MOVIE STUDIO

2025
English language manual
MOVIE STUDIO 2025 | MANUAL

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Version: 2025.240525.1128

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MOVIE STUDIO 2025 | MANUAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Before you start... 11

What is Movie Studio? 11

Three program versions 12

What's new? 13

System requirements 16

Operating systems 16

Minimum system requirements 16

Recommended system requirements 16

Supported file formats 17

Import formats 17

Export formats 17

Serial number 17

Getting started Movie Studio 19

Projects, Movies and Objects 20

What are objects 21

Working with objects 23

Save objects and object groups separately 26

Create new project 27

Program interface overview 31

1 Menu Bar 32

2 Switching the interface 32

"Edit" interface 33

1 Program monitor 34

2 Media Pool 34

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3 Project window 34

Program monitor with transport control 34

Transport controls 38

Preview Quality 40

Movie overview 41

Media Pool 41

Import 44

Effects 47

Templates 48

Audio 49

Store 49

MAGIX Hub 51

Project Window 52

Toolbar 53

Movie tab 58

Display modes 59

Customizing the interface 68

Menus 68

File menu 68

"Edit" menu 76

Effects menu 81

"Window" menu 84

"Share" menu 86

"Help" Menu 87

Settings and Managing video projects 90

Movie and project settings 90

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Program settings 92

Playback 92

Folders 94

Video/Audio 94

System 96

Device options 96

Import/Export 98

Activating and using codecs 98

MPEG-2 Encoder (Intel) 99

MPEG-4 encoder settings (Intel) 103

HEVC Encoder 106

Backup copies 108

Copying movies or project and media into folder 108

Restore project from video disc 109

Load backup project 109

Cleaning Wizard 109

Optimize performance 110

Preview rendering 111

Using proxy files, proxy editing 113

Import and organize media 115

Adding media 116

Importing individual scenes from videos 119

Adding stock content (Magix Content) 120

How to access MAGIX Content 121

Search for content 121

Displaying and using content 122

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Add content to favorites 123

Show downloads 123

Recording 124

Recording AVCHD 127

DV camera / HDV camera 129

Analog video recording 134

Audio 137

Single frame 140

Screen Recording 142

Edit after recording 144

Upload and share files (beta) 146

Create folder 146

Uploading files 147

Add collaborators 149

Use Cloud media 151

Cutting video 153

Simple cut 153

Separate sound from videos 153

Automatic scene detection 154

Regroup scenes 155

Trim objects 156

Edit trimmer 157

Object trimmer 158

Move the contents of trimmed objects 159

Multicam Editing 159

Source tracks and preview images 160

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Multicam edit functions 161

Synchronize video objects using the audio track 162

Markers 163

Playback markers 163

Project markers 164

Snap markers and transients 164

Delete all chapter markers 165

Range markers(In & out points) 167

Scene markers 168

Musical editing adjustment and BPM Wizard 169

BPM Wizard 169

Design and optimize videos 174

Effects 174

Apply effects to objects 174

Customized templates in the Media Pool 175

Create titles 176

Video effects 180

Position and animation effects 197

360° videos 206

Stereo3D 211

Audio effects 217

Extra effects in plug-ins 232

Load effects masks 235

Layer masks 236

Animate objects using keyframes 237

Effect curves 242

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Effect settings for the entire movie 245

Object tracking 247

Film looks and lookup tables 248

Templates 250

Movie and editing templates 251

Transitions 253

Create Panorama 255

Image optimization for individual objects 255

16-bit deep color support 256

Editing audio 257

Loading audio files 257

Adjust loudness of all selected objects 258

Edit volume curve 259

Audio mixdown 260

Volume reduction 260

Audio cleaning 260

5.1 Surround/Multichannel 264

Scrubbing 268

Import audio CDs 269

AI Text-to-speech 271

AI Speech-to-text 273

Export and present movies 275

Export video file 275

Burn videos to disc 275

Export movie (for beginners) 275

Upload to Vimeo 276

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Output as video file 276

Export to mobile device 277

Upload online 277

Export movie (for advanced users) 278

Export formats 279

Video export 279

Audio export 282

Transition export 283

Image export 283

Burning 283

Preview 285

Edit view 287

Burning wizard 294

Batch conversion 299

Wizards 303

Slideshow Maker 303

Soundtrack Maker 306

Travel Maps – Travel route animation 307

Quick Start 308

General menu functions 309

Settings 315

Appendix 317

Shortcut 317

Playback functions 317

Monitors 318

Project window view 318

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Move view and start marker 318

Mouse modes 319

Insert modes 320

Context menu 320

"File" menu 320

"Edit" menu 322

"Effects” menu 324

"Window" menu 326

"Help" menu 327

Editing keyboard shortcuts 327

Customer support 329

Glossary 331

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BEFORE YOU START...

Before you start using Movie Studio, we recommend you get familiar with some basic information.
This chapter contains everything you need to know to get the most out of the software. Learn about
what Movie Studio is and what it can do, its system requirements, which file formats are supported,
and how to activate the program. You'll also find out about the innovative new features included in
the current version.

A note regarding special program versions:

This documentation describes the full functionality of Movie Studio. The functionality and ser-
vice may vary depending on the program version/edition you have purchased.

What is Movie Studio?

Movie Studio is a powerful and easy-to-use video editing program that enables both beginners and
advanced users to create breathtaking videos. With a wide range of functions, effects and tools,
Movie Studio is the perfect solution for video editing, whether for personal use, professional pro-
duction or creative design.

Using Movie Studio, you can cut, edit and optimize your videos to achieve professional-looking res-
ults. The intuitive interface allows you to start editing right away, even if you have no previous video
editing experience. The software also offers advanced features and tools for experienced users,
enabling them to make their creative visions a reality.

Want to create videos of your vacations, document special events, produce promotional videos – or
simply create your own films? Movie Studio provides the tools you need to bring your ideas to life.
From basic video editing processes such as cutting and trimming or adding transitions and effects to
audio editing and integrating text and subtitles, the program offers a wide range of options for cus-
tomizing your videos and letting them shine with a professional look.

Tip regarding special program versions

This documentation describes the full functionality of Movie Studio. The functionality and ser-
vice may vary depending on the program version or edition you have purchased.

Before you start... What is Movie Studio? 11

MOVIE STUDIO 2025 | MANUAL

Three program versions

■ The entry-level version Movie Studio is aimed first and foremost at beginners without previous
video editing experience who want to easily make and edit videos on their PC. This program ver-
sion contains helpful picture and sound wizards that help make the video editing process easier,
as well as an intuitive user interface.
■ The advanced version Movie Studio Plus offers all of the features of the standard version plus
extra tools and features for video editing. This version is intended for advanced users.
■ Movie Studio Premium contains all of the features of the Plus version. This version also comes
with powerful add-on programs from third party providers.

See the MAGIX website for an in-depth version comparison. Click here ...

Before you start... What is Movie Studio? 12

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What's new?

Movie Studio 2025

■ AI feature: AI Speech-to-text
This new, AI features allows you to easily transcribe the text from supported audio and video
files directly in your project by right-clicking to insert a title in the timeline, which can further be
edited. Discover the vast possibilities of video editing!

AI Speech-to-text
■ AI artistic filter: AI Colorization
This new, AI-powered artistic filter allows you to simply transform black and white media into
vibrant color footage and add a nostalgic touch to projects.

AI Colorization
■ AI artistic filter: AI Style Transfer
This AI-driven artistic filter makes it possible apply the styles of famous artists such as Picasso
and van Gogh in images and videos. It's intuitive and fully customizable using the effects win-
dow. Add the flair of timeless masterpieces to your media.

Before you start... What's new? 13

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AI Style Transfer
■ Redesigned Chroma key
The redesigned "Chroma key" feature allows you to quickly remove and replace colored areas,
offers user-friendly presets from green screen to custom color selection and achieves high-qual-
ity results with anti-spill and a improved clipping algorithm.

Chroma key (Green screen)

■ Updated recording functions
The modernized and simplified recording functions combine screen capture, audio and webcam
recording in one clear dialog.

Recording
■ Hub Explorer with Media Share (Beta)
In Hub Explorer, you can upload media to the cloud across platforms, share it with others and
invite participants to provide their own media.

Before you start... What's new? 14

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Upload and share files (beta)

Before you start... What's new? 15

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System requirements

Operating systems

Operating systems Microsoft Windows 10 | 11

Processor 64-bit

Minimum system requirements

Processor Intel Core i-series or AMD FX series

RAM 4 GB or higher

Hard drive space 2 GB free disk space for program installation

Graphics card Onboard, 2 GB VRAM, DirectX 12 support

Internet connection required for registering and validating the program, as well as
for some program functions.

Recommended system requirements

Processor Intel 6th generation Core i-series or higher AMD Ryzen or
higher

RAM 16 GB min.

Hard drive space RAM: 10 GB

Graphics card INFUSION Engine 3 provides hardware acceleration for import

and export with Intel, NVIDIA and AMD GPUs:

■ Intel Graphics HD 620 or higher with 4 GB (Intel driver

version 27.20.100.9466 or higher)
■ NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1050ti or higher with 4 GB
(GeForce Game Ready driver version 496.76 or higher)
■ AMD Radeon RX470 or higher with 4 GB

*hardware accelerated export AV1 from Intel Arc / NVIDIA

40xx

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Recommended configuration for 4K/8K editing:

■ NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1070 8 GB or higher

■ AMD Radeon RX5xxx 8 GB or higher

Supported file formats

Import formats

Video AVI, DV-AVI, MJPEG, MKV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AV1, MOV, WMV

Audio MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA

Image BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIF, TGA, HEIF

Export formats

Video AVI, DV-AVI, MJPEG, MPEG-2/4 (HEVC/H.265)1, AV1, WMV

Audio MP32, WAV

Image BMP, JPEG

Disc DVD, Blu-ray Disc, AVCHD disc

Serial number

A serial number is included in each product. This serial number is required for software activation.
Please store this number in a safe place.

Use of a serial number

With a serial number your program license is clearly assigned to you and only you. This allows you
to use the free customer service via email.

1The codec must be activated for a fee in Movie Studio Classic the first time you import or export
HEVC material.
2MP3 export requires installation of Windows Media Player Version 10 or higher.

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Serial numbers also help protect against software piracy. This makes it possible for us to offer our
customers the most value for their money.

Where is the serial number located?

If you have purchased a download version, you will receive a confirmation email containing the serial
number that you can use to activate the program. This will be sent immediately following purchase
to the email address you provided.

For boxed versions of the program, the voucher code can be found inside the box. You can redeem
this code at https://www.magix.com/redeem and will then receive a serial number by email.

When is the serial number needed?

The serial number is required when you start the program the first time, as well as for program regis-
tration.

Using the serial number on another computer

You can use the serial number to activate Movie Studio on a set number of devices. If you exceed
the maximum number of devices that can be used simultaneously, as per the instructions you
received with the serial number, you will need to deactivate the program on an already activated
device in order to use it on another computer. You can do this either directly within the program or
via the MAGIX Service Center.

Under MAGIX Service Center > MY PRODUCTS you will find a list of your activated serial num-
bers and the devices on which you have activated software.

Before you start... Serial number 18

MOVIE STUDIO 2025 | MANUAL

GETTING STARTED MOVIE STUDIO

This chapter gives you a brief introduction to the basic functions and features in Movie Studio. A
more detailed description of the program functions can be found in the following chapters.

You can also watch the online tutorial videos that can be accessed via the "Help" Menu. This fea-
ture requires an Internet connection.

Step 1: Create a new project

To produce your own film in Movie Studio, you first need to create a new project.

Create new project

Step 2: Select and import media

Before you can start editing your film, select the media you want to use and import it into the pro-
ject.

Import and organize media

Step 3: Cut videos

Cutting and trimming video is a key step, since it lets you remove unwanted parts and tighten up
your story.

Cutting video

Step 4: Optimize and edit

Once you've cut your videos, you can optimize and design them to make your movie more engaging
for your audience. You have the option of adding various effects, correcting color and more to
enhance your video.

Design and optimize videos

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Step 5: Export your film

As a final step, you can export your movie in a suitable format to share with or present to others.

Export and present movies

Projects, Movies and Objects

In Movie Studio you will be working with projects, movies and objects. To work quickly and intu-
itively, it's important to know the differences between these three terms, which are hierarchically
ordered.

FIGURE Project window → Further information: Project Window

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1 A project is a file that contains all the media files needed to create
a video, such as videos, audio, images and text files. A project can
be saved at any time and reopened later to continue editing.

2 A movie can be one single video clip or a combination of clips and

photos. It can also include music, titles, transitions and much
more.
Each movie can be exported individually as a video. Your project
can be thought of as a type of drawer into which you can put mul-
tiple movies that will be edited together and burned to the same
disc.
3 Objects are the individual units of the movie. There are different
types of objects: Videos, photos, titles, transitions, decorative ele-
ments, audio (sound).

What are objects

In the Movie Studio timeline project window you are dealing with objects. The general term "object"
includes all media types that can be positioned on the arranger tracks.

You will find many functions in the object context menu, which can be opened by right-clicking on
the corresponding object. There, you will also find the "Object properties" dialog, where in addition
to current settings you can also change interlace settings for the object.

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Combined objects

Combined objects are video objects with an image track and an audio track. In the context menu,
you can add the waveform display of the audio track or set the audio track as an independent audio
object.

Video objects

Video objects include a file extension typical for videos (e.g. *.mpg, *.avi, *.mxv). Depending on the
length of the video object, you will see several frames representing various positions in your video.

Image objects

Image objects are photos or other static images. They have a file extension typical for an image (e.g.
*.jpg, *.png, *.bmp). In contrast to video objects, you will always see only one frame.

Audio objects

All objects that contain only sound are considered audio objects. They have an extension typical for
audio (e.g. *.ogg, *.mp3, *.wav). With a right-click you can add a waveform display to any audio
object.

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Title objects

Title objects are created using the title editor and contain the text that appears in your projects. They
have no file extensions.

Working with objects

Select and zoom into objects in the preview monitor

You can click directly on an object in the preview monitor to select it. A bounding box also lets you
precisely control and work with your animations.

Zooming

Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + mouse wheel to zoom into the preview monitor and edit your
videos and photos even more precisely.

This function lets you customize any effect right down to the fine detail.

To reset zoom levels, simply double-click while holding down the Ctrl key (Ctrl + double-click).

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Select and group objects

To edit or delete objects using the menus, you must first select them. Click on the object. Objects
will change color to show that they have been selected.

Press the Shift key to select multiple objects. An even faster way of working is to click in an empty
range and drag out a rectangle while holding down the mouse button. This selects all objects within
the rectangle.

Any object can be combined with others to form a group. Grouping avoids the objects being acci-
dentally moved out of sequence and lets the user edit them together. Once they are combined, click-
ing on one object of a group will select the entire group. To group or ungroup objects, use the
buttons in the tool bar or the corresponding commands in the "Edit" menu.

You can modify the color of a selected object in its context menu in order to mark it and make it
easier to locate. Right-click on an object to open the context menu, then select a color for the
object.

Duplicate objects

Objects can be duplicated easily. Click on the object you want to copy while holding down the Ctrl
key. This generates a copy that you can immediately drag to the desired position or cut separately.

Move objects

Hold down the mouse button to move selected objects to any tracks and positions per drag and
drop. It is recommended to place objects that belong together on neighboring tracks and create sep-
arate tracks for audio and video objects. Videos that you want to overlay should usually be placed on
the same track.

If the Shift key is pressed, objects can be moved from one track to another, without the time position
being changed.

Object Handles

All objects can be resized using their bottom "object handles”. Move the mouse over one of the
lower corners of the object until the mouse pointer becomes a double arrow. You can now shorten
the object until it is the length you want.

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■ An object can be faded in or out with the handles to the left and right upper corners of the
object. Cross-fades between different objects can be created by overlapped positioning of
objects that are fading in and out. The length of the cross-fade can be adjusted with the
handles.
■ The transparency handle located centrally at the top of the object can be used to adjust the
transparency of video and bitmap objects or the volume of audio objects.

Object handles for combined objects

Combined objects have an additional sixth handle.

■ The four outer handles have the same functions as with normal objects.
■ The lower middle handle controls the volume for the object's audio track.
■ The upper middle handle controls the transparency of the object's video track.

Object borders

When you place the mouse pointer on a vertical object border, it will turn into a double line.

If the object doesn't border any other objects, the functionality doesn't differ from bottom handles,
which means that you can stretch or compress the object. With a hard cut or a crossfade, the object
transition will be moved, meaning that the object start and end of both neighboring objects will
remain coupled to each other.

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Save objects and object groups separately

Individual objects or object groups from the arranger can be saved separately in the project folder as
a separate files. For example, cut out trailers, jingles, and so on that you need converted, and then
save them for other projects for reuse as a take.

A take file (*.TK2) contains a reference to a multimedia file or to a special object (videos, sound, visu-
als, etc.) including all additional properties that an object may possess (start and end time, fades,
and effects including effects curves).

Save take

1. If you want to save several objects in one take, select the corresponding objects in the arranger
and group them.
Shortcut: G
2. Select the option "Save objects as take" in the "Edit" menu or in the context menu of the object
or group.
Shortcut: Shift + K
3. Rename the take (see below).

Save take using drag and drop

1. In the Media Pool, open the folder where the take will be saved (e.g. "My media > Record-
ings").
2. If you want to save several objects in one take, select the corresponding objects in the arranger
and group them.
Shortcut: G
3. Click on the selection and drag it to the Media Pool while holding down the mouse button.
Movie Studio creates a take file (*.TK2) which is named after the object in the arranger. The
objects are removed from the arranger.
4. Rename the take.

Rename take

1. Select the take from the Media Pool.

2. Now open the context menu.
3. Select the option "Rename".
Keyboard shortcut: Alt + R

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4. Enter the new name. When you do this, make sure that the file ending ".TK2" remains intact,
otherwise Movie Studio won't recognize the file as a take.
5. Press Enter to confirm the entry.

Load take

Takes are loaded into the project like all other objects.

Create new project

When you start Movie Studio for the first time, the start dialog will appear. This dialog allows you to
define the presets for the project and select whether to begin to CREATE A PROJECT or LOAD
AN EXISTING PROJECT.

FIGURE Start dialog

Create a project
1. Start Movie Studio on your computer. This will open the Start dialog.
If you have deactivated the start dialog, click in the menu bar on FILE → NEW PROJECT.
2. Give your project a name.
3. Set the desired Movie settings .
4. Click CREATE A PROJECT to create a new project.

Save project

The project will be saved in the folder you have specified in the program settings.

Once you have saved your project for the first time (in the menu, File → Save Project, or Ctrl + S),
the preset folder will open and you can select/customize the location.

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Project Settings

Project name

Choose a unique name for the new project.

Movie settings

Set the desired output format of your movie. Standard film settings are included here in a range of
categories. Depending on the selected category, different presets for resolution and aspect ratio will
appear. However, you can set whatever frame rate you want regardless of the presets.

When you import footage into the Project window, Movie Studio automatically analyzes the inserted
footage and notifies you of a different setting.

UHD/UHD-2 Ultra High Definition (UHD) is a movie setting that offers a resolution of 3840 x
2160 pixels. This is known as 4K and is equivalent to four times the resolution of
Full HD (1080p). UHD is a popular setting for professional productions and is usu-
ally supported by modern cameras and televisions. UHD-2 is an even higher res-
olution than UHD and boasts a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels. This setting is
also known as 8K and offers even better image quality than UHD.

Social media This setting is optimized for use on social media platforms such as Facebook, Ins-
tagram, and YouTube. Settings can vary by platform, but typically they are
reduced to a resolution of 1080p or lower for faster loading and smoother play-
back on mobile devices.

HDTV High Definition Television (HDTV) is a setting that offers 1920 x 1080 pixel res-
olution. HDTV is a widely used setting for television shows, movies, and other
media, which provides balance between quality and compatibility on a wide range
of devices.

360° This setting is specifically modeled for 360-degree videos that can be published to
platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. Settings can vary by platform, but typ-
ically they are reduced to a resolution of 4K or lower for faster transfers and
smoother playback on mobile devices.

SD Standard Definition (SD) is an older setting that features a lower resolution than
PAL/NTSC HDTV. PAL and NTSC are two different video formats used in different parts of
the world. PAL is mainly used in Europe and Asia, while NTSC is used in North

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America and Japan. These settings offer lower quality than modern HD and UHD
settings, but are still commonly used for older productions and certain applic-
ations.

Note: These settings have no effect on the internal processing quality and can be changed at any
time by going to FILE > SETTINGS > MOVIE.

Movie and project settings

Project Folder

Copy media to project folder:

Activate this option to save a copy of all files imported to the project in the project folder so that
they can be opened here in future for editing.1

Select a location for saving the project. You can select the folder only if you have enabled the COPY
MEDIA TO PROJECT FOLDER option.

Options

Skip this window on start:

Activate this option if you don't want the window to be displayed when you start the program. You
can change this setting at any time via FILE > SETTINGS > PROGRAM... > SYSTEM >
REACTIVATE DIALOGS.

Program settings

Load project
Here you can select and open a previously saved project.

1This option is meant to keep things centralized when files from various media devices (e.g. hard
drives, USB flash drives, SD cards) are being used in the same project. The internal hard drive is the
best option for working on projects because it allows faster access to files compared to external stor-
age devices. If files stored on external devices are used, this can lead to slow performance and lag
while editing. Storing on the internal drive also ensures that you can access all project files for edit-
ing.

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Load existing project

1. Click on and select the project → OPEN.

The selected project will be displayed.
2. Click LOAD PROJECT.

Recently opened projects

All recently opened projects are displayed in the list.

» Click on a project to open it.

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PROGRAM INTERFACE OVERVIEW

Program interface overview Create new project 31

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1 Menu Bar

The menu bar offers access to most functions and buttons and allows quick access to important
commands.

New project Creates a new Movie Studio project. This will open the start dia-
log.

Load project With this option you can load a project or a media file.
Please note that to load a project fully, all of the files associated
with the project must be available. Movie Studio will search for
all used sounds and video files in the folders in which they were
located when the move was saved.

Save project The current project will be saved under the name you specify for
it. If you have not yet specified a name for your project, a dialog
will open asking you to do so.

The project file stores all information about the media files,
cuts, effects, and titles used, but not the footage and audio
material itself. This is always contained in the recorded or
imported media files, which remains unchanged during edit-
ing with Movie Studio. In order to save a movie in its own
folder, e.g. for use on another PC, go to "File > Backup" and
use the function "Copy film and media to folder".

2 Switching the interface

You can switch back and forth between two different interfaces top right in the program.

EDIT screen

The Edit interface is the main view. You can load your videos here and edit them in a project win-
dow.

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BURN screen

The Burn screen is a special interface for burning discs. This enables you to design a selection menu
for use on DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and AVCHD discs.

EXPORT button

The third button EXPORT opens a dialog for finishing the movie.

MORE INFORMATION
» "Edit" interface
» Burning
» Export and present movies

"Edit" interface

1 Program monitor (preview monitor)

2 Media Pool

3 Project window

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1 Program monitor
Video and image objects are displayed and files from the Media Pool can be previewed here.

