Preparing for Editing
Once the files are opened in the Media Files list in the Collections window, they are available for editing. To edit these files they must be added to the Timeline.
Adding Media Files to the Timeline
To start editing your media files and give them Effects and Transitions, they must be added to the Timeline. To add media files to the Timeline:
- Select one or more media files from the Media Files list in the Collections Window.
- Select the Video and Audio track in the Timeline. A thin line appears around the selected track. Video Tracks and Audio Tracks are independently selected.
- Go to Edit > Add to Timeline or use the Shift + F2 shortcut key to add the selected file to the selected tracks in the Timeline.
Adding Color Clips to the Timeline
Video Edit Magic can create color clips and add them to the Timeline. A color clip fills the entire window with a solid color. They are especially useful when you want a blank screen for a part of your movie, and as a background you can use to display text effects on. To add a color clip:
- There must already be one video clip or still picture added to the Timeline.
- Click Edit >> Add to End of Timeline >> Video Color Clip to Track.
- Select either Video 1 or Video 2.
Add and Insert Options
You can add a media file present on the Media Files tab in the Collections window to the Timeline by right-clicking on it and selecting any of the following options:
- Add to End of the Timeline >> Selected Media File to Track: The source will be added at the end of the Timeline to the tracks you choose. For instance, if you pick Video 1 and Audio 2 then the video stream of the media file will be added to the end of Video 1 track and the audio stream will be added to Audio 2 track.
- Insert at Slider Position: This will insert a media file or Video Color Clip at the current position of the Seek Slider. Any existing clips at that position will be cut at that point and the new media inserted into the gap.
- Insert at Slider Position On: The user can select any of the track combinations provided. The media file will be inserted at the position of the slider on those tracks, e.g. the video stream would be in added in the video track and the audio stream would be added in the audio track mentioned.
Media files can also be added to the Timeline by dragging the selected media file from the Collections window to any position on the Timeline. This will add the streams of the media file to the selected video and audio track in the Timeline. The slider will move to the position where the file is dropped.
If Fit to Timeline when adding sources is selected on the General tab of the Options window (Tools > Options), the Timeline is automatically zoomed to accommodate the entire length of the added source(s). Clear the option from the Options window if this behavior is not desired.
Zooming the Timeline
If the Fit to Timeline when adding sources is not selected and the media file that you drag into the Timeline has a very long duration then the complete file will not be visible. If you wish to see the entire file, you may zoom the Timeline out using the Tools > Zoom out Timeline Scale menu option. Continue zooming in or out until you find a view that is comfortable for your editing purposes. Most users prefer to zoom out only to see an overview of their media in the Timeline and work in a zoomed in view at all other times (which makes it easier to work precisely with small time intervals).
Previewing the Timeline
Now that the sources are added to the Timeline, they can be previewed. Just click the Play button in the Preview window and watch the preview of your Timeline. The positions of the seek slider in the Timeline and the seek bar in the Preview move gradually to reflect the position that is being currently previewed. The seek slider can be moved by dragging its handle. When the seek slider is moved, the preview also changes to reflect the current slider position. The same can be done with the seek bar in the Preview window. As you edit your files in the Timeline, applying Effects and Transitions to them, you will have to preview your Timeline frequently.
Previewing a Selected Source
If you want to preview only a particular source, you can right-click on it and select Play Clip or double-click on it. This is useful as you do not have to preview the entire Timeline.
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