolling and crawling titles normally use the DSK, but may be rendered if necessary
• It is possible to use a hard or soft edged crop on the moving title
• TRY TO KEEP ALL TITLES AND GRAPHICS WITH ALPHA CHANNELS PLAYING IN THE DOWNSTREAM KEYER – the quality will be higher and less rendering will be needed.
• You may choose to reserve a high video track for all your DSK clips.
TITLING
Go to the Title Tool - Tools - Title Tool or map a key for it. If I want the title to be on one line, I need to make the box bigger. If I want to make the text size larger, I can click in a number and then use the up and down arrows to make it one smaller and larger. To add a color to my text click on the Fill color rectangle and choose a color. I can make it start with a certain color and end with another one by clicking the 2 rectangles above the large square and adjusting the colors. I can also create a Drop Shadow in 2 ways. One is to just type in a number under the square with a square inside of it or I can click in the Drop Shadow window (the square with the square inside of it) and drag it around until it looks perfect. If I want to soften the drop shadow, I can go up to Object - Soften Shadow and then i can enter in a number and click Apply to preview it and I can keep changing it until I like it and then click on OK.
If I notice that my title has some rough edges and is aliasing I can go to Object and select Preview (Shift + Ctrl + P) to give it a higher quality and it will look nice.
I can also change the Opacity or Color of the Drop Shadow by clicking on the Shadow Rectangles.
I can also ADD A BORDER by clicking on the Border rectangle and can select the width of the border by clicking on the button under Styles and I can add a border color and i can also turn it off too.
I can draw a box around it by going to the Square Tool inside the Title Tool next to the little hand and draw a box. The box will now be on top of my text, so to fix this go to Object - Send to Back. To make the box a little more Transparent, I can click on the 2nd Fill rectangle and adjusting the slider. I can also add a pre-made border to see what it'll look like and to round the edges, click on the button next to the pre-made border button and choose one or I can type in a number by click on the bottom one and entering in an amount.
IF I WANT TO MOVE BOTH MY BOX AND MY TEXT TOGETHER, drag a Lasso around both of them and go up to Object - Group which will make it one object now. When I position it to where I want it to be I can go to Object - Lock so I won't accidentally move it.
TO SAVE MY TITLE I CAN JUST TRY TO CLOSE THE TITLE WINDOW and it'll ask me to save it and click Save and Name it, select what Bin to put it in, what drive and at what Resolution and Save which will automattically load it into the Source Window and will also show up in the Bin with a title icon and I can put it into a Title's Bin so I can find it easier.
TO ADD A DISSOLVE TO THE TITLE, use the Fade Effect button which is great for adding quick fades to titles because it lets me set up both the up and down fade instead of having to add a dissolve to both sides. Just enter in the frames I want the effect to be at.
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