» Program monitor with transport control

2 Media Pool
Here you'll find your hard drive content and the areas for editing and designing your video's media,
as well as the MAGIX Store.

Various content will be displayed depending on which area of the Media Pool you are in. You can pre-
view templates or import media to your project. In the EFFECTS area you can fade in the effects to
create effect curves.

» Media Pool
3 Project window
The project window is where video editing takes place. Media from the Media Pool are imported as
objects into the project window and can be sorted there. There are various display modes for editing.

» Project Window
Program monitor with transport control

The program monitor (preview monitor) displays the content of the current movie. In some cases
the program monitor is also used for editing certain effects. Examples of this are:

■ Title Editor
■ Various movement effects
■ The program monitor additionally shows the time position of the playback marker as well as the
length of the movie.

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1 Program monitor menu

2 Playback marker position

3 Title bar; shows the name of the current film

4 Length of current film

5 Full-screen mode button

6 Area to view

7 Transport control

In addition to showing the current film, the program monitor also performs the following functions:

■ Preview of video and image files

■ Inserting sections of video files into the movie
■ Movie overview
■ Fullscreen mode

Options

■ 3D display
■ Set size (resolution)
■ Move position (with time bar)

Menu in program monitor

The program monitor menu is opened with the menu button.

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The following functions can be selected:

■ Define zoom factor

■ Specify image position for preview
■ Activate movie overview
■ Fade jog and shuttle in and out.
■ Set program monitor standard (2D) view
■ Activate 3D playback
■ Activate 360° display
■ Access to the Performance Menu (this is also in the context menu of the Preview quality but-
ton)

Zoom

The video image in the program monitor can be minimized and maximized with the help of the menu
entry. This comes into use especially during effect animation.

This zoom only affects the current display in the program monitor and is not applied like a video
effect.

You can click the mouse on a specific point in order to zoom in on it. In zoom mode, you can use the
tracker to make even more precise adjustments. This makes it much easier to work on fine details
and adjust animations precisely.

Fullscreen mode

The program monitor can be expanded to full-screen size.

Activate fullscreen mode:

1. Double-click in the program monitor display area,

2. press the key combination Alt + Enter or
3. click the button at the top right edge of the program monitor.
4. Pressing escape (Esc) exits full-screen mode.

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The program monitor can also be moved in full-screen mode, and a special context menu (right
mouse button) is also available. The transport control can be faded out.

Show/hide transport control:

Requirement: Full-screen mode must be active

1. Right click to open the context menu in the program monitor display area. You can see the cur-
rent status of this setting in the check box before the menu entry SHOW TRANSPORT
CONTROL.
2. Select the entry SHOW TRANSPORT CONTROL. The transport control will be shown or
hidden accordingly.

Set size

Useful presets for the arranger and program monitor can be found in the tab "Display templates"
in the program settings.

Set size:

1. Move the mouse cursor to the edge of the program monitor. This turns the mouse pointer into
a double arrow.
2. Click and hold the left mouse button over the edge of the program monitor.
3. Drag the program monitor to the desired size.
4. Release the mouse button.

Setting the size freely is easier if you set the width and height of the program monitor one after
the other.

Set size via the context menu:

1. Right click to open the context menu in the program monitor display area.
2. Select the desired size in the context menu:

■ By default: Choose an entry in the DEFAULT RESOLUTION submenu.

■ Manually: Select the entry OTHER RESOLUTION and enter the desired resolution in the dia-
log.

Use movie to define size:

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You can also determine the size according to the size of the movie or an individual video clip in the
movie.

1. In the project window, select the video object you want to use to determine the size of the pro-
gram monitor.
2. Right click to open the context menu in the program monitor display area(6).
3. Select the entry ADJUST PROGRAM MONITOR TO SELECTED VIDEO.

Movie Studio will adjust the size of the program monitor to fit the resolution of the selected video
object.

Use movie settings to define size:

1. Right click to open the context menu in the program monitor display area(6).
2. Select the entry ADJUST PROGRAM MONITOR TO MOVIE SETTINGS.

Movie Studio sets the resolution in the movie settings as the new program monitor size.

If the new resolution of the program monitor is greater than that of the screen you are using, you
will receive a corresponding warning message from Movie Studio and can cancel or continue the
action.

Transport controls
Transport controls on the program monitor enable you to play back video and image material in the
project window or as a preview in the Media Pool.

To use the jog/shuttle functions, they must be made visible in the menu.

Range Above the playback functions you can select the range between the in and
out points using the mouse.

Playback markers This marker indicates the position of the image currently displayed by the pro-
gram monitor.

Set in/out points Defines the start and end of the playback range.

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To range start This button sets the playback marker to the start of the current range for con-
trol purposes.

Jump to movie Sets the playback marker to the start of the movie.
start

Playback/stop The playback button in the middle starts playback. A second click stops play-
(pause) back.

In the menu FILE > SETTINGS > PROGRAM > PLAYBACK, you can
set whether the playback marker will go back to the start position (stop)
after the second click or following the appropriate shortcut (space bar), or
if it should stay at the current position (pause function).

Range playback This button plays the current range.

To range end This button sets the playback marker to the end of the current range.

Audio or video Quickly jumps to recording selection.

recording

Jog wheel Using this wheel, you can move by single frames within the video and zoom in
for precise positioning of the playback marker.

Shuttle control The further the slider control is moved to the side, the quicker the arrange-
ment is played in the corresponding direction. This way a specific position can
be reached quickly.

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Jog wheel and shuttle control are hidden by default. Use the menu of the
program monitor to set them to display.

Preview quality Activate smooth playback if playback becomes choppy.

Preview Quality
You can enable a smoother preview if playback performance is poor. This setting does not have any
effect on the quality of video files when exporting or burning to DVD.

Poor playback performance can be caused by the following:

■ Under-performing hardware
■ High-resolution source material (4K)
■ The project is very complex

» Right-click in the transport console on the symbol to open the context menu.

The following options are then available:

■ Reduce resolution
■ Reduce frame rate: Reduces the number of frames per second.
■ Deactivate effects: All effects and plug-ins will be activated/deactivated.
■ Using proxy objects (see Using proxy files, proxy editing)

"Reduce resolution" and "Reduce frame rate" are preset.

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Movie overview
The option MOVIE OVERVIEW in the WINDOW menu provides an overview of the entire project.
All objects in the project window are displayed in the program monitor. The overview display is espe-
cially recommended for working on long movies because the reduced overview in the program mon-
itor can be combined well with the zoomed detailed view in the project window.

The movie overview can be used for moving around in the movie and editing specific parts:

» Drag out a frame in the program monitor to zoom into the corresponding area in the project win-
dow.

If you use this function often, you can use the following keyboard shortcut for quick switching:
SHIFT + A.

Media Pool

The Media Pool in Movie Studio is a central area that provides you with extensive options for man-
aging and using your media files. Here, you can import your own media, as well as access a wide
range of effects, templates, and other content. Additionally, you can download content from the
Store via the Media Pool and access stock content and your profile information in MAGIX Hub.

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There are five tabs in the Movie Studio Media Pool.

Import For importing your media files.

Effects All effects, from image optimization and special effects to chroma key mix effects,
are located here.

Templates Templates in various categories (transitions, title templates etc.) for immediate use
are located here.

Audio All songs and audio effects that can be used for the audio track are located here.

Store Here you can buy additional songs, templates, and lots more.

MAGIX Hub Here, you can access stock content and your profile information.

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View options

Next to the search box there are buttons to customize how the content is displayed.

Show or hide the category view.

Filter content and show your favorites only.

Change the display size of the content.

Expand and collapse categories

Only the categories are displayed.

All the content will be displayed simultaneously.

Switch between List and Icon view

Content is displayed as a list.

Content is displayed as icons.

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Save favorites

Choose your favorite effects, templates, audio, and Store content to find it more quickly in the future.

» Click the heart symbol to mark a category or content as a favorite.

The favorites you've saved are displayed at the top of the list.

Import
The structure and operation of the Import function in the Media Pool is similar to Windows Explorer.
The only difference is that the Media Pool only displays files that can be used in the film. The Media
Pool is used to access and load multimedia files of all kinds: Photos and other image files, video files,
audio files, transitions, effects, and also complete projects.

Computer All drives will be listed along with their drive letters and can be
opened with a double click.

User home directory This is the home directory for the user currently signed in on
the computer.

My media

Projects Here you can switch to the folder where your projects and
videos are usually stored.
You'll find the SHOW PROJECT CONTENTS function in the
context menu of a project. Using this function, you can display
all objects of a project and copy them into the current project,
retaining the editing and effect state of the object. This means
that you don't have to edit the objects again to keep the status

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of the "old" project. But you can certainly continue editing the
transferred object. These changes will be then saved in the cur-
rent project.

My videos Displays the contents of the "My files\My videos" folder.

My music Displays the contents of the "My files\My music" folder.

Slideshow music This features the music that is included for dubbing audio.

My pictures Displays the contents of the "My files\My pictures" folder.

Takes This special folder contains "takes" – small clippings of longer

films that can be used without long loading times. You can also
create takes yourself by dragging and dropping an object from
your film into this folder.

Recordings All recordings are stored here by default. You can customize
the path under SETTINGS > PROGRAM > FOLDER.

Travel routes Click here if you would like to create a travel route. This opens
the MAGIX Travel Maps tool.

MAGIX Hub All downloaded stock content can be found here by default.
You can customize the path under SETTINGS > PROGRAM
> FOLDER.

Downloads By default, all media files can be found here that you down-
loaded with Movie Studio. You can customize the path under
SETTINGS > PROGRAM > FOLDER.

Linked folders You can create a link to your personal media folder in order to
access the media it contains with just a single click.
Create link

1. To do this, right-click on a folder.

2. Choose FOLDER AS LINK in the context menu.

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Warning! The Media Pool displays the data on your hard drive under "Import". If you delete data
here, you will not be able to find it again using Windows Explorer.

All links are automatically deleted if the function RESET STANDARD PROGRAM
SETTINGS ("Edit" menu > "Settings") is used.

Navigation buttons

Forwards/Backwards: These buttons access the previously viewed folders.

Folder tree: Here you can activate a folder tree to navigate through your computer system.

Search:

The search function allows you to find specific files quickly. You may specify your search according
to file type, date, or certain folders.

■ File name: Enter any part of the name of the file you are looking for in the "File name" field.
Clicking on the X symbol will delete the entry again. A "?" may be used as a placeholder for a
single character, and "*" for any number of characters
■ File type: Here you can enter a file name extension. Multiple entries are separated using a semi-
colon. Below the entry field, various presets may be selected for often-used file name exten-
sions.
■ Date: For restricting your search to a specific time period. Choose an entry from the list.
■ Folder: If you want to search on certain drives or in a single folder rather than your entire com-
puter, you can define a certain search path.
■ Search depth: Here you have various options that determine whether additional locations
should be searched.
"Indexed locations" are folders, which are searched and cataloged in Windows via the index list.
If the index list is activated, the files in the indicated folders will be indexed while the computer
is idling, so that the user's search query may be completed faster.

● Search indexed locations and the selected folder

● Search indexed locations, the selected folder and personal files
● Search indexed locations, the selected folder, personal files and the project file.

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Browse history list and path details: In the top center you will see the path of the current folder.
Use the arrow button to open the menu to find the folders you previously visited.

Options: All functions of the context menu (switch views, rename, or delete files, etc.) can also
be accessed using the options button.

Up: This button brings you to the next highest folder level.

Zoom: A zoom slide can be used to set the number and size of visible icons in the "Large icon"
view.

Display options:

All supported multimedia files and subfolders of the currently selected folder are displayed in the file
list. You can define how detailed the entries should be listed here.

■ List: Only file names are listed. This view mode displays the most files simultaneously.
■ Details: In the details section the type, size and date of modification are shown for every media
file beside its name.
■ Large icons: These can be quite useful, since they show a preview frame for each video and pic-
ture file in the file list. This allows you to sort through the material quicker. As soon as you activ-
ate this view, the zoom function appears next to it. This allows you to further enlarge the
thumbnails.

Effects
Movie Studio offers numerous effects and effects settings options, as described in detail in the sec-
tion Effects.

■ Title editing: You'll find the title editor for editing title objects here.
■ Video effects: Customizable effects for video and photo objects are located here. The effects
can be set only after selecting an object in the respective effects dialog. For more information,
see Video effects.
■ View/animation: These are movement effects you can use to animate the frame by using
zoom or camera movements.
■ 360° video: This is where you'll find the 360° video editing effects. For more information, see
360° videos.

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■ Stereo3D: This accesses the program's Stereo 3D functionality. See Stereo3D for more inform-
ation.

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

■ Audio effects: You can find a wide range of audio effect presets for audio tracks here. For more
information, see Audio editing.
■ Extra effects: Contains all available effect plug-ins. You can find out more under Additional
effects in the Media Pool.

MORE INFORMATION
» Effects
Templates
Here you'll find additional content that can be used for your film. As well as the content installed
alongside Movie Studio you can purchase additional content in the Store from directly within the pro-
gram.

■ Transitions: Opens the transitions section in the Media Pool. Click on a category to see all the
transitions in a list.
To load a transition, drag it with a held-down mouse key onto the selected object.
You can find additional information in the "Fades (transitions)" section of the "Objects"
chapter.
■ Title templates: The title templates are sorted into various categories and can be loaded by
double-clicking or dragging and dropping them. The text and placement of the title template
can be positioned directly in the program monitor.
■ Film and editing templates: These templates enable you to create short movie trailers by drag-
ging sections out of your film material to pre-produced placeholders. More information about
this can be found in the chapter "Wizards and special functions".
■ Intro/outro animations: Intros and outros are short videos included in the program that you
can modify with text and add to the beginning or end of your film.

■
Film looks: You can modify the visual aesthetic of your material by using lookup tables.
Further information: SeeFilm looks and lookup tables

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■ Design elements and image objects: The design elements enable images to be combined.
Each design element offers a preview: We recommend browsing through the selection and
viewing the content for each one.

● Collages animate or interlace the image from a photo or video (in some templates, several
objects are faded into one another). Depending on the collage, arrange the selected
objects one after the other and drag the collage onto the first object.
● Image border effects scale down the image and trim image border areas to display pre-
produced animations there.

If you use border effects on video footage with audio, note that the edge effect mutes
the sound of that object.

● Picture-in-picture templates display several videos in a single image. To use this, position
the clips that are to be displayed simultaneously below one another on the tracks and
then apply a suitable picture-in-picture template.

MORE INFORMATION
» Templates
Audio
Under "Audio", you'll find installed content and offers from the Store for background music and
sounds. The tab functions the same way as the "Templates" tab.

MORE INFORMATION
» Templates
Store
Additional content for your projects can be purchased directly from the in-app Store.

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In the upper left, you can filter by category; or you can also select an option to show new or free
items available in the Store only.

Filter list to show special offers

Filter list to show new content

Buy new content

The price and size of the pack will be shown and you can preview the content by clicking the play-
back button. You can purchase the specific content you need, rather than an entire pack, in the pro-
gram's in-app Store.

Click PURCHASE to open the Store window.

■ When you make your first purchase, you will be asked to select a currency.
■ Then, log in to your MAGIX account.
■ In the next step, select the payment method and enter the required details.
■ This step will be skipped for later purchases and you will go straight to the "Purchase" window.
You can also adjust the payment method afterwards by clicking on the pen icon next to "Pay
with".
■ Click on "Buy now" to complete the purchase.

Your purchase will download immediately, as shown by the download progress on the tile. You can
use the content you have purchased in your projects right away.

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MAGIX Hub
The cloud-based MAGIX Hub provides a single location for all your media files. Here, you can access
account information, stock content, speech services and online help.

The availability of functions depends on the existing license. You can find further information on
our website.

Hub functions

My Profile

Manage your account information. If you have a subscription, you'll find information about how long
your subscription is valid for, which stock content you can download, and how much credit you have
available under "My Profile".

Stock media

Access an extensive library of audio and video files that you can use in your projects.

Adding stock content (Magix Content)

Speech services

Have your scripts professionally and clearly voiced to take your projects to the next level.

AI Text-to-speech

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Hub Explorer

Manage your cloud media and have an overview of your uploaded files. Organize your media assets
with other collaborators.

Text-to-speech

How do I sign up?

You can only use the functions, such as stock content or speech recognition, if you are logged in.
You can only access help without logging in.

1. Click on My profiles or a functionality. If you are not yet logged in, you will be prompted to log
in.
2. Click on REGISTRATION.
3. Select your email address (if you were already logged in) or click on the + sign to select
another MAGIX account.

Forgot your password?

1. Click on the button with the three dots → FORGOT on the login screen.

2. Please enter the email address of your MAGIX account.

3. Click on RESET PASSWORD. You will receive an email to create a new password.

Have you changed your email address?

Log in to the MAGIX Service Center and change your address under: MY ACCOUNT → USER
DATA → CHANGE DATA.

Project Window

Movie Studio offers an editing interface for advanced editing: audio dubbing, professional editing,
plus precise transitions and effects editing.

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1 Toolbar

2 Movie tab

3 Display modes

Toolbar

The toolbar contains the essential editing functions for objects in the project window. This is located
above the project window.

Commands

Undo This command allows you to undo the last changes made. This way, you can try out
different methods for doing an important task. If you don't like the result, you can
always revert to the previous state using "Undo".
Right-clicking the button opens a list of changes made so far, allowing you to undo
several changes made in sequence.

You can adjust the length of the list to your needs in program settings. A general
rule: The longer the list, the more RAM is used.

This function undoes the previous "Undo" function.

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Restore Right-clicking on the arrow next to the button opens a list of changes made so far,
allowing you to restore several undo actions made in sequence.

This command deletes the selected objects.

Delete
objects

Title Opens the title editor for the selected title object.
Editor

Paste Movie Studio offers various options for adding an object selected in the Media Pool to
modes the project.
There are multiple possibilities for using the modes, which are better described under
.

» Right-click on the icon to open the list.

Check the paste mode before inserting new files.
Automatic application
This inserts the currently selected object from the Media Pool, in the project window.
Video and image objects will always be placed behind the last object into the first
track, audio and text objects are separated into different tracks.
Single track ripple
This adds the selected object from the Media Pool, project temp folder, or selected
area of the to the position on the selected track where the playback marker is located
while moving the objects located behind it on the track.

■ In contrast to automatic insertion, in a single-track ripple all objects are inserted

at the position of the playback marker. The objects on the target track are auto-
matically moved back on the track behind the inserted object. Bordering tracks
are unchanged.
■ If another object is found at the playback marker position, then it will be cut and
continued at the end of the inserted object (so that the inserted object can start
exactly at the point of insertion).

Multitrack ripple
This adds the selected object from the Media Pool or the (or from the selected area in
the , respectively) to the selected track at the position of the playback marker. All

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objects located on other tracks will be split at the playback marker position and media
from that point on will be moved down the length of the inserted object.

■ Objects located further along on all tracks will also be moved further down.
■ In contrast to automatic insertion, the object will be inserted at the position of
the playback marker.

Swap
This replaces the object selected in the project with the object selected in the Media
Pool, the , or from the selected area in the respectively. Should the new object have a
different length, all subsequent objects will be shifted accordingly.
Overwrite
This overwrites the project at the position of the playback marker on the selected
track with the currently selected object from the Media Pool or the or from the selec-
ted area in the .

Unlike in "Swap" mode, ripple editing does not take place and existing objects will
be overwritten.

Track selection for paste modes: Pasting to a destination track (by clicking on
the track header) is possible in single track ripple, multitrack ripple and over-
write modes. If no track has been selected, the destination track will be selected
automatically.

Cut Movie Studio offers various editing functions. A right-click opens the list.
button
If the commands "Split" and "Remove beginning/end" are applied without a selec-
tion, all objects at the position of the playback marker are cut.

Split
This command cuts a selected object at the point where the play cursor is positioned.
Two independent objects are created.
Remove start
This command cuts a selected scene in two at the point where the playback marker is
positioned and removes the first part.

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Remove end
This command cuts a selected scene in two at the point where the playback marker is
positioned and removes the second part.
Remove scene
This command allows you to completely remove selected objects. The parts that fol-
low will be automatically moved to the end of the object in front of the object to be
removed.
Split movie
Splits movie at the playback marker position into two sections within one project.
These can be individually controlled using the "Window" menu or the button "Select
movie for editing" (see above).

Audio This button mutes the sound output. Clicking the triangle provides access to settings

playback for scrubbing and selection of the audio track for multiple audio tracks.

Mixer This option can be used to open and close the mixer. Further information can be
found in the "Mixer" chapter.

Only available in Timeline mode

Set Places a chapter marker at the position of the playback marker. This creates a
chapter chapter entry in the disc menu in case the movie is being burned to disc. You can
markers rename the chapter markers by right clicking and selecting "Rename" in the context
menu. The new name will also appear in the chapter menu.

Set 1. To set a snap marker, select an object and place the playback marker at the
snap mark- position where you want to place the snap marker.
ers 2. Now click on the button "Set snap marker".

You can drag and drop a snap marker with the mouse to move it.
Learn more about using snap markers in the "Snap markers and transients" chapter.

Object Use this button to switch the object grid on and off. When the object grid is
grid switched on, the objects snap into place beside one another so that everything fits
in seamlessly.

Group All selected objects are assigned to a group which may then be selected and edited

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objects jointly by clicking the mouse.

This command splits an object group into separate objects.

Ungroup
objects

Mouse The mouse mode for single objects is the preset mouse mode that is used the most
mode for often. Left clicking selects an object. Holding down the mouse button moves the
individual selected object. Right clicking opens the context menu.
objects

Mouse This mouse mode behaves similar to the mouse mode "All tracks". When moving
mode for objects, only those objects will be moved that are located on the same track after
single track the selected object.

Mouse This mouse mode behaves similar to "Object" mouse mode. However, when objects
modes for are moved, all of the objects behind the selected object are also moved.
all tracks The complete background component of the project, i.e. all objects and gaps on all
tracks, will therefore be maintained during any movement.
This is useful for moving a complete project, e.g. to insert new opening credits or to
close gaps.

Additional Movie Studio offers additional mouse modes for different kinds of editing. A right-
mouse click opens the list.
modes Stretch:
This special mode enables the length of objects to be adjusted. The object is played
back completely and the playback speed is adjusted to the stretched object length.
Video objects are therefore accelerated or decelerated accordingly. Audio objects
are stretched or pinched via timestretching, but without creating any changes to the
pitch itself.

If you want to animate the object with effects curves, then the option "Connect
curve length with object length" should also be set.

Curve:
This mouse mode is used especially for drawing effects curves.
Effects curves control the level of the effect: The higher the curve point is, the more

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intense the respective effect parameter will be at this position. These may be used
for the video and image objects of the image tracks as well as for the audio objects
of the sound tracks.
More information about this can be found in the chapter "Animating objects".
Preview:
This mode allows you to preview audio objects (as long as the mouse button is held
down) In this mode, objects cannot be moved or changed.
Move object contents:
The content of a selected object can be moved in this mode.
Objects are references to media files. As long as an object is only a clip and not the
entire footage of a file, the selected clip can be adjusted afterwards without chan-
ging the object or its position in the track. This is helpful for advanced arrangements,
for example, when using a set framework of objects.
Split and trim:
Enable this mode to cut and trim objects at the cursor position.
Here's how:
If the mode is active, position the mouse over the object that should be edited. The
current frame, over which the mouse pointer is located in the object, is shown in the
program monitor to aid in editing.
Left click the mouse to cut the object at the mouse pointer's position.
If you also would like to trim the object, simply hold the mouse button. Move the
mouse to the left or right to trim the object on the left or right.

