The World’s Top Tips for
Pinnacle Studio Video Editing software
(with some Avid Liquid snippets)
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Hollywood FX is a special transitions and filters program. Studio comes with 16 basic
effects, but really, they're just an appetiser for one of the HFX packages - in Version
5, these were known as Plus and Pro (or ‘Mega’ for Studio).
NOTE: Information about HFX 4.5 has now been deleted from these pages. The version
shown here now is 5.5 - which is close to the current version in appearance.
HOLLYWOOD HFX 5.5 OUTLINED
A new look for Hollywood FX ...
Well, not so new now, as it has been out for some time, but new for Studio 9 and
9 Plus (and Edition 6). Actually, it has gone through quite a few changes since originally
launched as version 5.0 for Studio 9, but it seems to have settled now, for a while
at least, as HFX 5.5. This discussion will be about the top of the range version,
of course - which for Studio is called Hollywood FX Mega, and for Liquid Edition
is called Hollywood FX Pro. Both versions - Mega and Pro - are virtually the same
except for the 'skin' or coat they're dressed in. The Mega look is shown in this
article: The 'Pro' look follows the appearance of Liquid Edition and is, umm, how
can I put it, less garish. Nevertheless, apart from one or two minor things, both
versions are identical and behave identically. Another new thing about the latest
versions - they're (Mega and Pro) installed into different directories. So if you
have Studio and Liquid Edition on your machine, you would have two installations
of HFX. That means uninstalling one won't affect the other - one of the major problems
that occurred in the past.
The principles of use haven't changed
The underlying principles of HFX haven't really changed from the 4.5/4.6 versions.
The methods have changed though. Those who became familiar with working with the
earlier versions should have found it easy to get up to speed fairly quickly with
this new version. Lets take a look at where everything is now.
Click on one of the letters to go to a description of that particular item
A. The ALBUM area This pane, together with the one to the left of it, shows all
the effects, objects, plug-ins and so on that are available to you in Hollywood FX.
It can be 'detached' from the main window to float separately (ALBUM menu option),
and when detached or closed (ALBUM menu option, or icon button F), in its place the
HFX keyframing envelope is displayed. More of this later. In this area you can select
a new effect - selecting the folder in the left of the two Album panes, and the effect
within that folder from the right pane. Further down the Folder list, after all
the effects folders, you'll find Folders containing other things such as objects,
warps and filter plug-ins, preset flight paths, media, extra lighting and 3D text.
To select a new transition or effect, you simply double click on it. However, to
add an object, plug-in or anything else to an effect from one of the Album folders,
it has to be click-dragged and dropped into an appropriate place Tree or Component
list (B).. One way to add any of the objects in an existing unlocked effect into
an object folder for future use (an object being, for example a frame, or a special
shape used in the effect) by dragging it from the effect's component list back into
the folder. Talking of unlocked effects, with this HFX you get a number of folders
over and above the Pro/Mega range (00-025) that are locked and need to be purchased
separately. But the price of unlocking an entire folder is extremely low (IMO) at
under £10. [Back to the picture]
B. The Component List or 'Tree' Pane ... (Note - this pane can be completely closed
by dragging it's left edge, and it may sometimes be necessary to open the pane by
dragging the left edge of the Album window to the left). This panel lists every object
used in the currently selected effect, plus the effect name and an item called 'Camera'.
Each object will have at least one surface - and that surface can be mapped with
media - a video or a graphic, or perhaps simply a colour. Both of these items - Surface
and Media - are listed under the object heading, If an object has 6 surfaces - such
as a cube - then there will be six surface and media items listed under that object.