Movie tab
The project window contains a tab for each movie you edit in a project. The tab can be used for cre-
ating films and also for managing your projects, i.e. here you can sort the order of the movies, add
new movies, remove existing movies from the project or rename the movies.

Each film in a current project can be controlled through its own tab above the tracks.

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» Click the button next to a movie tab to open a menu for managing the project. Alternatively,
you can right-click on a movie tab.

This menu offers the following options:

■ Sort films
■ New movie
■ Rename movie
■ Remove movie from project
■ Merge movies
■ Import movie
■ Export movie
■ Import VEGAS Movie Studio project

Basic movie settings can be found in the main menu under FILE > SETTINGS > MOVIE.

» Movie and project settings

Display modes

There are various views in the project window that you can switch between using the buttons on the
right side.

Storyboard mode is the preset view. This view offers an easy, streamlined interface to simplify
the editing process. All scenes from your film are listed sequentially in the "Storyboard" mode.
Every scene is displayed with a preview picture in the storyboard.

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The scene overview provides a scaleable overview of the scenes. You can use this to com-
fortably view, sort, and delete unnecessary scenes.

In Timeline mode, your movies are displayed as "objects" on the "timeline". This means the
longer the object, the longer the corresponding film.

Multicam mode enables easy cutting of various recordings of the same scene from different
camera perspectives.

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Use this button to maximize the project window to fullscreen.

Storyboard mode

Pictures and video footage (including the audio track) are displayed as scenes in the Storyboard.
Scenes are displayed the same way regardless of their actual length in the movie, and you can drag
and drop scene to rearrange them. With this kind of display, the playback marker moves in the
movie at different speeds during playback. Correspondingly, it moves slower in longer scenes. A
loaded file is made up of a single long "scene", which can be split into several smaller scenes. You
can do so manually using the Cut button in the toolbar or via Automatic scene detection (shortcut
Shift + Z).

Further information:

■ Cutting video
■ Automatic scene detection

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1 Video/Photo track
All photos and videos are displayed with thumbnails in order in this track. By looking at
the pictogram next to playback duration and the differently colored bar, you can tell at a
glance whether an object is a video or photo and which photos are in portrait or land-
scape format.

2 Audio track
This displays the fifth track (audio track by default) of your project.

In certain cases, other objects, such as titles or overlay effects may display instead
of the audio. This may occur when you either have older projects open where the
sound effects are on a different track, or you have manually placed the sound
effects on a different track in timeline mode.

Each scene offers the following editing options:

Select object Tick to select an object to work with.

Add cap- Titles and text can be added to any film. Click on the T button, enter your text dir-
ectly in the program monitor and select from different animations (try movement
tions and
from bottom to top for a classic end credits effect).
texts

The volume in the soundtrack of each scene can be set with the loudspeaker but-
Set
ton.
volume

Rotate If an image or photo is on its side or upside down, click on this button. The photo

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image (only will rotate 90 degrees.

for image
files)

You gives you access to a menu with various editing functions.

Addi-
tional set-
tings options

Click on the large button between the scenes and select a scene transition.
Trans-
itions

Display time Next to the pictogram, the display duration for the scene is shown in [minutes]:
[seconds].
With image files, you can click the time display and adjust the display duration in
the dialog that appears. This duration can be applied to all photos in the movie.

Scene overview

The Scene overview allows you to manage and categorize scenes. All scenes are listed one after the
other (in multiple lines, like in a text program) and can be copied, cut, moved, deleted and inserted.

"Overview" mode does not indicate start, playback, or end markers. The scene that is currently play-
ing can be identified by a colored progress bar.

Use the zoom slider to magnify or shrink the view. This

controller also specifies how many scenes are displayed.

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Timeline mode

Timeline mode in Movie Studio enables you to edit videos in a detailed and precise way. You can
arrange and edit your media files, effects, transitions and other elements on a horizontal timeline,
making them easier to view. This mode is specifically designed for cutting videos and it gives you full
control over the flow and design of your project.

Playback range:

FIGURE Timeline with range marker

Clicking in the range bar above the first track lets you define start markers, i.e. the starting point of
the playback range. If you right-click, the end marker will appear to indicate the end point of the play-
back range. The length of the playback area is shown in the center of the section display.

■ When the end marker has been reached, the playback cursor jumps back to the start marker
and begins playing everything again as a loop.
■ The entire playback range can be moved using the mouse by clicking on the bar in the middle
while holding down the Ctrl key and dragging it. The in and out-points can be moved with the
mouse. Left-clicking positions the in-point, and the right mouse button sets the out-point.
The project window playback range above the first track is linked to the playback range of the
program monitor. They cannot be changed independent of each other.

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■ To move the start and end markers to the beginning or the end of the film again, click
OPTIMIZE MOVIE VIEW in the WINDOW menu.

Tracks

The project window is divided into tracks where the multimedia material can be positioned and
edited. The number of tracks that are displayed can be specified in the file menu under "Movie set-
tings".

In principle, any object type can be placed on any of the tracks. Video and image objects can also be
combined with audio objects within a track. The maximum length of a movie is restricted to six
hours.

Solo: This switches the track to "solo" mode. During playback, only this track will be seen or
heard.
Mute: Mutes all audio objects on the track. Video, image and title objects are still played
back.
Lock icon: Clicking on this icon locks the entire track and all of its objects against editing.

Maximize/minimize track: Makes the track larger/smaller. This creates more space on the
screen, making it easier to edit details.

1 Track number
All tracks have a number to help you differentiate between them in a project.
2 Track name
This is the name of the track. To change the name, enlarge the track first. Double-click in the
name field and enter a name. Press Enter to confirm the name.

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3 Peak meter display

In Movie Studio, the peak meter display is a visual tool that displays the audio levels for an
audio track, with each bar showing the current level value.1
Track options

■ Add: Adds a new track above the current track. Clicking on the plus symbol also per-
forms this action.
■ Delete/Cut/Copy/Paste: These commands let you delete, copy or cut an object into
the clipboard, or paste a track including all of the objects within it. The track is inserted
from the clipboard above the selected track when pasting.
■ Multicam > Source track: Here you can activate/deactivate a track as a source track.
■ Multicam > Master audio track: Here you can designate the master audio track for mul-
ticam editing.
■ Track height: Set whether the selected track or all tracks should be displayed as small,
large or in standard size. You can also adjust the size using your mouse. To do so, use
the mouse to drag the lower border of a track box downward.
■ Track color: Here, you can assign the track a color to highlight specific tracks.

Add/delete tracks: Click the plus icon to add a new track above the current track. Click on x
to delete the corresponding track.

You can define a destination track for importing the objects. Click on the track header to select a
track. All objects you import will now be inserted into the selected track. Clicking again on the
selected destination track disables this function.

Snap

The project window features a frame-exact grid. This ensures that video and image objects snap
exactly to the borders of a frame.

1If audio levels are too high and exceed the maximum level, distortion and clipping may occur, which
affects audio quality. If the levels are too low, this can cause the audio to be drowned out by other
factors, or it may be difficult to hear.

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The step size depends on the frame rate specified in the movie settings (FILE > SETTINGS >
MOVIE). Choose between Europe's conventional frame rate for PAL (25 frames per second) and
America's and Japan's conventional frame rate NTSC (29.97 frames per second) or any other manu-
ally set frame rate.

When moving an object, the position display indicates at which frame the first image of the object is
shown.

FIGURE The position is displayed in the form of a tooltip when moving the object. This information is displayed in the form
"Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frame".

In addition to the constantly active frame grid, an object grid can also be activated. This ensures that
two consecutive objects will seamlessly snap together even if they are on different tracks. This
avoids unwanted gaps or overlaps.

The object grid can be activated/deactivated using the magnet icon in the lower toolbar.

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Zooming

The vertical zoom function sets the number of visible tracks. On many tracks zooming is useful for
selectively editing a track or an object in full view.

Use the horizontal zoom functions to set up the visible section of the project on the timeline. Clicking
and dragging on the bottom border of a track header allows you to adjust the height of the display.

Object zoom: Vertical and horizontal zoom stages are enlarged so that all of the selected
objects are displayed at maximum size.

Optimize view: Displays the full movie. Zoom will be set to 100%.

When the function is turned off, the zoom level reverts to its previous value.

Locking and preview rendering

You can use the lock button to prevent markers from being moved accidentally.
You can reach the preview rendering features by pressing the lightning bolt button next to
the timeline.

» Preview rendering
Multicam Mode

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Multicam mode is an expanded timeline mode, where you can edit together scenes shot with dif-
ferent camera perspectives in a process called multicam editing. The top two tracks serve as target
tracks for copying sound and video from two different source tracks.

» Multicam Editing

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Customizing the interface

project window and Media Pool can be positioned anywhere on the screen, maximized or hidden.

Show or hide windows

» Click on WINDOW in the menu bar. Select the window you want to show or hide.
Maximize window

You can display any window in full screen mode and also display the program monitor on a second
screen.

» Click on the square in the upper right corner of a window to maximize it.

Saving a custom window arrangement

You can save your customized window arrangement and restore it anytime:

1. In the menu, click WINDOWWINDOW ARRANGEMENTSAVE....

2. In the dialog that opens, enter a name under which the window arrangement should be dis-
played in the menu.
3. In the Media Pool you can define whether the main navigation and subnavigation should be
saved along with the alignment.

Custom settings are automatically saved when Movie Studio is closed and remain when the pro-
gram is reopened.

Reset window arrangement

If lose track of the settings, you can use WINDOW > RESET WINDOW ARRANGEMENT or the
keyboard shortcut F9 to reset the basic settings.

Menus

The Movie Studio user interface contains a menu bar at the top of the program window.

File menu

» Keyboard shortcut

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New project

Creates a new Movie Studio project. The start dialog will also open.

Open

With this option you can load a project or a media file. Please note that all media files associated
with it must be loaded along with a project.

Movie Studio will search for all used sounds and video files in the folders in which they were located
when the move was saved.

Recently opened projects

This feature provides a selection of recently opened projects.

Save project

The current project is saved with the name displayed in the project window. If you have not specified
a name for your project yet, a dialog will open for you to do so.

Save project as...

A dialog opens where you can specify the path and a name for saving the project.

Manage project

■ Add a new empty movie:

Use this option to create a new movie for your recordings and imported files. Since a film is nor-
mally already opened, you will have to decide whether the movie should be inserted into the
existing project or if a new project should be created.
■ Merge movies:
Using this function you can attach a movie to an opened one. This is then attached to the end of
the movie and automatically takes on the original movie's settings.
■ Remove movie from project:
With this option you can remove the current movie from the project. However, it is still avail-
able on the hard drive and can be loaded again at any time.
■ Rename movie:
You can enter a name for your movie here.
■ Import movie file:

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● Import a MAGIX movie file (*.mvd):

Use this option to load a movie into your disc project. Please note that all media files asso-
ciated with it must be accessible. Movie Studio will search for all used sounds and video
files in the folders in which they were located when the movie was saved.
● Import an EDL (Edit Decision List):
Create an edit decision list in Samplitude EDL format and import it into Movie Studio for
additional editing. It is important in this case that the folder structure remains unchanged.
During importing into Movie Studio, the file locations must match the place where they
were when the cut list was created using MAGIX Samplitude/Sequoia.

‒ If an empty project is opened, the complete EDL file will be imported.

‒ If the tracks are muted before importing the EDL file, then they will not be removed.
‒ If there are already objects in the project, then you will be asked the files should
imported into the project or if a new project should be created for them.

■ Export movie file:

● Export a MAGIX movie file (*.mvd)

A dialog will open to enter a file name for the movie to be exported. The movie may then
be imported into other projects again.

In the movie file (*.mvd) all information about the used media files, cuts, effects, and
titles are saved, but not the picture and sound material itself. This is always contained
in the recorded or imported media files, which remains unchanged during editing with
Movie Studio. In order to save a movie in its own folder, e.g. for use on another PC, use
the function COPY FILM AND MEDIA TO FOLDER under "File > Backups".

● Export an EDL (Edit Decision List):

Create EDL files for additional editing in other programs, e.g. MAGIX Samplitude or
Sequoia.
Use the check boxes to select whether video and/or audio should be exported. As
required, a selection may be made whether individual tracks should be rendered or ref-
erenced as original files via EDL. Video rendering takes place in the DV-AVI format, and
audio rendering as WAV stereo. For Surround projects, 6 mono files will be rendered.

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An export directory can be defined within the selection dialog. The EDL file and the
rendered files will be stored there as required.
Check boxes may be used to select whether the EDL file should be loaded directly into
Sequoia (if present). The program will then be either started or the file will be directly
opened within the running application automatically. The user can define the Sequoia
path in the input mask.

Export movie

This provides all export formats supported by Movie Studio that aren't covered by burning.

For more information, see the section Export movie.

Record audio/images/video

A selection window for the Recording will open to choose the desired recording type. This may also
be accessed via the "Audio or video recording" button in the transport controls.

Import Audio CD track(s)

A CD track may be imported via drag and drop from the Media Pool just like a normal file. If this con-
venient method fails for some reason, then this menu command may be accessed via the CD man-
ager to insert tracks from audio CDs directly into the project. More about this is available in the
section "Import audio CD".

Export to device

Here, you can transfer your finished video to external devices. Select the target device from the list.

Export to mobile devices:

Most devices require certain format settings (file format, resolution, bit rate, picture repeat rate,
etc.) to be able to play a video.

The menu is divided into various device classes to make choosing your device easier. The last three
selections are saved as favorites in the top part of the device list if you have more than one device or
want to present your movies to your friends.

If your device is listed here, you don't have to worry about the format settings, as the necessary set-
tings of the export dialog are automatically customized to the target device. Simply select your
device and click "OK".

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Output DV/HDV:

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

■ For digital output please select "File" > "Output audio/video" and then select CAMCORDER in
the device menu. For DV cameras you can select the device DV CAMERA for HDV camcorder
HDV1 or HDV 2 CAMCORDER.

By clicking on SETTINGS, you can open the respective export settings dialog (DV-AVI export for
DV camcorder, MPEG export for HDV camcorder). For most applications you should use the set-
tings defined here. ADVANCED takes you to the DV export settings.

■ Now connect your camera and follow the displayed instructions.

If you want to export a rendered (already edited) movie to DV, there’s no need to render it again.
Instead simply activate the “Play own DV file” option and select your DV video from the “My audio
video” directory.

Digital cameras that can record in digital via a PC connection are usually more expensive. You
may be able to reduce your purchase costs considerably by buying a digital camera that cannot
transfer digitally and have the function activated by a camera specialist. You should enquire
about this option before making your purchase.

DV export settings

PAL/NTSC: PAL is used in Europe; the United States, Canada, and Japan use NTSC. This option usu-
ally does not require changing.

Render edited scenes only: Non-edited original files are simply copied into a completed DV AVI.
Normally you have to decompress the DV data, add the set effect calculations and recompress it. If
no effect processing is pending these steps may not be necessary. This option can be permanently
activated.

Use references to original files: Unprocessed original files are played back directly, effects are
rendered in real time. Only use this option for finished films without effects or edits because pro-
cessing real time effect with DV files in their original resolution uses a lot of processing power. Errors
can occur during playback due to the increased strain.

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Export after rendering: If you want to render your film but not export it then deactivate this option.
You can export your film at a later date by selecting the "Export own DV file" option from the export
dialog.

My device is not in the list. What can I do?

User-defined:

If your device does not appear in the list, you can set up the export settings manually. You only have
to do this once as these settings can be saved as a preset.

Read the Instruction manual of your mobile device to find out which file format is required. If your
device supports multiple formats, you can experiment around with which format gives you the best
results.

Specify the file format by opening the target device's menu and selecting "User-defined" > "Video"
> "...Format". If you click on "Export", you arrive at the Export dialog of the selected file format
where you can set all the advanced settings.

For details on these settings, please consult your device manual. Explanations for the file formats'
settings can be found in the Overview of the device classes chapter, for the special settings of the
export dialogs see "Export movie" in the File menu chapter.

If the format settings for your device are not accessible, you can try out a different device from
the same manufacturer and, using it as a template, carry out customizations accordingly.

If you find working settings, we recommend saving these as a preset for further use.

Batch conversion

This menu item accesses the batch processing function. This quickly and efficiently converts mul-
tiple files, movies, or projects into various video formats.

Vimeo

■ Upload current movie as video: Once you login to Vimeo, the upload dialog will open. Enter
the title, description, and keywords and select whether you want your film to be public or
private. "OK" uploads the current film.

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■ Upload selected media in Media Pool: Once you login to Vimeo, the upload dialog will open.
Enter the title, description, and keywords and select whether you want your media to be public
or private. "OK" uploads the selected media.

Online

Producer Planet: Producer Planet is the online store for creative artists in the area of multimedia. As
well as a wide range of content from MAGIX, such as Soundpools, virtual instruments, sound FX,
stock footage, video plug-ins and LUTs, Producer Planet enables audio engineers, beat producers,
cutters and ambitious independent filmmakers to access content from both established and up-and-
coming manufacturers and producers.

Youtube/Vimeo: This is a direct connection between MAGIX and various online communities.

■ Upload current movie as video: Uploads the current film to the selected portal or to the selec-
ted community. Enter the data for video into the fields provided, so that the search function for
this portal can also find this video.
Movie Studio partially uses the H.264 format for this, which is a component of the MPEG-4
codec. Since most communities and portals use this format, the movie does not need to be re-
rendered on the corresponding server. This avoids loss of quality.
When HD material is uploaded, a resolution of 720p is used for the HD format.
■ Upload selected media in Media Pool: Uploads the media selected in the Media Pool to the
corresponding portal or the selective community.

Import media backup: Content (e.g. 3D transitions) which you've bought and downloaded is stored
directly in the folder My files\MAGIX Downloads\Backup. If you have downloaded iContent from
other MAGIX programs, then you can use the command IMPORT MEDIA BACKUP to make them
accessible for use in Movie Studio.

Cewe photo prints/As photo book

You can order the images in your project or in the Media Pool as a photo book, calendar, photo mug
or in another gift format. Movie Studio transfers the images to a separate program called CEWE Pho-
toworld.

CEWE Photoworld software must be installed to order personalized gifts from CEWE (photo
books, prints, mugs, etc.). You can install it by going to the CEWE website.

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Manage login details: In this dialog you can enter and manage your login details (email address and
password) for all services accessible from Movie Studio. This way, you don't have to log in every
time you use the program.

Backup copy

Files must be saved to be able to be easily retrieved in case of a hard drive crash or a mistake.

For detailed information, see the section about Backup copies.

Load backup project

This option loads an automatically created project backup. This type of automatic backup gets the
file extension MV_ (underscore). This option is useful in emergencies, e.g. if you unintentionally
saved your changes during editing and wish to return to the previous version of the movie.

Cleaning Wizard

A disc image is created each time you perform the burn process, so the hard drive can quickly fill up
if you burn a lot of discs. The clean-up wizard helps delete projects from the hard drive, including all
of the media files and disc images used. Use this function to free up disk space for future projects.

If the files you used in the slideshow have also been used in other slideshows (like trailers, open-
ing music, etc.), then you should make backup copies of these files beforehand.

For detailed information, see the Cleaning Wizard section.

Settings

■ Film settings: Opens the Film settings of the currently selected movie.
■ Program settings: Opens Program settings.
■ Edit keyboard shortcut: This menu entry opens a dialog for editing keyboard shortcuts. You
can adjust Movie Studio to suit your needs.
■ Language: Change the language used in Movie Studio here. Normally, the language that is used
for installation is set as the program language.
■ Reset standard program settings: Use this function to reset all Program settings you made in
Movie Studio to their original settings.

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Close

Exits Movie Studio.

"Edit" menu

» Keyboard shortcut
Undo

This command allows you to undo the last changes made. This way, you can try out different meth-
ods for doing an important task. If you don't like the result, you can always revert to the previous
state using "Undo".

Right-clicking the button opens a list of changes made so far, allowing you to undo several changes
made in sequence.

You can adjust the length of the list to your needs in program settings. A general rule: The longer
the list, the more RAM is used.

Restore

This function undoes the previous "Undo" function.

Right-clicking on the arrow next to the button opens a list of changes made so far, allowing you to
restore several undo actions made in sequence.

Empty undo and cache memory

This option deletes the memory for undo commands and clipboard (cache).

Cut objects

This function extracts the marked scene and copies it to the clipboard. You can then use the "Paste"
command to insert it into any movie.

Copy objects

This function copies the selected scene (or the selected object, if you are in the Timeline mode) to
the clipboard. You can then use the "Paste" command to insert it into any movie.

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Insert objects

This command inserts the clipboard material (photo or object) at the current position of the play-
back marker.

Duplicate objects

This command duplicates all selected objects. The copies appear beside the original and can be
placed in the correct position using drag and drop.

Delete objects

This function deletes the selected scene (or the selected object, if you are in the Timeline mode).

Select all objects

All objects found in the project are selected.

Cutting

Editing functions are also accessible using the toolbar. The last selected function will appear in the
toolbar as a button.

■ Cut scene: This command cuts a selected scene at the point where the playback marker is posi-
tioned. Two independent objects are created.
■ Remove scene start: This command cuts a scene at the point where the start marker is posi-
tioned, and deletes all material that precedes the start position simultaneously.
■ Remove scene end: This command cuts a scene at the point where the start marker is posi-
tioned, and deletes all material behind the start position simultaneously.
■ Remove scene: If you want to cut a scene on track 1 out of a movie in the timeline mode at a
later stage, this option automatically moves objects, titles, and transitions on all tracks forward
so that no gaps are created in the film.
Objects on other tracks which extend into the area of the scene in question will not be moved
automatically; they will remain in their current positions.
■ Split movie: This command divides the movie into two individual movies at the position of the
playback marker.
The current project window retains the portion that is located in front of the playback marker.
The remaining part will be removed from the current project window and turned into a new
movie. You can open this movie from the "View" menu.

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Musical editing adjustment

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

If you have edited your background music with the beat detection wizard and a musical tempo was
provided, then you can adjust the cuts to change automatically in time with the beat using this com-
mand. All hard cuts (edits without transitions) will be moved to occur on the musical quarter notes.

Range

Movie Studio offers object-based functions as well as "band-oriented" editing functions. These
always refer to the whole project from the first to the last track as well as to the range between the
start and end marker.

■ Cut: The area between the start and end markers is cut from the current project and placed on
the clipboard. This section can be reinserted elsewhere.
■ Copy: The area between the start and end markers in the current project is copied to the Clip-
board. This section can be reinserted elsewhere.
■ Delete: The area between the start and end markers is deleted from the current project and no
longer saved on the clipboard.
■ Paste: The contents of the clipboard are added into the current project at the position of the
start marker.
■ Extract: The area between the start and end markers is retained, all the material in front and
behind it are then deleted. Use this option to isolate a specific part of an arrangement for further
individual editing.
■ Insert empty space: An empty section the length of the period between the start and end
marker will be added to the first visible track. The objects following this will be moved.

This function only applies to the first visible track. Therefore, it is necessary to scroll
through the arranger to bring the track you want up to the line at the top.

■ Insert still shot: The start of the range is inserted as a still shot over the length of the range.

This function only applies to the first visible track. Therefore, it is necessary to scroll
through the arranger to bring the track you want up to the line at the top.

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Group objects

All selected objects are assigned to a group which may be selected and edited jointly by clicking the
mouse.

Ungroup objects

This command splits an object group into separate objects.

Wizards

■ Slideshow Maker:
The Slideshow Maker Wizard is ideal for converting still images into moving pictures, adding
background music, and effects.
■ MAGIX Soundtrack Maker:
Music tracks that match the mood are generated automatically by Soundtrack Maker. Even
mood changes are possible.
■ Travel route animation:
This menu entry opens the separateMAGIX Travel Maps program. This enables simple creation
of animated travel routes with the help of online maps.

Combine audio

This option joins all audio objects in one audio file. Afterwards, the audio material will only occupy
one track and take up hardly any RAM (but will take up space on the hard drive [ca. 10 MB/min in
stereo]). This way you have a clear overview of other objects and more space for them.

Movie Studio automatically normalizes the audio file, i.e. the loudest point of the wave audio object
is identical to the highest value of the 16-bit resolution ceiling. This guarantees the same sound qual-
ity, even if you repeat the mix down procedure in the project window or you combine the mix down
file with other wave audio objects again and again. The mix down function is very helpful if you want
to go on using the mix down object.

To create the final AVI or WAV (or any other multimedia) file, we recommend using the various
option of the submenu "Export movie" option in "File", instead of the mixdown function.

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Combine audio and video

In addition to the "Combine audio" function (see above), all video objects including effects, fades,
and edits are combined in a single MAGIX video file. If your computer starts to approach its limits,
this enables you to free resources for further editing.

Start preview rendering...

You may also instruct Movie Studio to render specific sections that are you are almost finished edit-
ing with. This is especially useful if smooth playback is not possible due to the applied effects and
transitions. The advantage versus the option "Combine audio and video" is that all of the objects will
be maintained in the arrangement. The rendered material will only be played in the background
when the playback marker reaches the corresponding position.

See "Preview rendering".

Remove range(s) for preview rendering

Removes preview rendering ranges. If multiple sections were defined and the playback marker is
placed over one of these sections, you will be asked whether you would like to remove only this "Sec-
tion" or "All".

Marker

More information on the subject can be found in the section "Markers".

Move view

Using these commands, a viewable portion together with the playback marker will be moved in the
timeline. You can quickly skip between different markers (skip, chapter, scene or ad markers) and
object edges.

Multicam

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Click on this to switch to "Multicam Mode". Find out more in "Multicam editing".

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Mute audio tracks (Multicam)

Once you switch to Multicam mode, all audio from the source tracks will be muted. You will only
hear the audio track of the final movie. If you wish to deactivate this function, remove the check.
Now, you can mute the audio tracks manually using the track headers.

Effects menu

» Keyboard shortcut
Movie effect settings

This menu item accesses the Movie effects settings. The settings affected here apply to the entire
movie.

Video object effects

■ Scene recognition: Opens the automatic Scene recognition function, which "cuts up" longer
videos into individual scenes.
■ Edit in external editor: Graphics files (BMPs or JPEGs) can be edited retroactively with an
external graphics program within the project window. The selected image file will be loaded
automatically and used in Movie Studio in place of the original material automatically.
■ Create panorama: Opens the dialog for setting a panorama. Place as many photos in the cor-
rect order as you like, and align brightness and color settings to get the best results. You should
make sure that the photos harmonize at the transitions.
■ Video effects: Here you can find adjustable effects for video and photo objects. The effects can
be set only after selecting an object in the respective effects dialog. For more information,
please see Video effects.
■ Movement effects: These are movement effects you can use to animate the frame by using
zoom and camera movements.
■ Movement effect templates: Drag and drop to load templates for movements into the project.
■ Section: Places video objects in a particular part of the screen. Find out more under Video
effects.
■ Stereo3D: Find out more about Stereo3D functionality in the Stereo3D section.
■ Background design: Select a color, a picture, or any video on your hard disk, which you would
like to serve as the background for the photo displayed. This function is especially useful when
photos have black bars around them, or if they are reduced in size.

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■ Reset background: Resets the background design settings to default settings.

■ Use as background: Uses the selected photo and video as the background.
■ Load video effects: This command enables a saved effects combination to be loaded for the
currently loaded object. If multiple objects are selected, then the effects combination will be
applied to each selected object.
■ Save video effects: This command saves the current effects combination for each object sep-
arately.
■ Reset video effects: This option allows you to deactivate all currently used effects. The mater-
ial will be reset to the state it was in before you applied the effect.
■ Copy video effects: Effects settings for an object may be copied to the clipboard to add them
to other objects.
■ Paste video effects: Video effects may be inserted into the selected object from other objects.
The settings must be copied to the clipboard beforehand to do so.
■ Apply video effects to all: The current effects settings will be applied to all scenes and photos
in your movie.
■ Apply video effects to all of the following: The current effects settings will be applied to all
scenes and photos in your movie which lie behind the selected object.

Audio object effects

■ Normalize (maximum level): The function "Normalize" raises the level of an audio object to
the maximum possible level without clipping the material. This searches for the largest signal
peak in the audio material and raises the level of the object so that this position matches
exactly 0 dB (maximum overdrive).
■ Normalize (EBU R128): EBU R128 is a transceiver standard that normalizes the audio signal to -
23 LUFS (loudness units relative to the digital full level). Unlike normalizing to the maximum
level, this provides enough upward space for temporarily loud signals. This is used, for example,
by cinema productions and classical recordings.
■ Adjust loudness of selected objects: Regardless of the standard level, the sound levels of the
selected objects are compared with each other with respect to volume. The clicked object is
used as the reference.
■ Set volume: This function, located in both the effects menu and the context menu, control the
sound volume for individual objects, just like the object handles in the project window.
■ Volume reduction: Read more about this in Volume reduction.

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■ Audio leaning: Opens the Audio cleaning dialog.

■ Echo/Reverb: Read the sections Echo and Reverb for more information.
■ Timestretch/Resample: Read more about this in Timestretch/Resample.
■ Load audio effects: This command enables a saved effects combination to be loaded for the
currently loaded object. If multiple objects are selected, then the effects combination will be
applied to each selected object.
■ Save audio effects: This command saves the current effects combination for each object sep-
arately.
■ Reset audio effects: This option allows you to deactivate all currently used effects. The mater-
ial will be reset to the state it was in before you applied the effect.
■ BPM Wizard: Read more about this topic in Musical editing adjustment.
■ Edit wave externally: This opens the audio track or audio object in the included audio editor
MAGIX Music Editor.
■ Volume curve: You can access the volume here. This is also located in the Media Pool under
"Effects > Audio effects > General" and can be animated.

Title effects

■ Title editor: Opens the title editor.

■ Load title template: Use this command to load previously saved title effects for the current
object.
■ Save title template: You can save the current effect combination for each title object sep-
arately and apply it to other title objects later.

Design elements

■ Picture-in-picture: These are various effects presets for image stacking.

■ Collages: These work similarly to normal picture-in-picture effects but more objects are used.
Depending on the collage, arrange the selected objects one after the other and drag the collage
onto the first object.
■ Test images: These are professional test images for calibrating your system.
■ Backgrounds: Here you can find static and animated photo and video backgrounds. Video back-
grounds are capable of being looped, meaning that their length can be extended by duplication.
The special "custom" template opens a color selection dialog where you can choose the desired
color.

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■ Image objects: These are various image objects like black bars, thought bubbles for cartoons,
etc.

You can find additional information in the section "Design elements in Media Pool".

Effects library

Using these menu choices you can control the corresponding folders with the Media Pool.

"Window" menu

» Keyboard shortcut
Window arrangement

■ Standard: This option switches from the multiple monitor setting (see below) back to the stand-
ard single monitor setting.
■ Multimonitor with maximized program monitor: This option can be used when several com-
puter monitors are connected. It enlarges the program monitor for a fullscreen display on one of
the connected monitors. The other elements are displayed on a second monitor.
■ Save: You can save any alignment and combination of visible windows. These can then be eas-
ily switched between using menu commands. Click on "Save" and enter a name for the current
alignment. In the "Media Pool", you can define whether the selected tab (main navigation) and
section (subnavigation) should be saved along with the alignment.

The first three custom window layouts are automatically assigned the keyboard shortcuts
F10, F11 and F12. By going to "FILE" > "SETTINGS" > "KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS..."
YOU CAN assign keyboard shortcuts to additional layouts.

■ Delete: Any custom window layouts you create can be deleted. Simply select the alignment
you want to delete in the dialog that opens, then click on the Delete button.
■ Reset window arrangement: If you have moved the windows around in Movie Studio, you can
change them back to the original position using this command. (Keyboard shortcut: F9)

Edit trimmer

Opens the edit trimmer. This allows you to make fine adjustments to the position of the selected
video or image objects and their handles, as well as the transition characteristics (transition type,

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length). Learn more about this under Edit trimmer.

Object trimmer

Opens the object trimmer. This enables you to precisely adjust the position and the handles of selec-
ted video or image object. Learn more about this under Object trimmer.

Mixer

Opens the "Mixer".

Master Audio Effect Rack

Opens the Master Audio Effect Rack. Learn more about this in the Audio effects section.

Mastering Suite

Opens the Mastering Suite.

Program monitor

Hides or shows the program monitor.

Media Pool

This option hides or displays the Media Pool.

Project

Shows or hides the project window.

Project folder

Hides or shows the project folder.

Activate next window

Switch between the different windows (interfaces) of the program.

Movie overview

With this option you can display an overview of the entire arrangement on the program monitor.
This option is particularly suitable for long and complex arrangements to prevent you from losing
track. You can view the whole movie and still quickly access the object you're looking for – simply
zoom in directly on the program monitor or move around the clip displayed in the project window.

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Optimize movie view

The zoom level is set to 100% so that you can see every object and the entire film. The start and
end markers are set to the beginning or end, so that the entire movie can be played.

Zoom horizontal

Here you will find a range of functions for adjusting the visible time axis section.

Zoom vertical

The number of simultaneously visible tracks can be changed here. The more tracks that are visible,
the smaller they will appear.

Remove all movies from project

All movies in the open project are removed. If you want to use these movies later with the current
changes like cuts, effects and titles, you can export them by selecting "FILE" > "MANAGE MOVIE"
> "EXPORT". The current movie edits will be saved, but not the source material. If you delete the
source material, your edits can no longer be restored.

"Share" menu
Here you will find many options for quickly and easily publishing your data from the program on the
web. Additionally, data transfer into other programs for specialized editing, if you have such pro-
grams installed, is enabled.

Vimeo

Upload current movie as video: Once you log in to Vimeo, the upload dialog will open. Enter the title,
description, and keywords and select whether you want your film to be public or private. "OK"
uploads the current film.

Upload selected media in Media Pool: Once you log in to Vimeo, the upload dialog will open. Enter
the title, description, and keywords and select whether you want your media to be public or private.
"OK" uploads the selected media.

Youtube

Upload current movie as video: Uploads the current film to the selected portal or to the selected
community. Enter the data for video into the fields provided, so that the search function for this

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portal can also find this video.

Movie Studio partially uses the H.264 format for this, which is a component of the MPEG-4 codec.
Since Flash supports this format directly and most communities and portals use the format, the
movie does not need to be re-rendered on the corresponding server. This avoids loss of quality.

When HD material is uploaded, a resolution of 720p is used for the HD format.

Upload selected media in Media Pool: Uploads the media selected in the Media Pool to the cor-
responding portal or the selected community.

To import and export AVC and MPEG-4 files, the MPEG-4 codec must be enabled. A dialog will
appear when the codec is required.

Additional options

Additional options will be displayed depending on the programs installed on your PC. For example,
you can edit photos or graphics in Xara Web Designer or Xara Photo & Graphic Designer, the audio
can be improved in MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab, or you can add audio to your movie with MAGIX
Music Maker.

Cewe photo prints/As photo book

You can order the images in your project or in the Media Pool as a photo book, calendar, photo mug
or in another gift format. Movie Studio transfers the images to a separate program called CEWE Pho-
toworld.

CEWE Photoworld software must be installed to order personalized gifts from CEWE (photo
books, prints, mugs, etc.). You can install it by going to the CEWE website.

"Help" Menu

» Keyboard shortcut
Help

This command is available at almost every point of this program and opens the program Help at the
corresponding topic. You can use this command to get help on any function in Movie Studio.

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Context help

The mouse cursor will turn into an arrow with a question mark. Click on any button in the main
screen to open program help.

Download manual (PDF)

Downloads the manual in PDF format. An Internet connection is required for this. It contains all of
the important information about the program, as well as the program Help, which can be accessed
by pressing F1.

Display online tutorial videos

Displays tutorial videos on different video editing topics in Movie Studio.

If you are using Movie Studio for the first time, we recommend you view the tutorial video first.
This will give you a quick introduction to the most important topics.

Show tooltips

Tooltips are small information windows that open up automatically if the mouse pointer stops briefly
on a button or some other area. They provide information about the function of the button. They can
be switched on or off with this option.

magix.info

You can access magix.info, the Multimedia Community from MAGIX, from directly within the pro-
gram. You'll find answers to all the most frequently asked questions about MAGIX products and mul-
timedia in general here. Unable to find a solution to a specific issue? Just ask the question yourself
and you're sure to get help from the community in no time at all.

Finding the software course

This opens a MAGIX webpage with offers for software courses for MAGIX applications.

Register online

If you are using a trial version of a MAGIX program, you can extend the period of use by registering
the product or purchasing a full version.

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Update online

This option connects directly to the MAGIX online update page where you can get the latest version
of your program.

Install extra content

This opens a dialog where you can install additional codecs and extra content.

Activating content packs

Use this menu option to activate the additional programs included in the Premium version. Enter the
coupon code in the dialog for the content pack. The add-on software will be downloaded and
installed automatically. In addition, five free downloads will be added to the Store, which can be used
for any Store content.

Deactivate program

This menu item deactivates Movie Studio with immediate effect. After deactivation, it is possible to
immediately install and activate Movie Studio on another computer.

Download my Store content

Downloads all previously purchased and activated Store content and adds it to the Templates sec-
tion of the Media Pool.

Delete local Store content...

Deletes all previously downloaded Store content. Deleted content can be downloaded again at any
time.

About Movie Studio

Displays copyright info and version number of Movie Studio.

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SETTINGS AND MANAGING VIDEO PROJECTS

This section covers the settings and configuration options in Movie Studio. Here, you can learn how
to customize your workspace, optimize collaboration with external devices, and take important
security precautions.

Movie and project settings

When you create a new video project, you can make settings for the new project already in the start
dialog. You can change these later at any time. All settings dialogs may be accessed via "File > Set-
tings".

Open the movie settings via "File > Settings > Movie..."

Movie settings

Play movie in loop mode: The movie will be played back endlessly. Playback starts at the playback
marker and after reaching the end of the project will restart at its beginning.

Use current settings as presets for new movies: If this option is activated, all new movies will
receive the settings that you have chosen in this dialog.

Crop new images to fit the screen automatically: Fits all images and videos inserted into the pro-
ject automatically so that they fit the screen.

Automatically create proxy files (Plus/Premium version): Using proxy/preview rendering, you can
render complicated sections of your project in advance in order to produce a smooth preview. You
can start this feature in the context menu of the marker bar. More about this is available in the
"Proxy editing" section.

Number of tracks: Here you can change the number of tracks.

Audio sample rate: The preset sample rate is 48 kHz. This sample rate is used for all recordings and
is also the standard setting for DVD audio tracks. With this setting, optimum sound quality is guar-
anteed. Audio material at different sample rates (e.g. CD audio with 44 kHz) is automatically con-
verted when loaded (resampling). Only change this value if you want to use audio with a different
sample rate or if your sound card does not support this sample rate.

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The audio sample rate can only be changed in empty projects. When an object is added to the
project, this setting is locked.

Video settings: You can select the standard settings for the picture format and frame rate for PAL or
NTSC images or for your own format. Make sure that the entries for aspect ratio and frame rate cor-
respond to your target format so that your finished movie will play smoothly on the intended screen,
no undesired black strips are seen, and all video/image objects are in their correct positions.

MPEG encoding requires a width/height ratio that is divisible by 8.

Movie information

This option opens an information window:

Name: Here you can enter the name of the current movie.

Date of creation: Displays the time the movie was created.

Last changed: Displays the time of the last save.

Number of used objects: Displays the number of all objects in the movie.

Used files: All files used in the movie are listed here.

Project Settings

You can change project settings here. A project can consist of multiple movies and is saved as an
MVP file.

Name and path: Displays the name of the movie and the location where it is stored on the com-
puter.

Description: Here you can give your project a description – perhaps a few statements about the
state of the editing progress, etc. This is something like a notepad function.

Date: Here you can assign your project a specific date. You can choose between a date – e.g.
"December 25, 2020" – or a written description – e.g. "Christmas 2020".

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Preview: This is the preview in a file manager such as Windows Explorer. You can use the automatic
selection for the preview image or choose an image from your hard drive. You can also use a preview
image from movie project.

Select preview image automatically: Movie Studio uses an automatically selected preview image.

Use image file: With a mouse click on the folder button you can open a dialog for loading image
files. In this dialog, you can navigate to the folder where the image file is found and select it by
double-clicking.

Use preview image from film: Select a frame from a film using the slider.

Program settings

All basic settings for Movie Studio are made in program settings. Open the program settings by
going to "File" > "Settings" > "Program...".

Playback
Audio playback

Driver selectionHere you can specify whether the Windows Wave driver or the DirectSound driver
will be used for audio playback.

■ WAV drivers are recommended if the CPU load is higher, as the larger buffers allow better
handling of the load peaks (otherwise this would cause crackling).
■ DirectSound is a component of DirectX and, if necessary, is installed together with Movie Stu-
dio. DirectSound has the advantage that the sound output (for all modern sound cards or
onboard soundchips) can also be used by other programs open simultaneously.

Output device: Use this option to specify which sound card plays the wave audio objects. This is
especially important if you have multiple sound cards installed on your computer, e.g. "onboard
sound" as well as an additional sound card.

Audio buffer: In order to allow smooth playback of a complex project, Movie Studio creates a RAM
data buffer into which the current data is loaded. This allows for step-by-step preprocessing instead
of preprocessing for the entire project.

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■ Number of buffers: Here you can specify how many buffers should be used. More buffers
increase reliability and improve playback performance, but they also increase the memory
requirements. When playback goes through DirectSound, only one buffer is used automatically.

Note: As a rule, if response and loading times are too slow, reduce the number and size of the buf-
fers. Otherwise, increase the buffer size if you are still having problems with playback performance.
Since error-free playback is usually more important than fast reaction times, the buffer size should
be raised to 16384 or 32768 to avoid drop-outs. The possible number of used buffer updates is
between 2 and 10.

■ Multitrack size/Preview size: Specify the buffer size used to play the entire project or for pre-
viewing waves in the file manager.

Video playback

Overload prevention for realtime playback: Here you can activate or deactivate overload pre-
vention during realtime playback of the project. This feature is particularly suitable for lower per-
formance PCs.

Instant cache refresh in Multicam Mode: Activate this mode to empty the cache in short intervals
which will make the preview for multicam editing immediately visible in the preview monitor. This
may result in juddering during playback.

Number of tracks for parallel track optimization: It makes sense to limit the number of tracks
when the program is running low on disk space and the project has multiple videos in parallel.

Arranger

Autoscroll during playback: If autoscroll is activated, the screen view automatically shifts when the
playback marker reaches the right edge of the screen, which is useful for longer arrangements. You
can select the size of the scrolling steps from either "Fast" (whole pages) or "Slow" (half pages).

Note: Scrolling requires constant recalculation of the screen view which may lead to interrupted
playback if system RAM is too low. If this happens, simply deactivate the autoscroll feature.

Update in background: The update of the object display after move and zoom operations in the pro-
ject window is performed in the background in order to let you work smoothly.

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Spacebar function: You can set whether the playback marker returns to its original position or stays
at its current place when playback is stopped with the spacebar.

Folders
Here you can set the path where...

■ you can save your projects (Projects),

■ you want to store the exported or imported files and recordings,
■ your downloads are saved,
■ disc images are saved,
■ where editors for audio and image editing are found, which should be opened by default
(Plus/Premium version only),
■ and where the VST plug-ins are installed.

Video/Audio
This tab contains all setting options for video and audio files.

Video standard

Normally, the right video standard is set up automatically. PAL is used in Europe; the United States
and Japan use NTSC.

Timeline

Simple display of video objects (first and last image): Activate this function if you are having per-
formance problems. The preview images of a video in the project window will only be displayed at
the beginning and end of the video.

Half waveform display: Half of the waveform display (upper part) is enough for audio editing. This
is the default setting. For more detailed, professional audio editing, you can display the complete
waveform.

Video/Audio on one track: Activate this option if you want imported video footage to be displayed
as one object with video and audio on one track. You can always use the options in the object menu
to put the video and audio on separate tracks later to edit them individually.

Display guidelines: If needed, you can display guidelines in the project window. The spacing
between guidelines is adjusted to the zoom factor set in the project window.

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Audio -6 dB on import: When you load a file containing audio material (sound), the loudness of the
generated object will be set to -6 dB. This is particularly useful when playing back several objects
that contain audio material at the same time. This reduces the risk of undesirable clipping. Object
loudness can be edited at any time.

Import

Automatically create frame table during import: Sometimes, rebuilding a frame table can get rid of
problems in certain MPEG files. For example, problems can arise if the navigation (positioning of the
playback marker, transport) is bumpy or doesn't function at all. Normally, when loading MPEG video,
a frame table is not created in order to speed up the loading process. If you do create one anyway,
MPEG files are normally noticeably faster and easier to edit.

Automatically create waveform when importing: Select this option to automatically create a wave-
form display for the audio track. This can also be created at any time via the context menu.

Import videos with audio: If a video file contains video and audio data, the audio track of the video
will also be imported if this option is activated. It will be displayed as a combination object in the pro-
ject together with the video. If you want to edit or replace the audio track later, you must first display
the video and audio object on separate tracks (context menu "Audio functions" > "Video/Audio on
separate tracks". Audio and video objects are grouped to synchronize sound and image, if you want
to edit the audio or video separately, you have to first remove this grouping ("Ungroup" button in the
toolbar or via the "Edit" menu).

Standard display time: Specify how long an image in the project should be displayed before moving
to the next object.

Adding transitions between the objects will reduce the actual display time. If you plan on using
transitions, it is best not to set the display time too short.

Trim videos: Sometimes video clips have damaged frames at the beginning or end. Most often these
are green, black or incomplete. Here you have the option of automatically trimming your videos dur-
ing import if your footage constantly has damaged frames. Specify how many images (frames)
should be trimmed at the beginning and the end of the video.

The frames are not lost due to the shortening. By adjusting the object length in the project win-
dow you can make the trimmed frames reappear.

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System
Program interface

Dialogs: When newly installed, Movie Studio displays a number of messages in various parts of the
program. Each of them can be switched off by clicking the small box at the bottom that says "Don't
show this message again". To display these warning messages, select the "Reactivate dialogs"
option. "Hide news" enables current messages concerning Movie Studio to be deactivated, and the
screen can also be set to darken when dialogs are displayed.

Undo/Redo

Here you can set the maximum number of steps the "Undo" function can have. Please note that
memory requirement increases with the number of steps the program must save.

Other

Automatic preview when changing transitions: When this option is activated, a short preview of
the transition effect will be quickly played between the two objects you selected.

Move playback marker when selecting objects: This option automatically moves the playback
marker to the beginning of the selected object.

Send usage data to MAGIX: Anonymous data is sent to MAGIX for improving product quality. This
option can be deactivated here.

Save automatically

Here you can set up an automatic backup function, which saves the project as a backup file with an
"MV_" (instead of the normal project file "MVP") in the project folder. You can choose whether or
not your project should be backed up and at what intervals this will take place.

Device options
Video output to external device

Activate video playback: With this option, you can display the project window view on an addi-
tionally connected monitor. Without additional hardware, you can play a preview in any mode in
order to see how the final material looks.

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Hardware Acceleration

IMPORT/PROCESSING/EXPORT: Set whether hardware acceleration should be used for indi-

vidual processing steps separately, and if so, which graphics card should be used. By selecting CPU
the corresponding processing step is performed by the main processor, by selecting another option
it is performed by the respective graphics card. Import involves decoding the source media, pro-
cessing handles the application of effects and playback and export refers to encoding into the
desired format upon export. The advantage of setting these parameters separately is that if there are
problems with one of the processing operations, you do not have to deactivate hardware accel-
eration entirely, but only for the corresponding step.

Comparison image during effects editing in the Media Pool: If this option is activated, the "Selec-
ted objects without effects" comparison mode will be automatically activated when switching into
the Media Pool effects, and will be automatically deactivated when the mode is exited. This serves to
compare the original and edited image. This automation will be suppressed if the option is deac-
tivated.

Output on monitors in with higher bit depth: If this option is activated, you can display video mater-
ial with higher bit depth on an appropriate monitor in higher bit depths. Because most monitors don't
yet support output in higher bit depth, this option is off by default.

Use dithering for output: Dithering improves display for color gradients and avoids typical output
errors (color lines), that appear as a result of bit depth reduction. To put it differently: Dithering pre-
serves the advantages of recording in higher bit depth when displaying in normal 8-bit depth. You
should therefore deactivate this option only in case of problems.

Preview and playback in analog capture

The preview and playback modes for analog capture can be set up here.

Video mode:

As a general rule, the default setting should not be changed, since it delivers the best results. If you
notice problems, such as the image turning black, you can try to see if picking an alternative mode
helps.

Only change the video mode when there are problems with the presets, e.g. choppiness or
lengthy screen distortion.

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Deinterlacing: In the alternative mode "Video Mixing Renderer 9", you can activate hardware dein-
terlacing with your graphics card.

Import/Export
Other

Automatically preview exported clips: This option starts the clip immediately after exporting for
verification.

Import Formats

File formats that you never use can be de-selected here. Once de-selected they will no longer be
imported. Please keep in mind that several import modules exist for some file types (AVI, WMA);
Movie Studio uses the fastest one in each case. If you experience problems when importing certain
files, you can experiment with deactivation of certain import modules and therefore force Movie Stu-
dio to use the slower but more compatible import module.

Activating and using codecs

Codecs are necessary for compressing and decompressing video and audio content to various
formats. Using codecs makes it possible to save space when storing, transferring and editing media
content without losing too much quality. If a video or audio format is not supported in Pro X,
installing a codec may allow you to play or edit the media.

MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is an older video codec designed primarily for compressing standard
definition (SD) video content. It offers a moderate compression rate and rel-
atively high image quality, but is less efficient compared to newer codecs.
It is often used for DVDs, digital television (e.g. DVB-T) and Blu-ray Discs.

H.264/MPEG-4 H.264/MPEG-4 AVC is a further improvement on MPEG-4 and offers an even

AVC higher compression rate while maintaining the same picture quality. This codec
is often used for compressing HD video content and is the most commonly
used video codec online.

HEVC/H.265 HEVC/H.265 is a newer video codec that offers an even higher compression
rate than H.264, but with the same image quality. HEVC is mainly used for com-
pressing 4K and 8K video content.

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Why is activation required?

To import (decode) or export (encode) certain video and audio formats you will require a specific
codec to be able to read in and export these formats. As soon as a corresponding decoder or
encoder is needed, Movie Studio will notify you and ask you if you would like to activate it.

Integrating decoders and encoders from third parties usually costs software manufacturers money.
These codecs are therefore integrated in MAGIX programs via an additional activation. Depending
on their use and degree of distribution, they may be free or, in the case of expensive specialist
codecs, subject to a charge. This means MAGIX will be able to continue to provide you with an
optimum price/performance ratio for your software in the future.

MPEG2/MPEG4 standards are required for importing and exporting MPEG-2 as well as MPEG-
4 videos and are automatically activated if required. The codecs are activated individually and
are free.

MPEG-2 Encoder (Intel)

In the "Advanced Settings", you can make detailed adjustments to the MPEG-2 data flow. The
advanced settings are divided into "Video", "Audio", and "Multiplexer".

Open advanced settings: File > Export > Video as MPEG video > Advanced

The preset values and status of the control element (locked/unlocked) depend on the selected
export preset.

Video

Bit rate mode The bit rate indicates how much data per second is saved in the video (playback
speed). This makes the bit rate the deciding parameter with regard to the file
size and quality of the video to be encoded. A higher bit rate means better qual-
ity, but also a larger file size.

■ Constant: The exact value entered in "Average bit rate" is applied which
enables precise calculation of the video size.
■ Variable: The value entered in "Average bit rate" is used as an approximate
guideline for the value applied to the video. This means that the size of the

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video can only be estimated.

Average bit The values entered here are applied to the video as an average as a guideline.
rate (kBit/s) The size of the video to be exported can only be approximated.

Maximum bit This is the maximum bit rate in the video stream, i.e. maximum number of bits,
rate (kBit/s) that may be transferred to the decoder. This parameter only takes effect in the
"Variable" bit rate mode.

CPB (coded pic- The entered value specifies the maximum amount of storage space for an
ture buffer) encoded frame. Higher values can improve quality, but might also cause prob-
lems during export. If export is aborted, lower this value. The setting "0" means
that the encoder has determined the disk space.

Maximum GOP Determines the maximum GOP length. High values mean improved com-
length pression. Lower values create stronger security protection and enable improved
access to individual frames for processing the video.
A general rule: The shorter the GOP, the more compatible the generated video
file.

A good rule of thumb is to enter the frame rate as the GOP length.

GOP structure The GOP structure is the sequence of the various frames. At the beginning of a
GOP there is an I-Frame, at the end there are several B-Frames, followed by a P-
Frame. The sequence of B-Frames und P-Frames repeats until the end of the
GOP.
Example:
A GOP with a length of 20 and the "IBBP" structure will look like this:
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Frame I B B P B B P B B P B B P B B P B B P B

Profile Profiles define the encoder properties that are supported.

■ Main: This profile was originally intended for the broadcast industry and for
backup purposes. It has become less popular since the development of the
"high profile" for this purpose.
■ SIMPLE: Intended to be used as the basic profile for applications with lim-

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ited computational power, e.g. video conferences or mobile phone videos.

This profile does not allow B-Frames, which first and foremost means more
data traffic, but contributes to better reliability.
■ HIGH: This profile is used for broadcast and backup applications and is also
sometimes used in the HDTV industry (High Definition Television). This
profile is used for Blu-ray discs.

You should only change this setting if you experience problems playing back
the generated video.

Level MPEG-2 defines various levels. The level determines which bit rate and res-
olution are possible for the video. With the "Auto level" option, the encoder
determines the level automatically on the basis of the set video format, the spe-
cified bit rate and the profile.

Coding quality This is the easiest way to set the ratio between coding duration and quality.
Select the setting which best suits your needs.

Hardware ■ CPU hardware: Activate this option if you have a powerful processor
Acceleration installed on your computer and the CPU is more powerful than the graphics
processor. The corresponding processing step is performed by the main pro-
cessor and will be supported by the graphics card, if possible.
■ Software: The encoders provided are used. The complete encoding process
takes place on CPU, without graphics card support.

Smart Copy If this option is activated, unedited MPEG-2 material with hard cuts is trans-
ferred without changes. This drastically accelerates the encoding process. The
transfer always takes place on the GOP borders is not frame-precise.

HRD (Hypo- When this option is activated, a virtual decoder checks the data stream for com-
thetical Refer- patibility with the video standard during the encoding process. This ensures that
ence Decoder) the generated video is compatible with various playback devices, but it also
slows down the encoding process.

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Audio

Sample Here you can set the sample rate for audio encoding. For DVDs the standard is set to
rate (Hz) 48 kHz. If you change the settings here, it may result in not being able to play back
the sound or the entire video.

Channels Determines the number of audio channels.

■ Mono: 1 channel, mono sound

■ Stereo: 2 channels, one for left and one for right.

Bit rate The desired bit rate is entered here.

(kBit/s)

Audio This is where you define how audio material will be coded, or whether it should be
Encoder written to the exported file as an uncompressed PCM data. If PCM is used, you can
no longer adjust sample rate and bit rate.

Image Tab

Interlace: Specifies whether the video is coded in frames or fields (in interlaced scanning, also
"Interlaced").

■ Progressive: The video is coded in frames.

■ Bottom field first: The video will be interlaced. The lower lines (Bottom field)
are used for the first field and upper lines for the second.
■ Top field first: The video will be interlaced. The upper lines (top field) are used
for the first field and the lower lines for the second.

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MPEG-4 encoder settings (Intel)

In the "Advanced Settings", you can make detailed adjustments to the MPEG-4 data flow. The
advanced settings are divided into "Video", "Audio", and "Multiplexer".

Open advanced settings: File > Export > Video as MPEG-4 > Advanced

The preset values and status of the control element (locked/unlocked) depend on the selected
export preset.

Video

Bit rate mode The bit rate indicates how much data per second is saved in the video (playback
speed). This makes the bit rate the deciding parameter with regard to the file
size and quality of the video to be encoded. A higher bit rate means better qual-
ity, but also a larger file size.

■ Constant: The exact value entered in "Average bit rate" is applied which
enables precise calculation of the video size.
■ Variable: The value entered in "Average bit rate" is used as an approximate
guideline for the value applied to the video. This means that the size of the
video can only be estimated.

Average bit The values entered here are applied to the video as an average as a guideline.
rate (kBit/s) The size of the video to be exported can only be approximated.

Maximum bit This is the maximum bit rate in the video stream, i.e. maximum number of bits,
rate (kBit/s) that may be transferred to the decoder. This parameter only takes effect in the
"Variable" bit rate mode.

CPB (coded pic- The entered value specifies the maximum amount of storage space for an
ture buffer) encoded frame. Higher values can improve quality, but might also cause prob-
lems during export. If export is aborted, lower this value. The setting "0" means
that the encoder has determined the disk space.

Maximum GOP Determines the maximum GOP length. High values mean improved com-
length pression. Lower values create stronger security protection and enable improved

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access to individual frames for processing the video.

A general rule: The shorter the GOP, the more compatible the generated video
file.

A good rule of thumb is to enter the frame rate as the GOP length.

GOP structure The GOP structure is the sequence of the various frames. At the beginning of a
GOP there is an I-Frame, at the end there are several B-Frames, followed by a P-
Frame. The sequence of B-Frames und P-Frames repeats until the end of the
GOP.
Example:
A GOP with a length of 20 and the "IBBP" structure will look like this:
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Frame I B B P B B P B B P B B P B B P B B P B

Profile Profiles define the encoder properties that are supported.

■ Main: This profile was originally intended for the broadcast industry and for
backup purposes. It has become less popular since the development of the
"high profile" for this purpose.
■ HIGH: This profile is used for broadcast and backup applications and is also
sometimes used in the HDTV industry (High Definition Television). This
profile is used for Blu-ray Discs.

You should only change this setting if you experience problems playing back
the generated video.

Level H.264 defines different levels. The level determines which bit rate and resolution
are possible for the video. With the "Auto level" option, the encoder determines
the level automatically on the basis of the set video format, the specified bit rate
and the profile.

Coding quality This is the easiest way to set the ratio between coding duration and quality.
Select the setting which best suits your needs.

Hardware Computers sometimes require a lot of time to process videos and images. You

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Acceleration can offload compute-intensive processes to your graphics card (GPU) or main
processor (CPU) to speed up decoding or encoding process.

■ CPU hardware: Activate this option if you have a powerful processor

installed on your computer and the CPU is more powerful than the graphics
processor. The corresponding processing step is performed by the main pro-
cessor and will be supported by the graphics card, if possible.
■ GPU hardware: Activate this option if you have a powerful graphics card
and the GPU is more powerful than the CPU. The corresponding processing
step is performed by the graphics card and reduces the load on the pro-
cessor. This is particularly useful for 4K videos. The graphics card's encoder
is used.
■ Software: The encoders provided are used. The complete encoding process
takes place on CPU, without graphics card support.

Smart Copy If this option is activated, unedited AVCHD material with hard cuts is transferred
without changes. This drastically accelerates the encoding process. The transfer
always takes place on the GOP borders is not frame-precise.

HRD (Hypo- When this option is activated, a virtual decoder checks the data stream for com-
thetical Refer- patibility with the video standard during the encoding process. This ensures that
ence Decoder) the generated video is compatible with various playback devices, but it also
slows down the encoding process.

Audio

Sample rate (Hz) Here you can set the sample rate for audio encoding.

Channels Determines the number of audio channels.

Stereo: 2 channels, one for left and one for right.

Bit rate (kBit/s) The desired bit rate is entered here.

Image

Interlace: Specifies whether the video is coded in frames or fields (in interlaced scanning, also

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"Interlaced").

■ Bottom field first: The video will be interlaced. The lower lines (Bottom field)
are used for the first field and upper lines for the second.
■ Top field first: The video will be interlaced. The upper lines (top field) are used
for the first field and the lower lines for the second.

HEVC Encoder
In the "Advanced Settings" you can make detailed adjustments to the HEVC data flow. The
advanced settings are divided into "Video", "Audio", and "Multiplexer". Below is an explanation of all
the settings that can be changed.

Open advanced settings: File > Export > Video as HEVC > Advanced

The preset values and status of the control element (locked/unlocked) depend on the selected
export preset.

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Video

Average bit The values entered here are applied to the video as an average as a guideline. The
rate (kBit/s) size of the video to be exported can only be approximated.

Maximum bit This is the maximum bit rate in the video stream, i.e. maximum number of bits,
rate (kBit/s) that may be transferred to the decoder. This parameter only takes effect in the
"Variable" bit rate mode.

CPB (coded The entered value specifies the maximum amount of storage space for an
picture buffer) encoded frame. Higher values can improve quality, but might also cause problems
during export. If export is aborted, lower this value.

Maximum Determines the maximum GOP length. High values mean improved compression.
GOP length Lower values create stronger security protection and enable improved access to
individual frames for processing the video.
A general rule: The shorter the GOP, the more compatible the generated video
file.

A good rule of thumb is to enter the frame rate as the GOP length.

GOP structure The GOP structure is the sequence of the various frames. At the beginning of a
GOP there is an I-Frame, at the end there are several B-Frames, followed by a P-
Frame. The sequence of B-Frames und P-Frames repeats until the end of the GOP.

Level HEVC defines various levels. The level determines which bit rate and resolution
are possible for the video. With the "Auto level" option, the encoder determines
the level automatically on the basis of the set video format, the specified bit rate
and the profile.

Coding quality This is the easiest way to set the ratio between coding duration and quality. Select
the setting which best suits your needs.

Hardware ■ CPU hardware: Activate this option if you have a powerful processor
Acceleration installed on your computer and the CPU is more powerful than the graphics
processor. The corresponding processing step is performed by the main pro-
cessor and will be supported by the graphics card, if possible.

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■ GPU hardware: Activate this option if you have a powerful graphics card and
the GPU is more powerful than the CPU. The corresponding processing step
is performed by the graphics card and reduces the load on the processor.
This is particularly useful for 4K videos. The graphics card's encoder is used.
■ Software: The encoders provided are used. The complete encoding process
takes place on CPU, without graphics card support.

Audio

Sample rate Here you can see the sample rate for audio encoding.

Bit rate (kBit/s) The desired bit rate is entered here.

Multiplexer

Streamable The generated video is suitable for live playback on websites.

Backup copies

Movie Studio lets you quickly and easily create backup copies of your entire project (including all
video objects, all effects, etc.). We recommend making regular backups, especially when working
with very large projects. Doing this will allow you to return to "old" versions of your project if, for
example, your hard drive crashes or there's a problem with your project. This function can be found
in the "File" menu.

Copying movies or project and media into folder

With this feature, you can put a complete Movie Studio arrangement, including all applied mul-
timedia files, into one folder. This is especially useful when you wish to reuse or archive such a pro-
ject later on or when the files can be found on multiple CDs so that on loading you continually have
to change CDs. Furthermore, the effect files used are saved in one folder with the other files.

If you select the option, "Copy disc project, movies, and media in folder", all movies in the current
disc project, including all of the related media, are put together, and then copied into the selected
folder.

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The program also supports DV logging. You no longer need (under the circumstances) to save
large DV-AVI and audio files, since Movie Studio saves the position of this material on the DV
tape and imports missing files automatically when reloading the DV tape.

A dialog opens where you can specify the path and name of the video.

» Keyboard shortcut

Restore project from video disc

This command restores a project backup that has been saved on a disc.

To do this, in the "Burn"interface, go to "BURN DVD" > "ADD FILES..." AND SELECT AND ADD
THE BACK UP PROJECT. > Burn to disc.

You can choose which of the movies contained on the disc should be restored by selecting it in the
list. You also need to indicate the folder where the project should be saved. A subfolder "Backupxx"
will be created in this folder where all project files from the disc will be saved. All of the restored
movies will be loaded into Movie Studio for editing.

If you select the option RESTORE IMAGE FILES ONLY, only the original image files contained on
the disc are restored.

Load backup project

All backups saved by Movie Studio are listed in a dialog and can be restored. This type of automatic
backup gets the file extension MV_ (underscore).

This option is useful in emergencies, e.g. if the program crashes or you unintentionally saved your
changes during editing and wish to return to the previous version of the movie.

Under "File > Settings > Program..." you can determine how often an automatic backup will be
created in the "System" tab under "Automatic backup".

Cleaning Wizard

The Cleaning Wizard helps delete disc images and entire projects from the hard drive, including all of
the media files used.

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Use this function to free up disk space for future projects.

Caution: If the files you used in the film (such as trailers, opening music, etc.) are ones you have
used in other films, you should make copies of these files beforehand.

Delete certain files: Choose this option if you would like to select certain files for deletion. You can
select the files you want to delete in the file selection dialog. In the next step, the Cleaning Wizard
searches for other files which belong to your selection. Using this method, you can delete an entire
movie with all of its accompanying media, help, project, and backup files. Before deleting the files,
you will receive relevant information in a dialog and will also be asked to confirm deletion.

Find and delete unnecessary files: Choose this option if you want to find unnecessary files or free
up some space on your hard drive. The Cleaning Wizard then automatically looks for extraneous
files created while using Movie Studio that are no longer needed. Before deleting the files, you will
receive additional information in a dialog and will also be asked to confirm deletion.

Under Advanced you can define which files and folders should be included in the cleaning process.

Optimize performance

This section covers how to optimize performance to ensure an efficient and smooth experience
when editing your videos. It addresses actions and settings that aim to improve speed, stability, and
effectiveness, and minimize possible judder, lag, or overload. There are various settings and options
that you can adjust to optimize performance:

Reduce preview quality

You can lower the preview quality by, for example, reducing the resolution or frame rate. This helps
real-time preview play back more smoothly.

Use proxy editing

Using these proxy files during editing improves performance.

Optimize cache settings for multicam mode

Check the cache settings in the Video Pro X program settings. You can limit the amount of cache
space or have the cache automatically cleared for optimal performance.

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Activate GPU acceleration

If you have a powerful graphics card, you can enable GPU acceleration in the program settings of
Video Pro X. This outsources specific processing to the GPU and increases the speed of editing.

Check for updates and drivers

Make sure that you are using the latest version of Movie Studio and that your graphics card drivers
are up-to-date. Updates and driver updates may include performance improvements and bug fixes.

MORE INFORMATION
» Program settings
» Movie and project settings
» Preview rendering
» Using proxy files, proxy editing

Preview rendering

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

With Movie Studio, you can pre-render specific sections of your movie. This is especially useful if
smooth playback is not possible due to the applied effects and transitions. The advantage versus the
option "Combine audio and video" in the "Edit" menu is that all of the objects will be maintained in
the project. The rendered material will only be played in the background when the playback marker
reaches the corresponding position.

Preview rendering is available in timeline mode and multicam mode.

Note about multicam mode: Only the source tracks will be rendered, not the target tracks.

Movie Studio offers two options:

■ It can automatically indicate all sections that can be rendered.

■ Or, alternatively, you can indicate the section that should be pre-rendered manually.

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Automatic preview rendering

When using automatic preview rendering, you don't have to think about which sections could be
affected. Movie Studio analyzes your computer's performance and determines which sections can
be considered for preview rendering.

To perform automatic preview rendering, proceed as follows:

1. Click on the preview rendering button in front of the timeline.

Movie Studio will then analyze which sections should be pre-rendered.

A dialog will appear, indicating how many areas have been located:

These sections will be additionally marked in the Movie Studio timeline using red bars.

2. Select "Yes" in the dialog to start preview rendering.

The red bars will appear green after preview rendering is over. If you make changes in the pre-
rendered section, it will appear red again and will have to be updated.
3. If you choose "No" instead, you can still conduct preview rendering later.

Manual preview rendering

In manual preview rendering you first have to select a range that contains problems with hanging,
choppy preview playback.

1. Place an in and out point above the range to be rendered.

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2. Finally, click on the "Preview rendering" button. A preview rendering dialog will appear.

3. Selected "Section".

The preselected range will now be rendered. After rendering, a green line appears in the timeline to
symbolize that this range has been rendered.

The section will remain green as long as no further changes are made to it. The green line will then
turn red and can be updated again.

Update preview rendering

Preview rendering is effective only as long as no changes are made to the pre-rendered area. You
can recognize a prerendered area from the green bars appearing above it on the timeline. As soon as
an object in the section has been edited, the green bar will turn red. You can update this section at
any time.

1. To do this, place the playback marker inside the section to be updated.

2. Click on the "Preview rendering" button.
3. In the preview rendering dialog select "Section" in order to update just the section selected by
the playback marker.
If you select "All", all non-rendered (red) sections will be rendered.