The SoftB1 object used for the Fly-Off transition has numerous edges to provide it
with a soft edge appearance, and each of these edges is treated as a separate surface
with its own media attachment. When any item in the Component list is selected,
its properties can be changed or adjusted in the pane above, top left. In fact, if
you want to make an adjustment to an effect, this is one of the places where you
can select it. The order that objects appear in this list is important ... they are
rendered from the top down. [Back to the picture]
C. The Property Control Pane... Here's where you adjust the various properties and
generally make changes to any item selected in the Components list. Most of the
properties can be keyframed - that means, their value can be changed as the effect
progresses from start to finish. The keyframing is achieved in conjunction with
the Envelope window, bottom right when the album is closed or moved away. There
is quite a large a number of these Property Control panels - each of the Filters
and Warps are also associated with a Control panel - and individual discussion of
each one and how to use the controls it contains is way beyond the scope of this
overview. Sufficient to say that the 'Basic' controls are obtained by clicking on
the name of the effect itself. Virtually anything and everything in an effect or
transition can be changed! [Back to the picture]
D. The Monitor or Preview window ... This is where you can view the effect as you
make changes to it, and up to four views are available - you can have the 'full frontal'
view, as will be seen in the final video, and you can also have a perspective view,
top and side views, to help you select, position and move an object. When an object
is selected, its spatial flight path is shown in the perspective, top and bottom
views. You can also select an object using these views, and adjust its position by
click-dragging, having first selected the type of adjustment you want to make using
the controls to the right of the window (G). [Back to the picture]
E. The Viewer and Envelope controls ... These icons are 'buttons' - the top row controls
playback of the effect, and the bottom row provides control over the keyframes -
enabling them to be added, copied, pasted or removed, and controlling how the envelope
curve behaves when 'passing through' the keyframe - does it change gradually, or
instantly, for example. Again, further discussion of all these controls is really
beyond the scope of this overview. [Back to the picture]
F. The Album Toggle ... This icon button simply toggles the Album area on or off
- when off, the Keyframe envelope is shown in its place. [Back to the picture]
G. Object adjustment selectors ... These provide a simpler and easier way to adjust
the position of an object, often, than using the Property Controls (C panels). First,
the object must be selected by clicking on the top arrow icon then selecting the
required object. Then select the time within the effect for the position, by dragging
the scrubber to the required time position. Then, for simple movement, click on the
+ icon, second one down, click in the Preview window area and drag the object to
its new position. For further movement of the object at a different point in time,
reset the scrubber, and reposition the object. A keyframe will automatically be created
for each adjustment. The other icon buttons here control rotation (use left and right
mouse buttons for different rotation axes), scale in any direction, and the bottom
one simply sets the object to fit the full screen size, whatever its spatial position..
[Back to the picture]
H, Preview adjustment controls ... These adjust the views in the various preview
windows, whichever is selected by a mouse click - not all adjustments work on the
main 'full frontal view'. To move the details within a selected view, for example,
click and drag on the first of these four icon buttons - that can be a bit misleading
at first. You don't click the icon then go to the pane you want to move - you click
and drag on the icon itself. The purpose of these icons, which provide movement,
scaling, rotation and a reset to normal (no dragging required) of the view within
the selected window, is to enable you to get a better look at the position of an
object for finer adjustment to it. Handy, huh? [Back to the picture]
I. Mapping options ... These determine how a video is going to be 'mapped' (displayed)
on the surface of an object whilst you are editing it. It doesn't affect the way
the effect is rendered out when you make your movie. Point is, if you have a complex
effect and maybe a PC that could use a bit of beefing up, using 'live vide' can slow
things down considerably. Of course, if you want to tie an effect to the actual
video action, you have no option, but generally speaking, a still from the video
is adequate - and faster when editing. [Back to the picture]
J. The Preview window selectors ... These quite simply select one of four preview
window combinations. I could list them here - but hey! Go check them out for yourself!
[Back to the picture]
The envelope window
This is pretty much the same as the earlier versions of HFX. Here's a brief description
of the various items. Further discussion is, again, beyond the scope of this overview.
A. The horizontal scale - you can zoom in by dragging on the 3rd envelope control
icon from the left, to see the envelope curve in more detail.
B, The scrubber, Same as the scrubber in Studio.
C. Envelope indicator. Some envelopes carry multiple flight paths - position flight
paths, for example. This shows you which adjustment is currently selected. The arrow
to the right of it produces a drop down list from where you can select another property.
D, Keyframes Each keyframe is shown as a block.
E. Keyframe selectors and scale zoom controls. Jump to the next or previous keyframe
- far far more accurate than trying to position the scrubber yourself.
F. Keyframe controls - copy, paste, delete and so on.
G. Spline and curve controls - determine how the envelolpe curve is going to pass
through the keyframe.
H, Envelope controls - save or load the envelope for use again, or ditch it into
into the dustbin.
This, patently, has been no more than an overview of what's in the 'new' HFX. There
is obviously a lot involved, particularly with all of the control panels. Creating
effects can be a bit tricky too - the main thing that people forget (but not you,
of course), is that when you change an objects position in the middle of an effect's
duration, after that key point it will try to move back to the original end point
position. So - a tip to help you get started is - when you add a keyframe in the
middle of an effect, copy it to the following keyframes. It will then stay in the
chosen position until you decide where you want it to go next. Remember, HFX is
about far far more than some fancy transitions - you can create some stunning special
effects with this editor, as those who saw my earlier and now outdated and defunct
CD Tutorial will know - from animated overlays to the Star Trek 'Beam me up Scotty
... '. Have fun!