Using proxy files, proxy editing

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

If performance deteriorates and playback becomes shaky due to hardware limitations, hi-res source
material or very complex projects, it is recommended to use proxy files for editing. Lower resolution

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copies of the original file in a format that is better for playback are created and used for the editing
process. The original files in a higher resolution are then used for the export process by default.

Create proxy files

This feature is disabled by default. When this option is activated, proxy files will automatically be cre-
ated for all video files imported to the project window project folder. Proxy files are not created for
the preview on the program monitor.

■ Enable the CREATE PROXY FILES AUTOMATICALLY option under FILE > SETTINGS >
MOVIE. > GENERAL MOVIE SETTINGS.

The rendering process can be canceled by pressing the Esc key.

Notes:

■ Make sure there is sufficient memory available if proxy files are going to be created.
■ It is not possible to create proxy files on an FAT file system (such as on an SD card) so the
source material for proxy files should be saved on an NTFS drive (Windows standard).

Use proxy files generated

■ Right-click on the button in the program monitorUSE PROXY OBJECTS to use proxy
files.

This is useful during proxy editing if you want to quickly check how an effect will look on the original
material.

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IMPORT AND ORGANIZE MEDIA

To create your movies, it is necessary to import your media files, such as videos, images, and audio
files, into the project. In this section, you'll learn how to use the Media Pool to insert media, how to
include stock content, and how to import media from different recording devices. From cameras to
audio recordings to screen recordings, you have several options for including media.

Option 1: Insert media using the Media Pool

If you choose to insert media through the Media Pool, you have a one-stop location for importing
your video clips, images, and audio files into your project. Additionally, the MediaPool offers you the
option to include stock content, such as pre-produced videos, graphics, and sound effects, in your
project.

Option 2: Using the recording function

Using the recording feature, you can import media directly from various recording devices, whether
you want to record from an AVCHD camera, microphone, webcam, VHS recorder, or any other
source.

Which media files can be imported?

Video AVI, DV-AVI, MJPEG, MKV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AV1, MOV, WMV

Audio MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA

Image BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIF, TGA, HEIF

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Make sure you choose the proper file format for your needs. Check that the file format is sup-
ported by the software and that it has the required quality and resolution for your project. For
example, if you need high resolution or a higher frame rate, you should choose a file format that
meets those specifications. Otherwise, you may experience issues such as delays, distortion, or
pixelation in the final video. That's why it's important to understand the requirements of your pro-
ject in advance and choose the appropriate file format. Additionally, it's important to understand
that the quality of your media files has a significant impact on the final quality of your video. For
example, importing low-quality media files can result in blurry or pixelated videos, even if you
perform all the necessary editing. Consequently, it's recommended that you use high-quality
media files to ensure that your finished video has good quality video and audio.

Movie settings

Export movie (for advanced users)

If you import media to a project, Movie Studio must always have access to these files. This
means that you cannot rename these files, e.g. in Windows Explorer or Media Pool, if they have
already been imported because Movie Studio won't be able to find them. Renaming or relocating
files can lead to error messages and you will have to specify the files and folders again.

Adding media
VIA THE MEDIA POOL

The Media Pool can be used to import media files of all types: videos, photos, MP3 songs, audio CD
tracks, etc.

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FIGURE Media Pool

1. Open the IMPORT tab in the Media Pool.

2. Navigate to the media folder you want to use.

The Media Pool displays the data on your hard drive. If you delete data here, you will not
be able to find it again using Windows Explorer.

3. If you hover the cursor over a media file, three icons for the options (Preview, Trim, Import)
will appear.

Click on the playback icon to play back the file. Video and image files are displayed
Pre- in the preview monitor, and audio files through the sound card. You can also pre-
view view the templates included in the program.

Trim- You can define an import range on the preview monitor using buttons for the in
ming and out-point and then import it.

Click the Import icon to load the selected media completely into the project win-
dow. When importing using the import button, the insert mode that is currently set
Import will be used.
Paste modes

4. Click the playback icon to preview your selected media.

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Video and image files will be displayed in the program monitor, and audio files will be played
by the sound card. You can also preview the templates included in the program.
5. You now have several options for inserting the object into the project:

I. Click the Import icon to load the selected media completely into the project window.
When importing using the import button, the insert mode that is currently set will be
used.
II. Drag and drop the object to the location you want in the project window.

Already imported media

You can identify all the files you have already imported into your project via the red square in the
upper left corner.

Add multiple files

1. While holding down Ctrl key, click on all the files you want to use.
2. Drag and drop all selected files to the location you want in the project window.

You can define a destination track for importing the objects. Click on the track header to select a
track. All objects you import will now be inserted into the selected track. Clicking again on the
selected destination track disables this function.

Import audio objects

To view and select audio objects in the project, Timeline mode must be active.

Multiple audio tracks

Movie Studio also loads VOB files that contain multiple audio tracks.

» After the VOB file loads, simply click the audio object created and select the audio track you want.

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Importing individual scenes from videos

If you have a long video and want to use only a specific portion of it in your project, you can trim the
clip before importing it. Trimming is a process in which you cut or remove a specific portion of a
video to keep only the section you want for your project.

1. Select a file:

■ Double-click it in the Media Pool

■ Clicking the middle icon in the Media Pool
(the icon appear as soon as the mouse pointer points to a file in the Media Pool).
The file will load to the preview monitor and can be played back there using the transport con-
trols.
2. Play back the selected file in the preview monitor and determine the range you want to use in
the project.
3. Set the range edges (in point and out point):

■ Move the range edges by holding down the mouse button.

- or -

■ Position the play marker above the transport control at the beginning of the range and
click the "Set in point" button.

Position the playback marker at the end of the range and click the "Set out point" button.

- or -
■ Set the range edges with the keyboard shortcuts.

● I = in point (range start)

● O = out point (range end)

You can also set the range edges with the keyboard during playback. This keyboard short-
cut is especially useful when setting precise positions with the shuttle and jog wheel.

4. Click the button to play back the range (shortcut: #). to check the range.

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Result: The set range will be played back in the monitor.

5. Click on the image in the monitor and drag it into the track in the project window by holding
down the mouse button.
6. If you want to load several ranges from the same video file, repeat steps 3 and 4 until all
desired ranges have been applied.

Move range borders

All range limits can be moved by holding down the mouse button and dragging.

Adding stock content (Magix Content)

Magix Content gives users access to an extensive library of over one million items of royalty-free
content, including:

■ Video content (stock footage, animations and visual effects)

■ Audio content (song archives and audio effects)

The MAGIX Content library offers an unlimited selection of HD videos and audio files that are avail-
able for use without restrictions. Thanks to our collaboration with Storyblocks, you have access to all
content for any project, for an unlimited period of time – without having to worry about usage rights.

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You require a subscription to download content.

For more information on subscriptions, please visit our website: https://www.ma-

gix.com/de/support/abo-service/

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

How to access MAGIX Content

1. In the Media Pool, click on MAGIX HUB.
Alternatively, click in the main menu on FILE > MAGIX HUB.
2. Log in to your MAGIX account (when opening MAGIX Content for the first time).
3. Click on STOCK CONTENT.

Search for content

There are several options for searching for specific content and filtering the results.

1. Select the type of media for which you want to search.

2. Enter a search term in the field and click Enter to start the search.

Click the magnifying glass in the empty search field to filter all content.

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You can enter BPM values for audio files and pixel size for video files so that only files with
a specific tempo or resolution appear in the search results.

3. You can narrow your search results further according to:

■ Content type
■ Details
■ Duration (minimum and maximum length)
■ Frame rate (video only)
■ Categories (audio only)
4. Click on the house icon to return to the start page.

Displaying and using content

1. Show preview:

1. To preview an audio file, click on its waveform.

The file will then start playing.
2. To preview a video file, double-click the video thumbnail, then click on PLAY.

2. Download content:

I. Click the DOWNLOAD button and from the list that appears, select the file format and
the resolution in the case of videos.
For more information on changing the download folder, see the Program settings.
II. Close the window once downloading is complete.

All downloaded content can be found under MEDIA POOL > IMPORT> MAGIX CONTENT.

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As part of your subscription, every 31 days you'll receive 10 files that you can download for
unlimited use.

Add content to favorites

If, while browsing the content library, you come across files you like or want to use for future pro-
jects, you can mark them as favorites. This feature is particularly useful if you have already exceeded
your download quota or if you want to pre-select content before downloading the files.

» Click the heart symbol to mark the content as a favorite.

Show favorites

» Click on the heart in the search box to view all your saved favorites.

Show downloads
You can view all the content you have downloaded here:

■ Media Pool > MAGIX Hub > Stock Content

Click on the download icon in the search box to open the list.

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■ Media Pool > Import > Folder MAGIX Hub

Recording

Movie Studio offers you the ability to record videos and audio files directly using connected cameras
or microphones. Furthermore, you can import existing media files from your computer or external
storage devices into a project. The recording dialog also enables you to record content directly from
your screen, which is particularly useful if you want to create tutorials or demonstrations.

FIGURE Recording dialog

To start a recording:

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1. Click on the red in the transport controls of the in the program monitor.
This opens the recording dialog
AlternativeIn the main menu, click FILE RECORD AUDIO/IMAGES/VIDEO.
2. Select the desired mode in the upper area 1.
3. Click the RECORD button in the middle area 2.

1 Record mode

Camera
Record videos or pictures from a webcam or video recording device.

Screen
Record your entire screen or a selected window.

Record audio using the default Windows audio recording device.

Audio

2 Recording

If you have selected record mode, you can start and stop your recording here. You can also specify
the location and name under which you want to save your recordings. Change the recording path
and file name as follows:

» Click the icon. By default, the file name of the recording consists of the date and time, unless
you manually change it.

3 Available recordings

All recordings that you have created while the dialog is open are listed here. As soon as you close
the recording dialog, the recordings are transferred to the project.

» Click the button to show or hide the list of recordings.

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4 Previous recording options

The functions you are already familiar with from previous versions of Movie Studio can be used here.
Additionally, you can specify further settings before recording.

AVCHD import

Audio recording

Screen recording

Single frame capture

Transferring recordings from an HDV camera with Firewire

Transferring recordings from an DV camera with Firewire

Record DV as MPEG

analog recording

Burn directly onto DVD

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Recording AVCHD

The description in this section refers to the recording function before the updates in version
2025. This function can still be accessed and advanced settings are available.

» Click the corresponding button in lower area of the record dialog to access this function.

More information about Recording dialog

When importing from AVCHD/SD card/USB, files created by the camera will be copied to the com-
puter. In addition to standard removable storage devices, "MTP" devices are also supported. MTP is
short for "Media Transfer Protocol" and refers to the transfer protocol of media devices such as
photo cameras, video cameras and MP3 players.

If a less powerful computer is used, it may be helpful to transform AVCHD files upon import to a
MPEG-2 format. A corresponding query appears during importing of these files.

When importing AVCHD videos it is necessary to activate the MPEG-4 codec and download an
audio package upgrade if necessary. Movie Studio offers this option as soon as a codec is
required.

Refer to the camera's instruction manual for the proper procedure.

After selecting the import, the following dialogue will open:

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1 Video source: Here you specify the hard drive that will be used to access the storage
medium or connected camera.
2 Save in following folder: Create a target folder for the files to be imported.

3 Advanced settings: Adjust various settings for the name and date of the files to be created.

4 Select: This offers self-explanatory options for file display ("all", "only new", or "none").

5 Preview monitor and transport control: Here you can play back, rewind or fast forward clips
in the file list.
6 Medium/General: An info area for the files is provided to the right next to the preview mon-
itor.
7 Options for displaying files, here you can also specify the criteria which will be used to sort
the files.
8 File list: The contents of the selected drive are shown here. Use the display filters (10) to
scale down the display of the file types shown. You can select every file separately using the
little check boxes in order to import them later.

The files are color-coded. The same colors indicate roughly the same recording times, so
that you can quickly recognize which recordings were made at the same time. Color
assignments come with a certain "intelligence", which means they take into account how
far apart the displayed recordings are chronologically.

9 Import: Imports the selected file to the target folder.

Cancel: Closes the dialog without importing.

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10 Display filter: The display filter can be used to define whether certain files should be hidden.
When you uncheck a box, the corresponding files will be hidden.

■ Videos: Hides all video files.

■ Photos: Hide all photo files.
■ Selected files: All files selected for import will be hidden. Only the files which have not
been selected will be displayed.
■ Not selected files: All files which have not been selected will be hidden. This is useful if
you want to check your selection before importing.
■ Imported files: All files which have already been imported by Movie Studio from the spe-
cified device will be hidden.
11 Import options: Here you can define what happens after importing.

■ Insert into movie: The media will be directly inserted as an object into the open movie.
When inactive, they will be simply copied into the target folder and can be selected from
the Media Pool at any time.
■ Delete all media after camera import: This option deletes the selected media after
importing from the camera.
■ Close dialog after import: The dialog closes as soon as the import has finished.

DV camera / HDV camera

The description in this section refers to the recording function before the updates in version
2025. This function can still be accessed and advanced settings are available.

» Click the corresponding button in lower area of the record dialog to access this function.

More information about Recording dialog

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Connect a DV or HDV camera

1. Connect the digital output of the switched-off camera with the computer's DV interface (also
called FireWire or iLink).
2. Insert a DV cassette or the storage device into the camera.
3. Switch your camera's operating mode to "Video recorder" or "Playback".
The camera is now ready to transfer video to the computer.

You may also use a HDV camera in DV mode to, for example, transfer recordings in the old DV
format. Problems have been noted with this mode in many cameras, therefore it is recom-
mended that the Record mode of the camera is also switched to DV, switching the camera off
and then on again.

Capturing from DV video recorders or cameras

If you want record using the more space-saving MPEG format, record the "Record DV as MPEG"
option in the recording dialog. Uncompressed DV capture requires approx. 220 MB per minute
of video.

1. Check to see if a DV camera driver has been selected.

2. Name the recording and specify a storage location.
3. You can access the appropriate place on the camcorder tape by using the remote control but-
tons: Shuttle forwards, backwards, and start/stop playback.

4. Click on the "Record" button to start recording . Take note of your remaining hard drive
space.
5. Stop recording with the "Stop" button and exit the record dialog.
You can see the recording in the project window in the lower third of the screen.

In the DV recording dialog, you can set clips from the DV video which will then be recorded one
after the other (batch capturing). Find out more under "Batch recording".

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Dialog elements

Select DV device driver: This is where the driver for your DV device is displayed. When "Audio
Recording" is deactivated, only video without sound is recorded.
"Audio preview" activates the audio output of the recording.

The audio preview is always deactivated at first, since DV cameras

usually include built-in speakers.

Save video file as/Save in You can enter the name of the movie to be recorded here. You may
the following file also select the folder where you wish to store your video file. The
default recording folder is set as standard, but you can change this in
the path settings under "File > Program settings > Folder".

Edit after recording Here you can access the automatic editing options.

Start the device auto- Starts the DV recorder or DV camera automatically when the "Record"
matically button is pressed. This does not function with all digital cards/video
devices.

Video preview You can see a preview of your movie on the program monitor.

Original size This option allows you to preview the video in the original size, and
where applicable fullscreen mode. To return to the dialog use the "Esc"
key.

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Record list: Here the start and end points can be set for the cap-
ture. This allows you to search the entire video for
all captures to be used and list them for planned
capture. This is processed in sequence when the
recording starts (via the red button). That way you
do not need to record each scene individually. You
simply determine recording time points, and the
computer takes care of the rest. To set the start and
end points precisely, click "ENTER START/END
POINT"

Use this button to view the available list of already recorded videos
and scheduled recordings. All entries from the list can be selected
and deleted. All entries can be selected and deleted.
Every batch recording is automatically logged. Conversely, every
"manual" DV and HDV recording is transferred into the recording list
in order to restore lost recordings without much effort.

Batch recording Here the start and end points can be set for the capture. This allows
you to search the entire video for all captures to be used and list them
for planned capture. This is processed in sequence when the recording
starts (via the red button). That way you do not need to record each
scene individually. You simply determine recording time points, and
the computer takes care of the rest. To set the start and end points pre-
cisely, click "Enter start/end point".

Record Starts the capturing process. Also contains the list of scheduled record-
ings. These are processed step-by-step (batch capturing).

Stop The recording process is stopped.

Snapshot This will create a frozen image directly from the program monitor.
Start the camcorder and watch the preview window. When the image
you want appears click "Snapshot". Or you can navigate using the
remote control to the position you want, and stop there in Pause

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mode. Stopped playback on the DV camera will not deliver an image.

The images are saved in the record directory as graphics files in the set
resolution.

Remote control

Digital camcorders can be controlled remotely by Movie Studio. This does not function with all
digital cards/video devices. If your hardware does not support the remote control function, the but-
tons will not be usable.

The necessary transport buttons can be found in the DV or HDV recording dialog.

Tape ID: Enter a name for your tape here. Movie Studio requires this name for the DV log-
ging feature.

Recording Displays various data regarding your captured video.

information

Enter Enter the exact start and end point or the recording length for a scene. Both values
start/end can be entered as ATN (absolute track number) or as a timecode in
point:
hours:minutes:seconds:frames.

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Analog video recording

The description in this section refers to the recording function before the updates in version
2025. This function can still be accessed and advanced settings are available.

» Click the corresponding button in lower area of the record dialog to access this function.

More information about Recording dialog

This option allows a video recording to be made from analog sources.

Connect analog video source

Connect the video out of your video camera, DVD player or VCR to the video in (TV, video, or video-
in graphics card) of your computer, and the audio out to the line in of your sound card.

Due to the variety of device configurations, it is difficult to say which cable will function best with
your setup. If you’re not sure, check the manual of your VCR or your TV, video or graphics cards.

Example: Many VCRs have a SCART output and most DVD players have three RCA outputs (two
for the stereo track, one for the image). In such cases, you will need a SCART to RCA adapter, a
cable with 3 RCA plugs at each end.

SCART/RCA SCART/RCA Stereo

adapter adapter with 3 RCA/mini
RCA jacks phone jack
adapter

Most sound card inputs are mini stereo jacks. To connect the audio out of your VHS recorder to the
sound card audio in, you will need a stereo RCA to 3.5 mm mini jack adapter.

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You will have to purchase a cable with three RCA plugs and a stereo RCA/mini phone plug adapter.

Recording dialog

Video/audio drivers: Set the video card or sound card for recording here. In practically every case
the driver software supplied with the hardware must be installed.

Input/tuner settings: If your video capture card supports multiple sources, i.e. your card also has a
TV tuner or multiple inputs (SVHS, composite, etc.), then you can select the proper recording source
and the TV channel to be recorded here.

Save video file as/save in following folder: Enter the name of the movie to be recorded. You may
also select the folder where you wish to store your video file. The standard recording folder is set as
default. The location of this folder may be changed via "Path settings" under "File > Program settings
> Folders".

Edit after recording: Use this to access the automatic editing options.

Recording quality: The list box enables you to select various predefined levels of recording quality,
e.g. depending on the purpose of the image material and computer performance. These are sorted
according to picture quality. Use the configuration tool to fine-tune the quality for the preset. Presets
you have created yourself appear in this list as long as you use the default folder provided as the
save location.

■ Presets displayed with MPEG record directly in MPEG format.

■ The preset "AVI: user-defined" enables AVI videos to be recorded via the codecs included with
Movie Studio. There are several codecs for various applications, e.g. "MSU Screencapture Loss-
less Codec", which is used for screen capturing. Please also see the general information
provided on AVI video.

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Tip: Use the presets marked MPEG if you want to burn your recordings straight away, since
smart encoding helps omit laborious encoding after recording.

Advanced...: Opens the video driver settings dialog.

Capture controls: This provides access to the "Red" record and "Stop" buttons. These start and stop
recording.

Timer recordings active/time limit: Specify the recording start time and length to turn your PC into
a fully functioning VCR.

Snapshot!: This will create a still shot directly from the program monitor. The images are saved in
the recordings folder as graphics files in the resolution you have set.

Recording information: This shows statistical information such as the recording time, available
space on the hard drive, the recorded frames, and the "dropped" frames. Dropped frames are frames
that have been left out because the computer is too slow for the selected image format and record-
ing quality and cannot accept all incoming frames.

Preview: Some graphics adapters allow you to reduce the system load by deactivating the video pre-
view. If you hear an "echo", deactivate the audio preview.

Advanced configurations in the video capturing dialog

These dialog boxes, so-called "property sheets", come with the video card drivers. These driver-spe-
cific performance properties may deviate depending on the cards. We also have a very limited influ-
ence on the behavior of these drivers. If you encounter any difficulties, please contact the video card
manufacturer and ask for the latest driver updates.

Input: Sets up the video card's so-called "crossbar".

The crossbar determines which video and audio input signal will be recorded. The crossbars are con-
nected in series to the video recording chip itself. In the output field, the video output (for the cross-
bars) is the input for the recording chip (video or audio decoder-in) of the video card. In the "Input"
field, select the signal source that will be used by the video card to capture for this input. Many video
cards have separate crossbars for audio and video. If you have a problem, try out the different con-
figurations until the right sound matches the right image.

■ Composite in = the regular video input (i.e. RCA jack)

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■ S-video = S-video input (mini-din jack)

■ SVHS-in = SVHS input (special cable)

■ Tuner-in = TV signal of the integrated tuner

Image settings

Video decoder: If the picture only appears in black & white or it flickers, the video standard may be
set incorrectly. In mainland Europe, PAL_B is used.

VideoProcAmp: Fine-adjustment of colors, brightness, contrast etc. We recommend against chan-

ging any of the manufacturer’s settings.

Format: Please do not change anything here. The recording format is set in the "Recording quality"
option in the video recording dialog.

Station selection

This option is only available if a TV tuner is integrated into your video card.

Audio

The description in this section refers to the recording function before the updates in version
2025. This function can still be accessed and advanced settings are available.

» Click the corresponding button in lower area of the record dialog to access this function.

More information about Recording dialog

Songs, noises or instruments can be easily recorded in Movie Studio using the audio recording func-
tion. A hooked-up microphone or various audio devices (especially a stereo system) can be used as
recording sources.

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Connecting the recording sources

First, the recording source must be connected to the computer. There are several possibilities
depending on the equipment you are using:

■ If you would like to import music from a stereo system, use your sound card's line-in input. If
the stereo system amplifier comes with separate line-out or AUX out connectors, they should
be used. In this case, they have to be connected to the computer's line-in. Hi-fi amplifiers usu-
ally have RCA (composite) connectors and the computer has mini stereo connectors. You need
to then get a suitable cable with two small RCA (composite) connectors and a mini stereo jack.
■ If the amplifier comes without separate outputs (other than the speaker connectors), you can
also use the headphone jack for recording. Normally, you will require a cable with stereo or mini
stereo jacks. This type of connection has the advantage of a separate volume control to set the
headphone input signal level. However, headphone jacks are often not very high-quality. For
this reason, you should use line-out outputs whenever possible.
■ To record cassettes from a tape deck, connect the tape deck’s line-outs directly to the com-
puter's line-in.
■ When recording LPs, the record player's outputs should not be connected directly to the com-
puter because the phono signal has to be pre-amplified. In this case, connecting through the
headphone jack or an external preamp is recommended. Some record players also have normal
line-out connections.
■ If you would like to make recordings with a microphone, connect it to the computer using the
microphone input (usually a red jack).

Adjusting the signal level

Adjusting the signal level to the sound card is also recommend to get the best sound quality when
recording digitally.

Once a recording source is connected to the sound card, the Record button opens the recording dia-
log and starts the recording source.

You can now adjust the recording level with the help of the LED display in the recording dialog. For
this, you must first check off "Show levels".

If the adjustment is set too high, distortion occurs and the incoming signal must be reduced. If you
have connected the source through either an amplifier or tape deck output to the sound card, you

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can only reduce the signal level in your sound card’s software mixer interface. You can access the
mixer directly from within the recording dialog via the "Recording level" button.

If you reduce input sensitivity by using the input fader, the resolution at which the analog signal is
digitized is also reduced. Try to set these automatic controllers to the loudest sound level possible!

The loudest part of the material is the yardstick for an optimal level. The loudest part should be adjus-
ted to the maximum. The actual recording begins when you press the "Record" button. At the end of
the recording you will be asked if you want to use the recording. Upon confirmation, the newly-recor-
ded material will be placed in the next free track at the position of the start maker in the project.

Normalize after recording: This option raises your material to the correct volume level after record-
ing is completed. In order to achieve good audio results, you should try to record the source as loud
as possible without overmodulating it. The Peak Meter display here helps in the recording dialog.

Audio driver: Selects the sound card for the recording.

Save audio file as.../Save in the following folder: Here you can enter the title of the audio file you
wish to record. You can also select the folder where you wish to store your file.

Recording quality: Sets the sound quality of the recording. In the preset menu you can choose
between AM Tuner, FM Radio, CD Audio, and DAT (Digital Audio Tape).

Display volume control (Monitor): The volume control (peak meter) to monitor the strength of the
input signal. Please read more on this in the section "Adjusting levels".

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Record: This button starts the actual recording.

Stop: Click this button to stop recording

Play while recording: This option is particularly important for spoken commentary and the like. If
activated, the selected movie (or selected scene if recorded in Edit screen) is played while recording.
This acts as orientation for the film.

Advanced: Use this button to open a window containing a selection of three special functions.

Included in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio:

Mono recording: This can be activated to record in mono. This reduces the required memory space
in half. Mono recordings are recommended for voice recordings made using only one standard mono
microphone.

Real-time sample rate adjustment: Automatically matches the sample rate of a new file to be recor-
ded with the sample rate of the current movie's sound track (set in the video recording).

Ducking (reducing the sound volume): To add narration or other sound material to a video that
already has sound volume levels set, activate the option "Automatic reduction of sound volume of
remaining audio tracks". This automatically reduces the volume of audio objects in the project during
the recording session ("ducking"). This is achieved using an automatically configured volume curve:
Before and after the recording other tracks will be faded in or out, resulting in a homogeneous total
volume level. (Lowering of volume level during spoken comments is also called "Ducking".)

Single frame

The description in this section refers to the recording function before the updates in version
2025. This function can still be accessed and advanced settings are available.

» Click the corresponding button in lower area of the record dialog to access this function.

More information about Recording dialog

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Single frame recording may be used to record snapshots from the connected video source. This
requires a DirectShow compatible video recording or TV card or a corresponding USB device (e.g. a
webcam).

The time control function allows you to automatically take snapshots. Here are just a few examples
of where it might used:

■ Create photo stories from videos

■ for animation films (stop-motion recording),
■ for video surveillance,
■ or in time-lapse photography.

The recorded images are added to the opened project.

Video source: You may set the video card used to take pictures here.

Save image as: Enter the title of the snapshot to be recorded here. Snapshots are saved under this
name and numbered consecutively. You can also select the file path for storage.

Recording quality: Set the resolution for the recording here. This corresponds with the resolution
options offered on the camera. Use the slider to set the image quality. Using higher resolutions res-
ults in larger file sizes for each recording. Simply press "Reset" to return to the preset image quality.

Advanced...: Opens the video driver settings dialog.

Camera noise during recording: This causes the program to play a clicking sound each time a snap-
shot is taken for monitoring purposes.

Recording controls: The red record button triggers a snapshot or alternatively a series of recordings
when using the time control function.

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Time Control

Recording interval: When active, starting recording produces a sequence of images. Snapshots are
saved according to the selected time interval and numbered sequentially. For example, if snapshots
are taken every two seconds and then inserted every five frames into the slideshow, then a ten-times
time lapse recording will result.

Photo Length in Frames: Specifies how long the photos appear in the slideshow.

Advanced settings in the single-frame recording dialog

Here you can adjust certain settings for the video recording driver. These dialog boxes, so-called
"Property Sheets", come with the video card drivers. The driver-specific features may slightly vary
from driver to driver. The MAGIX team has little direct influence on the performance of the various
drivers. If you encounter any difficulties, please also contact the video card manufacturer for the
latest driver updates.

Input: Sets the crossbar of the video card. This lets you define which video and audio input signal is
used in the recording. The crossbars are connected in series to the video recording chip itself, in the
output field, the video output (for the crossbars) is the input for the recording chip (Video or Audio
Decoder In) of the video card. In the "Input" field, select the signal source that will be used by the
video card to capture for this input.

■ Composite in = the regular video input (i.e. RCA jack)

■ SVHS-in = SVHS input (special cable)

■ Tuner In = the TV signal of the built-in tuner

Video Decoder: If the picture only appears in black & white or it flickers, the video standard may be
set to the wrong standard. In mainland Europe, PAL_B is used.

VideoProcAmp: Fine-adjustment of colors, brightness, contrast etc. We recommend against chan-

ging any of the manufacturer’s settings.

Format: Do not change anything here! The recording format settings can be changed under Res-
olution in the Recording dialog box.

Screen Recording

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

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The description in this section refers to the recording function before the updates in version
2025. This function can still be accessed and advanced settings are available.

» Click the corresponding button in lower area of the record dialog to access this function.

More information about Recording dialog

Use screen capturing to record everything that moves on your monitor. This process is called
"screen capturing".

Under Recording quality, you will find various presets for different applications. You can either
record the entire monitor ("fullscreen"), a frame of variable size (e.g. to film the Windows Media
Player display), or a different video player. Click "Configuration" to make custom size adjustments.

Since many video players work with overlay, it is recommended to open each player before you
start recording. This way switching into "Overlay" mode can be prevented.

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Use the fullscreen presets under "Recording quality". This will use MXV format, a codec which is
particularly suitable for screen capture.

■ Click the "Record" button in the recording dialog. An additional dialog with a red record button,
a black stop button as well as a frame with dashed bordering appears.
■ Activate "Record mouse pointer" to record the movements of the mouse pointer.
■ If desired, deactivate "Animate mouse click" if this should not be visually recorded.

■ Now select the screen area you wish to record, i.e. the screen of the video player in which the
video is playing. Drag the frame over the area you wish to record and adjust its size as required
by dragging the edges and corners.

If you selected "fullscreen", the frame will appear outside the visible area.

■ The actual recording process can be started by pressing the red record button. The recording
starts; the record symbol appears in the task bar (tray).
■ Once the video you wanted to record has come to an end, click on the "Record/Stop" button to
stop the recording. Recording ends and the recording dialog is visible once again.

Edit after recording

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

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The description in this section refers to the recording function before the updates in version
2025. This function can still be accessed and advanced settings are available.

» Click the corresponding button in lower area of the record dialog to access this function.

More information about Recording dialog

The "Edit after recording" dialog can be opened from the "HDV camera", "DV camera" and "Video"
recording dialogs:

■ Automatic scene recognition: This divides the footage into scenes. Please also read the section
"Automatic scene recognition".
■ Automatically set chapter markers: Please also read the section "Set chapter marker auto-
matically".

Burn project immediately after recording: You can use this option to record and burn to a disc in a
single step. Simply select the format you would like to burn, insert a suitable blank disc into the drive,
and press record.

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Make sure that the selected preset corresponds to the disc type (for DVDs, the preset is "MPEG
DVD").

If you use your own settings for MPEG encoding (e.g. half image resolution for long-play DVDs)
make sure that settings for recording and later for burning are the same so that no new encoding is
necessary (Smart encoding).

After recording, the program automatically switches to the "Burn" screen, the burn window opens
and the disc is burned. The last set layout is used for the menu layout for the DVD.

This function is particularly suitable for handling lengthy projects in one go. You can start record-
ing in the evening and have the finished DVD by morning.

Export for mobile device: The recorded movie is immediately converted into the format of the selec-
ted mobile device and transferred. The preset in the list field is the device which has been selected in
the Export video/audio dialog.

Settings: Opens the Export settings for the selected target device.

Upload and share files (beta)

MEDIA SHARE IN THE HUB EXPLORER

In Hub Explorer, you can easily upload your media to the cloud, regardless of whether it's from your
computer or a mobile device. Organize your files in folders and share them with other collaborators.
Invite people to view your files or upload files yourself to use them in your projects.

EXAMPLE
■ Collect media across platforms: Invite contributors to upload media files directly to your

cloud.
■ Collaborative editing: Share media files for collaborative editing or review.

Create folder
1. In the MEDIA POOL, click on MAGIX HUB | HUB EXPLORER.
2. Click on + NEW FOLDER and enter a name.

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Delete folder

» In the HUB EXPLORER, click on the button with the three dots | DELETE.
Uploading files
You can upload files from your computer or other device to your Hub Cloud.

» First, click on the folder in the HUB EXPLORER.

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Uploading files from your computer

■ Move the desired files using drag and drop from your Windows Explorer folder into the HUB
Explorer area.

- or -

■ Click on the + button and select the media in the OPEN dialog. Click OPEN.

Uploading files from mobile devices

FIGURE Mobile device view

1. In the HUB EXPLORER, click on the folder's QR code to enlarge it.

2. Open the camera app on your mobile device and scan the QR code.
3. Follow the instructions on your mobile device to go to the URL supplied by the QR code.
This opens your device's Internet browser and points to a page that enables you to add files to
your upload queue.

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4. Select the files you want to import.

5. Tap UPLOAD FILES on your mobile device.

6. Click on Refresh in the HUB EXPLORER to view the uploaded files in the folder.

Add collaborators

» In the HUB EXPLORER, click on SHARE. A separate window will open. There are three
methods for adding collaborators. These collaborators can either be configured to only download
and view media, or can be given permission to upload media, as well.

1 Create and copy a link

1. Select QUICK VIEW & UPLOAD LINKS in this section, to configure if your collaborators
should only be allowed to view and download documents or also be allowed to upload files.
2. Specify the time period for which the link will be valid from the drop-down list.
3. Click the CREATE LINK button.
4. Click the COPY icon to copy the link onto your clipboard for sharing with your collaborators.

2 Create a link and scan a QR code

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1. Select QUICK VIEW & UPLOAD LINKS in this section, to configure if your collaborators
should only be allowed to view and download documents or also be allowed to upload files.
2. Specify the time period for which the link will be valid from the drop-down list.
3. Click the CREATE LINK button.
4. Click on the QR CODE ICON to display a QR code, which can be scanned using a mobile
device.

3 Send an invitations per email

1. In the INVITATIONS section, click on the NEW INVITATION button.

2. In the top drop-down list, select whether your collaborators can only view and download, or be
allowed to upload, as well.
3. In the lower drop-down list, specify the time period for which the link should be valid.
4. Enter name and mail address of the participant you want to invite to your Media Share session.

The user you invite does not need to have access to your own Hub account or be a Movie
Studio user.

5. Click on the SEND INVITATION button.

Movie Studio automatically sends an email message to the address you entered. That email
message includes a link to your shared media. Once the collaborator follows that link, they will
have the opportunity to view and upload files.
You can add as many collaborators as you would like.

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Activate notifications

If you want to receive an automatically generated email once the files have been uploaded:

» Select the TELL ME WHEN FILES HAVE BEEN UPLOADED checkbox.

Remove a participant

» Click the cross button in the dialog.

Use Cloud media

Once you or your collaborators have uploaded files, those files are automatically added to your
Media Share file.

» In the HUB EXPLORER, click on Refresh to update the interface and display the die newly
added files.

Download Files

Before you will be able to use the files, you must first download and save them locally on your com-
puter.

» In the HUB EXPLORER folder, click on the desired preview image | DOWNLOAD. This file will
be saved in your MAGIX HUB DOWNLOAD folder.

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Using files in a project

1. In MEDIA POOL | IMPORT, open the MAGIX HUB file.

2. Import the media into the project window. Further information: See Adding media.

Delete files

1. Open the Media Share folder in the HUB EXPLORER, in which the image/video is located
and place your mouse on it.
2. Click on the upper margin of the preview image with the three dots | DELETE.

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CUTTING VIDEO
Cutting and trimming video to remove unwanted sections and seamlessly merge scenes is an import-
ant part of the video editing process. Movie Studio offers various cutting techniques and tools,
enabling you to customize your videos exactly the way you want. Cutting involves removing
unwanted material, as well as trimming video objects to precisely adjust their length and position.

Simple cut

All objects can be split. Each object section then becomes an independent object:

1. Select the object to be cut.

2. Position the playback marker at the position where the movie is to be cut.
3. Select "Cut" among the cut functions in the toolbar or press the T key on the keyboard.

Cut button: Here you can choose between various Cut modes.

In order to rejoin these split objects at a later stage, simply select the individual parts and select the
command "Group" to join the selected objects into a group. Orders all selected objects into groups.

If the commands "Split" and "Remove beginning/end" are applied without a selection, all objects
at the position of the playback marker are cut.

Separate sound from videos

Normally, videos are edited together with original sound to ensure that the appropriate sound is
always played back in sync with the video. This is implemented in Movie Studio by grouping the
video object with its respective audio object and displaying them together on one track by default.

Videos with audio material appear in the project window as a combination

object (audio and video in one object).

You can separate audio and image material:

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1. Right-click on the the object.

2. In the context menu, select the command "Audio functions" > "Video/Audio on separate
tracks".
Result: The audio object and the video object will be displayed as an object group on two
tracks.
3. Select the object group.
4. Open the "Edit" menu and select the "Ungroup" function.
- or -
Select the corresponding button on the toolbar.
Result: The objects are ungrouped and both can be edited independently of each other.

The objects can be regrouped together using the "Group" function.

Automatic scene detection

Automatic scene detection can be opened in the "Effects" menu. The scene recognition function
plays each video and scans it for drastic changes in color or movement.

In film language, people talk about takes, i.e. sequences filmed continuously at one time.

Digital video “time stamps” (points in time at which the device was switched on and off) are also
recognized as separate scenes.

■ Click on the "Start search" button located below "Scene change".

The search for possible scene transitions will then start. If you have a large amount of material,
this can take a while, but the image analysis has to be done just once for each recording. The
results are saved together with the video file.
If the scene recognition is performed again with the same source material, the scene transitions

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found are immediately displayed. If you are still not happy with the resulting scene partitioning,
simply repeat and correct where necessary.
■ All found scene transitions in the list can be checked in the dialog. Every scene marker can be
selected or deleted. Select a scene transition from the list of found scene transitions and use the
preview images to check whether the found transition is really a scene change or not.

This option is helpful if a camera flash was captured in the source footage, for example. The flash
from the camera would cause a sudden brightness modification even though there was no actual
scene change.

The preview always displays the end of the previous scene and the beginning of the new scene. If the
images do not differ except for the brightness, the scene may have been falsely recognized. In this
case select "Delete scene marker".

Via the zoom +/- buttons you can enlarge the part of the project window where the selected scene
begins or previous scene ended.

You can use the "Sensitivity" controller to change the sensitivity of the scene recognition, so that dif-
ferent scene changes can be found depending on the setting.

With "Action on OK" you can specify whether the movie should be cut at the selected scene trans-
ition.

Regroup scenes

You will often want to move specific scenes or even groups of scenes to a different place within a
movie.

This can be done easily:

■ Single scenes can be selected in any view ("Timeline", "Storyboard" or "Overview" modes) with
a click, and then moved to the desired spot with the mouse button held down.
■ In the Timeline and Overview modes you can also create scene groups which can be moved
together: "Ctrl + mouse click" lets you select more than one scene, "Shift + mouse click" selects
the scenes that lie in between.

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Finally, here are three tips for more extensive arranger work:

■ The mouse modes ALL TRACKS or ONE TRACK don't just move the selected scene, but all
objects that are located behind the object in the same track ("one track") or all tracks ("all
tracks").
■ The commands GROUP and UNGROUP let you join any scenes into groups which can then
be moved together as a block.
■ If editing and moving around objects leaves your project looking messy, you can also work the
other way around by selecting the scenes you want to use and saving them to the
RECORDINGS folder in the Media Pool. Collect scenes that you want to use and place them
in the RECORDINGS folder, then start a new project and drag and drop scenes from the
folder into the new project in the order you want. The RECORDINGS folder can be accessed
in the Media Pool under IMPORT > MY MEDIA.

Trim objects

Trimming refers to the precise adjustment of object borders or transitions. Movie Studio has two dif-
ferent trimmers, which can be opened using the context menu of a video or image object.

General advice for operating both trim editors

Play functions: The trim window contains its own play functions that allow the object to be played
individually or in relation to the projects.

The right play button plays the project normally. Replays can sometimes appear shaky because the
processor may be over-worked. Those frames that the processor cannot calculate quickly enough
are left out.

The middle play button plays the arrangement “frame by frame”, which means no frames are left
out. Depending on the processor load, playback may thus be slower, but still smooth.

The left play button renders material before playing, i.e. the current settings are calculated first and
then exported. This method ensures a smoother playback.

With the fast forward and rewind functions you can change the range start in the timeline. This
allows for complete control of transitions between two videos.

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Increments: A click on the arrow buttons in both trim editors moves the handle or the material
within an object exactly by one frame. Using the Ctrl key you can increase the frame rate gradually
to 5 frames per mouse click.

Edit trimmer
A schematic display of the selected transition and its handles can be found at the center of the trim-
ming window.

Left arrow button (1): This button moves the last frame of the first object while adjusting the
second. The length of the transition remains. The display indicates the relative change in comparison
with the starting situation when the trimmer was opened.

Position (2): Moves the second object. The length of the transition is changed. This corresponds to
moving the object in the project window.

Object content (3): This moves the movie “underneath” the second object. The length of the object
and the transition themselves are not changed.

Crossfade (4): Changes the transition's length between both objects. The objects remain of equal
length. The length can be numerically entered.

Middle arrow buttons (5): Shifts the existing transition. Both objects remain in their positions, only
the transition's center point moves.

Transition (6): Displays the type of transition. Click the mouse to open a pop-up window from
which you can select a transition.

Right arrow buttons (7): Move the first frame of the second object. The first object and the trans-
ition remain. Only the length of the second object changes.

Start fade out/last frame (8): Switches the left monitor between the start of the transition and the
last frame of the object.

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First frame/end fade in (9): Switches the right monitor between the first frame of the following
object and the end of the transition.

Next cut (10)/next object (11): These buttons skip to the next/previous object and/or cut in the
project window. They make it easy to move and trim cuts in the project without having to leave the
trimmer area.

Object trimmer
A schematic display of the selected object and its handles can be found in the center of the trimming
window.

Fade in/out (4, 5): These buttons adjust the upper fade handles of an object.

Object content (3): Here you can move the video material that is to be played without changing the
object length.

Position (2): Moves the object on the track.

First frame/End fade in (7): Toggles the left monitor between the first frame of the object and the
end of the transition.

Start fade out/last frame (8): Toggles the right monitor between the start of the transition and the
last frame of the object.

Left/Right arrow buttons (1, 6): Adjusts the lower object handles.

Next object/cut (9, 10): The buttons below and to the right skip to the next/previous object and/or
cut in the project window. These buttons make it easy to move in the project and trim objects
without having to leave the trimmer.

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Move the contents of trimmed objects

Use the "Move object content" mouse mode to move the content of a trimmed object within the
object borders.

This function is particularly helpful when you don't want to mix around the arrangement of objects,
but want to have an object begin with a different first frame.

1. Select the trimmed video object.

If the video has not been trimmed, the video object contents cannot be moved, because the
entire video will be shown.
2. Use the "MOVE OBJECT CONTENT" mouse mode and drag the video object content to the
left or right in order to move it.

Alternatively, you can use the object trimmer for frame-accurate positioning of content.

Multicam Editing

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Multicam editing enables easy cutting of various recordings of the same scene from different cam-
era perspectives.

The program monitor shows the image material from up to 4 sources next to each other, from which
the "program" can be cut in real time using your mouse – just like in a real studio.

Preparation

Multicam editing is a special mode in the project window. The top two tracks serve as target tracks
for copying sound and video from two different source tracks. The two most upper tracks need to
therefore be empty when changing into multicam mode, if required the objects will be moved onto
another track.

First you can load various video recordings of the same scene one under the other starting on track 3
in the arranger.

It is important that the individual sources are synchronized to each other exactly. It is best to find a
noticeable movement, or some kind of audio cue if sound was recorded.

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To localize the sound in the audio track exactly, you may have to create a wave display of the
track. To do this, right-click on the audio track and select "Waveform display".

If you have one, you can use a clapper to signal the start of a scene. If not, simply having one of the
"actors" clap their hands can have the same effect. Set a snap marker in each source object, with to-
the-frame precision. You can now move the source objects over each other, so that the grid points
are aligned.

In each case two video sources with audio tracks can be automatically synchronized using their
audio material. To do this, use the "Align with other audio objects" function in the audio object con-
text menu.

It is also important that you carry out all output material effect processing (e.g. video or audio clean-
ing) on the objects on the source tracks and master audio track before the multicam cut. These
object effects are transferred to the object in the target track when editing. Otherwise, you will have
to apply the effects from every single object to the target track.

You can activate "Multicam" mode with this button or with the "Multicam" command in the
"Edit" menu.

Source tracks and preview images

The source tracks for multicam editing will be selected automatically. When the multicam mode is
activated, the source tracks will be assigned to all tracks containing video objects starting from track
3.

You can also conduct or change the assignment manually. To do so, right click on the trackbox of the
corresponding track to active or deactivate a track as a source track.

The source tracks are marked using color.

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A preview appears in program monitor for every assigned track, and the source track's color cor-
responds to the frames around the preview images in the program monitor so that you can quickly
assign each preview image.

If the objects created using multicam cut are located on the target track, a preview image of the cor-
responding source track highlighted with a yellow frame will be shown for length of playback.

Multicam edit functions

You can edit various sources in the the target track during playback in real time or during stopped
playback.

Real-time multicam editing

You can edit various sources together during playback in real time:

1. Start playback.
2. Click the desired source in the program monitor. The corresponding video is added into the tar-
get track starting from this time point.
3. To switch the source, click in the program monitor on another source. A new object will be cre-
ated using another source from this point in the target track.
4. You can repeat this process as often as you like.

For precise editing in the target track, use the usual edit functions or the Trimmer. Bear in mind only
to move the object borders and not the objects themselves as long as you are in Multicam Cut
Mode. Gaps or jumps can arise if you use the Multicam Cut functions again afterwards.

Replacing an object's source

Replacing the video material of an object in the target track with another source:

■ Select the object in the target track for which the source is to be replaced.
■ Click on the source in the program monitor that should replace the video material in the object.

The video material will now be replaced by the new source. The object length is not changed.

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Insert cut

Insert material from one of the sources between any position on the target track and the next object.

■ Place the playback marker on the desired position.

■ Click the desired source in the program monitor.

The material from this source will now be inserted into the target track. The new object ends at the
next object. The portion below an existing object is overwritten in the process.

Overwrite range

You can overwrite a selected area of the target track with one of the source videos.

■ At the upper edge of the project window, select an area to edit by determining the in point by
clicking with the left mouse button and the out point by right-clicking. Or use the corresponding
buttons in the transport control.
■ Click the desired source in the program monitor.
■ The target track will be overwritten with the video material from the selected source in the
selected area.

Master audio track

Normally, videos in the source track are edited together with their audio tracks. Since the original
sound can differentiate from camera to camera due to different camera positions, you will probably
prefer using either the soundtrack from only one camera for all settings, or to replace the soundtrack
completely. (For music videos, for example, you will use the studio version of the original track).

Right-click on the track box of one of the source audio tracks or a different audio track and select
"Multicam: master audio track" from the context menu to assign a master audio track for multicam
editing. The master audio track will be appear in a dark color.

Now, during every multicam cut, material from the master audio track will be inserted on track 2,
independent of the source track used.

Synchronize video objects using the audio track

Video objects can be synchronized using their audio tracks. This is done by comparing the audio
tracks for similarities. If videos come from the same recording environment, the same acoustic
events will be found on their audio tracks (e.g. the sound of the clapper board).

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Synchronization of multiple objects on one track is possible.

■ First, on the reference track, select all audio objects that are to act as reference positions.
■ Then, on another track, select all audio objects that should be moved.
■ Choose the "Align with other audio objects on this track" function from the audio object context
menu.

If the desired audio track is located in a combination object, you will find the "Align other audio
objects to this track" option in the "Audio functions" submenu.

Movie Studio attempts to locate the acoustic events in the reference objects of the second track and
to move these to the corresponding position. Because the audio objects are grouped with their cor-
responding video objects or comprise a common object, videos are synchronized in the process.

Markers

» Keyboard shortcut

You can set various types of markers within your project in Movie Studio.

The Lock button (at the very front, next to the time ruler) lets you lock all markers (jump mark-
ers, chapter markers) against accidental moving or deleting.

Playback markers

The playback marker indicates the point from which the material – either the project or a selected file
from the Media Pool – will be played back. There is a playback marker below each project monitor
and an additional one above the timeline in the project window.

The playback marker is displayed as a red triangle below the monitors. In the project window it is dis-
played as a red triangle.

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In order to move the playback marker, double-click on the desired area below the monitor. Altern-
atively, you can move the playback marker by dragging it with the mouse. While being moved, the
current image will appear on the monitor, letting you see your current position in the material.

The playback marker in the video monitor can also be moved by clicking on the lower section of the
time scale in the project window. The playback marker will also be moved on the program monitor,
as both markers are coupled to each other.

The exact position of the playback marker can be seen in the time display at the top left, below the
corresponding monitor. There, you can change the displayed values (Hour:Minute:Second:Frame)
per mouse click to reach a certain point in time. Enter the desired value and the playback marker will
jump to the corresponding position.

In the "Playback" tab under "File > Settings > Program", you can set whether repeatedly pressing
the space bar during playback resets the playback marker to the current position or moves it to
the original position.

Project markers

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

The "Edit" menu or the keyboard shortcut "Shift + numerical keys 1-0 (0 for the tenth marker) allows
you to set a project marker at the current position of the playback marker. These function as a men-
tal marker or indicate certain positions or events within the project.

After selecting the menu item, a dialog appears to input a name for the marker to be created. The
first ten project markers may be accessed via Ctrl + number keys 1-0.. This allows you to jump to a
particular position of a longer video immediately, without scrolling and searching.

Project markers may be deleted or renamed via the context menu at any time. This does not provide
direct influence on the result, but they do make the workflow much easier.

Snap markers and transients

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

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Objects, object edges, markers or the playback marker will jump automatically to particular "Key pos-
itions" when you move them close enough with the mouse. This is called "snapping". Select a loc-
ation in the object with a snap marker to indicate where another object should snap in. This can be
helpful, for instance, if you want a title to be shown at a specific position in a video object. You can
find the "Snap Marker" in the Media Pool under "Effects" > "Audio effects".

Set snap markers

■ To set a snap marker, select an object and place the playback marker at the position where you
want to place the snap marker.
■ Now click on the button "Set snap marker".
■ You can drag and drop a snap marker with the mouse to move it.

You can set as many snap markers as you like per object.

Align snap marker with transients

Transients are signal peaks in audio material that can also appear in video footage; e.g. a door slam-
ming shut. Transients in video footage can be used as a starting point for editing – for instance, fad-
ing in a title or making a picture-in-picture effect appear. The "Align snap marker to transients"
feature analyzes the signal peaks of the selected object and sets snap markers to these locations.
This moves snap markers that have already been put in place near the transients into the new loc-
ations.

Combined objects must be displayed separately so that transients can be seen clearly. In the con-
text menu of the combination object, select "Audio functions" > "Video/Audio on separate
tracks". Snap markers are set independently of this setting.

Delete all chapter markers

A chapter marker defines the beginning of a new chapter. Chapters serve to improve navigation
when burning the project to disc. The following options are provided via "Edit > Marker" or by right
clicking on the playback marker.

Set chapter markers

Places a chapter marker at the position of the playback marker. This creates a chapter entry in
the disc menu in case the movie is being burned to disc.

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You can rename the chapter markers by right clicking and selecting "Rename" in the context menu.
The new name will also appear in the chapter menu.

Set chapter markers automatically...

This option automatically sets chapter markers in the project according to specific rules that will
then appear as chapters in the film menu of a disc. This is useful if you need to burn a disc imme-
diately after recording.

At the beginning of a movie: The movie contains only one chapter

At object starts in a track: Every object in a track creates a chapter, Track 1 is preset.

At the position of existing title objects: Subtitles, for instance, as faded-in subheadings, give the
position of the chapter markers.

Provide interval (in minutes)/provide quantity: If the chapters are separated without any particular
method and are just needed for quicker navigation, chapter markers may also be inserted in pre-
defined intervals or as a pre-defined number of chapter markers.

Naming chapter markers

No marker name: Marker name and marker number are not specified.

Custom: You can use a custom name. A sequential marker number will be attached to it.

Apply object name: The marker name is taken from the object name and the text in the text object.
No sequential marker number is specified.

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Options

Delete existing chapter markers: Deletes chapter markers that have already been set.

Only take the selected area into account: The chapter marker is automatically set to the area
between the start and end markers only.

Delete chapter markers/delete all chapter markers

Delete one or all chapter markers. This removes chapter entries in the disc menu if the film is burned
to disc.

Range markers(In & out points)

Range markers are the "in points" (range start) and "out points" (range end). They are used in the
monitors to highlight a particular area that can be played with the "Range playback" button below
the corresponding monitor.

To the left, you can see an in point (range start), and an out point is visible (range end) to the right

The value between both markers shows the length of the selected area according to the pattern
Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames.

Change playback range

There are various options for changing the playback area and the start/end markers.

Move entire range

■ Press and hold the Ctrl key.

■ Click in the blue area between start and end markers.
■ Move the mouse to the left or the right while simultaneously holding the Ctrl key and clicking
and holding the left mouse button.

Move range borders:

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■ Click one of the markers in the upper bar in the project window and drag it.
■ Click on one of the markers below the program monitor and move it to the desired position by
dragging it.

Reset the range edges

■ Operation with mouse and keyboard: Set the playback marker at the desired position and
press "Set start of range (in-point)" or "Set end of range (out-point)" underneath the program
monitor to set the in and out points of the range.
■ Start of the range using the mouse:
Left-click at the desired position in the top bar of the project window.
The beginning of the range will be set at this position.
If you click behind the end of the range, the playback range will be set to the entire length of the
movie.
■ End of the range using the mouse: Right-click at the desired position in the top bar of the pro-
ject window.
The end of the range will be set at this position.
If you click in front of the end of the range, the playback range will be set to the entire length of
the movie.

Scene markers
Scene markers are used to split a complete video into scenes. You can load any video into Movie Stu-
dio and have it divided into scenes or clips.

To do this, load a video into the project window. Then, right-click on the video and select "Scene
detection". The following dialog appears:

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After clicking "START SEARCH", an overview of the detected scenes will be displayed underneath
the scene control.

Delete scene markers: Here you can delete individual markers by selecting them from the list.

Delete all markers: Deletes all project markers.

Action on OK: You have three options. Either Movie Studio splits your video into individual scenes
("Cut at all markers"), a scene is selected and cut only at this position ("Cut at selected marker"),.

After deciding in favor of one of these options, red scene markers will appear on the timeline in
the project window. The scenes can then be split according to the selected option and edited.

An important difference between a scene and a chapter marker is that a scene marker can be set
only within a continuous video, while a chapter marker can include several consecutive videos.

More information about Scene recognition can be found here.

Musical editing adjustment and BPM Wizard

Behind the "Musical editing adjustment" option in the "Edit" menu allows the possibility to adjust an
existing project with cut scenes to the rhythm of a piece of music and turn it into a video clip. It is
necessary that the piece of music contains information about tempo and beat for this function.

■ Place a project with video sequences on the top track (track 1) for which Musical editing adjust-
ment should be made. The project should be as long as the accompanying song and include
plenty of cuts.
■ Load the song that is to serve as the basis for the editing adjustment onto a track below it.
■ Select "Edit" > "Musical editing adjustment".

In most cases, an info dialog will now appear informing you that there is no beat and bar information
available for the selected audio object.

■ Click on the "Open Assistant" option in the dialog.

Then, the BPM Wizard "MAGIX Remix Agent" dialog will open.

BPM Wizard

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

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This tool can analyze the song's rhythm.

After determining the BPM value (i.e. beats per minute) of the song, the song will be subdivided into
short passages of equal length. The individual objects having the duration of exactly one bar at first
stay grouped, so as not to accidentally "rearrange" the song. Of course, if you like, you can do just
that. To do so click on "ungroup".

The resulting object borders are important for editing. Because all objects may snap to each other on
their edges, videos may be arranged to transition exactly to the beat of the music: the points along
the track where videos lock together are exactly in time with the music.

The analysis takes place in four steps:

Step 1: Checking the start marker

Step 2: Tempo recognition

Step 3: Specifying beat starts

Step 4: Applying BPM and bar recognition

Step 1: Checking the start marker

Before you start the analysis you should set the start marker at the position where the rhythmic
music begins. This means that if the song has a long ambient intro, the start marker should be set

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after the intro. If the wizard can't detect any rhythm it will ask if the start marker has been set after
the intro. If not, you can move it to a better position in the dialog.

If the beginning of the song does not have a definite rhythm, you will be asked if you want to move
the start marker.

Step 2: Checking the automatic tempo recognition

The Remix Agent will analyze the audio material and try to determine the tempo. The object is
played back while a metronome click can be heard and numbered green beat lines appear in the
waveform.

Under the waveform on the left side the established tempo is displayed in BPM. There is a small
transport console in the middle to make navigating easier. The slider serves as a position controller.
To set the metronome volume, an additional fader and mute button are provided on the right-hand
side.

The automatic tempo recognition doesn't always work right away. If you don't hear the metronome
clicking in time with the music, click the "No" button in the upper section of the dialog in order to
access the manual tempo input dialog.

To correct the metronome speed and any timeshift that may occur between the metronome clicks
you can use the tempo correction as well as the "Tap tempo" button:

Tempo correction: The Remix Agent offers various speed settings. The most probable tempo detec-
ted by the Remix Agent is preset. If this tempo isn't correct, you can choose another one from the
list. The next time you play back the song it should be in sync with the metronome.

On/Off beat correction: Now it may happen that the tempo is right, but the beats have been dis-
placed. "On/off beat correction" provides a number of alternatives for moving the beats according to
the complexity of the rhythm. Try out various alternatives until the metronome clicks are in sync
with the beat.

Tap tempo: Instead of selecting the tempo under "Change Tempo", you can click rhythmically on
the "Tap tempo" button or press the "T" key. Additional blue lines are displayed in the wave display.
After at least four taps, the Remix Agent attempts to select the correct tempo from the list in
"Tempo correction". The display next to the "Tap tempo" button displays the current status. Keep
tapping until the red display showing "Unlocked" changes to the green "Locked" setting.

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Use the "0" key to manually set the quarter beats while the music plays. Surrounding markers will
automatically be removed to ensure that the set tempo remains intact.

You can move the markers with the mouse. If you hold down the "Ctrl" key simultaneously, the sub-
sequent markers are also moved.

If the metronome clicks now correspond with the music, you can continue to the next step.

Step 3: Determining the start of a bar:

Next you can set the time signature. The default setting is 4/4 but you can adjust this if necessary.
The beat at the start of the bar should coincide with the high sound of the metronome, or the red line
in the waveform display.

It can now be corrected in one step: If the start of the bar can be heard, click on "Tap One" once
using the mouse or press the"T" key on the keyboard.

Alternatively, select how many quarter notes the "One" is to be moved back.

Use the "0" key to manually tap the position of the beginnings of the bars during playback. This
allows you to correct the beginnings of the bars in longer sections.

Continue to the last step if the starts of the bars are now correct.

Step 4: Applying BPM and bar recognition

Select which action should take place:

Create remix objects mode: The object is positioned in the remix object according to bar length.
What "Audio Quantization" is activated, remix objects are precisely arranged on the bar grid. The
remix objects can then be re-organized in a different rhythmic sequence, mixed with loops or remix
objects from other tracks etc.

Tempo adjustment: If the object and arrangement tempo are to be aligned, you can either adapt the
object tempo to that of the arrangement via timestretching or, vice versa, you can change the
arrangement tempo to that of the object. As most music has slight tempo fluctuations, the time syn-
chronization is often not perfect: After some time the arrangement and the music "drift" apart. If the
object tempo is to match the arrangement tempo, this can be prevented using audio quantization.

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Save only tempo and beat information: Tempo and beat information will be added to the audio
material, object and VIP are unchanged. The images on track 1 will be repositioned according to this
information.

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DESIGN AND OPTIMIZE VIDEOS

Effects and templates play a crucial role in video editing and allow you to design and customize
videos with professional visual effects. A wide range of effects and pre-designed templates are avail-
able in Movie Studio, allowing you to add an impressive and unique touch to your videos.

Effects are special modifications applied to videos, images, and audio files to create visual or aud-
itory changes. They range from simple adjustments such as brightness and contrast to complex
effects such as color correction, filters, and more. These effects can be used to enhance the mood of
a video, achieve a specific look, as well as add visual accents. Templates are pre-made designs that
combine various effects, filters, and settings to create specific visual styles or looks. They allow you
to apply a specific design or aesthetic to your video with just one click. For example, these templates
can include movie looks, stylizations, onscreen transitions, or complex effect combinations. They
provide a quick and efficient way to give your videos a professional look without having to manually
adjust every setting.

Effects

Movie Studio offer a huge palette of diverse video effects. The video effects used most frequently
can be found directly in the Media Pool, while others can be accessed in the context menu for an
object or in the Effects menu.

Apply effects to objects

There are various methods for applying effects.

■ Video and audio effect templates are loaded into the corresponding object from the Media Pool
using drag and drop.
■ Effects that can be animated (in Media Pool under "Effects" > "Video effects/movement
effects") will be applied directly to the objects selected earlier, as soon as changes are made in
Media Pool.

This button resets all of the current effects settings.

Note: If you animated the effect using keyframes, resetting will affect the entire animation. Click
on a specific keyframe to select it and then delete it by pressing the Del key.

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Transfer effects settings

The items video effects, movement effects, and Stereo 3D on all effects pages provide the option
to transfer the current effects settings to other objects or to load previously saved settings. Use the
above right arrow button to open the video effects menu.

Save/load video effects: The current effects settings may be saved for use later in other projects or
previously saved settings may be loaded. A dialog allows the effects to be selected.

Reset video effects: Resets the effects settings for the selected object.

Copy/paste video effects: Copies (likewise pastes) the current settings to a new object. Use the dia-
log to select which settings should be copied.

Apply video effects to all: Copies the current effects settings to all objects in the project. Use the
dialog to specify which settings should be copied.

Apply video effects to all following objects: Copies the current effects settings to all of the fol-
lowing objects in the project. Use the dialog to specify which settings should be copied.

Load effects mask (additional in the Plus version): An effects mask may be loaded for a selected
object.

Customized templates in the Media Pool

Your custom effects configurations in the Media Pool can be saved and used again later. You can
access your custom configurations in the Media Pool effect dialogs by clicking on the arrow. This
folder will be empty at first because you still have to create your own configurations.

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Create titles
Titles can be used for many applications: as a running text (ticker), subtitles, speech and thought
bubbles, to display date and time, and much more.

Create titles without a template

1. Select the object to which you want to add a title.

2. Place the playback marker at the position in the object where the title should appear.

You can adjust this position later at any time by dragging and dropping the title object.

3. To do this, click the "Title" button in the toolbar.

4. Enter your text and click the check in the input field of the program monitor.
5. Click in the program monitor and movie the title to the position in the image where it should
appear.
6. Format the title via the title editor in the Media Pool.

Creating titles using a template

There are a wide range of title templates for fonts, opening and closing credits, captions etc. under
"Title Templates" in the Media Pool.

■ Select any title template. Start a preview or add a title to a playback marker location using the
quick access feature.

Templates may be applied to an existing title object. Only the text will remain when the template
is applied; all other formatting settings will be replaced by the template settings.

Dynamic titles

This category "Dynamic titles" contains standard text animations, such as flying letters which com-
bine to form text and wave animations which move through the individual letters of words.

After selecting a template, you can enter text and then customize font type, font size, color and
emphasis (bold, italics, underlining).

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1. From the Media Pool, select the desired title under "Title templates > Dynamic titles". Once
you've imported it to the film, you will automatically switch to the area "Effects > Title editing".
2. Adjust the text, as well as font, size, color and style in the title editor as desired.

Fade in date as title

Movie Studio is also able to insert the time and date into the image material. To do this, select the
option "Show date as title" in the video object's context menu.

If a DV-AVI file is involved (e.g. a digital recording from a camcorder), then the recording date for
the selected position will be used. If another type of file is involved, then the creation date of the file
will be used as the timecode. The title editor is then opened in order to customize the entry.

Positioning titles and adjusting frame size

■ Click once on the title in the program monitor to access the positioning frame. Simply move the
positioning frame using drag and drop.

■ The size of the positioning frame can be adjusted at the corners, and the size of the text will
also change accordingly. If "Adjust font size to title field" is activated, the text size will also
change.

Title Editor

You can determine the appearance of your titles in the title editor (in the Media Pool under "Effects
> Title editing").

You can customize the text properties for multiple selected text objects at once. The settings will
only be applied to the text objects you have selected. The individual properties of each text object
remain unchanged.

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The following editing options are available for selection:

Here you can enter text for your title instead of editing it directly in the pro-
gram monitor.

Title Object

The left button vertically centers the title object on the monitor; the right centers it hori-
zontally.

Delete: Deletes the selected title object

Use the arrow keys in the title editor to move from one title object to the other without hav-
ing to search in the project window. Captions are not included in this.

Font

Here you can determine the font type and size of the title. If you click on the small arrow next to the
font size, you can change the font size using a smooth slider.

You can set format properties in the toolbars below.

Bold/Italic/Underlined

Left-aligned/Centered/Right-aligned

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Shadow

Transparency: Controls foreground transparency levels.

Soften: Makes the edge of the shadow harder or softer.

Outline

Width: Enter the width of the frame in points.

Filled in: The text will be filled with the color selected in the Title Editor. If the option is deactivated,
only the frame will be visible, and the background will appear instead of the color fill.

3D

The text appears with a 3D-style outline. The width and thickness of the 3D contour (height) can be
set in points.

Font color

Line spacing: Cannot be applied to only one line. When applied to multiple lines, this alters the
spacing between the lines. Line spacing always applies to the entire line.

Tracking: Controls the spacing between characters. Negative values move the characters closer
together, positive values move them apart.

Animation

Here you can set four movement directions to move the title on the image. You can also set any
course of movement. See Working with Keyframes for more information.

Other text settings

Automatic text break: Separates text automatically when the end of the text field is reached.

The result will be seen once you have confirmed the entered text by ticking next to the selection
box or by pressing the Enter key.

Adjust font size to title field: Changes the font size according to the text field size. You can activate
or deactivate this option temporarily by pressing the shift key while dragging the text field handles.

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Only apply visible TV area: The text will be zoomed so that it will always be within the TV's screen
area, which is specified in the Movie effect settings.

Notes on background color

To add background color for text with no other video or image objects as background, click "Back-
ground design" in the context menu for the text object.

Timecode

Under "Templates > Title templates" in the "Timecode Basic" section, you will find various presets
that you can use for displaying the timecode. This function adds a special timecode object to a free
track under the video object.

You can adjust the position of the timecode by moving the timecode object in the program monitor.
The handles on the borders can be used to adjust the length.

The following times will be displayed in the various templates:

■ Movie time: The time position in the Movie Studio project window.
■ Recording date/time: The date and time when the footage was recorded. This timecode
information must be saved in the video, otherwise the display will be empty.
■ Recording timecode: The timecode for the video that is created by the camera. This timecode
information must be saved in the video, otherwise the display will be empty.

If the recording date/time and the timecode are not saved in the source material, only place-
holders in the form of "-" will be displayed.

Video effects
The video effect you require can be opened in the Media Pool regardless of the selected object. The
corresponding image is displayed at the position of the playback marker in the program monitor. To
see the impact of the effect settings, you must always set the playback marker to the position where
the selected object is located. The playback marker also enables you to jump to a specific position in
the video object in order to check the results of the effects by starting and stopping playback.

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Brightness and contrast

You can adjust the selected object's brightness, contrast, saturation and temperature using the
curve effect.

■ You can choose between RGB for brightness/contrast and the individual color curves Red,
Green and Blue as the gradient curve channel to modify.
■ Additionally, you can decide how these curves should behave: Standard mode draws soft
curves. In manual mode, you will see handles on the curve points that can be used to draw soft,
linear and freehand curves. In addition, you can individually set how the curve behaves at each
position under "Selected point".

Keyboard shortcut:

■ Mouse left click adds a curve point

■ Mouse right click deletes the selected curve point
■ Ctrl and selected point = movement along the x-axis
■ Shift and selected point = movement along the y-axis
■ Ctrl + Shift + click on curve point = switch between curve modes
■ Ctrl + Shift + click on curve handles = changes curve behavior of this curve point

Auto-exposure

With this button you can automatically optimize brightness and contrast with a click. Use the fader
in the dialog for finer adjustments.

Brightness/contrast: Use the sliders to increase or reduce the brightness and the contrast of the pic-
ture.

Gamma: Set the mean gray value that can be calculated from the various color ranges. In the preset
list, you can select different areas to edit only the dark, median, or brightest areas of the image.

Using the fader, you can also set the level of brightening or darkening.

HDR Gamma: Unlike "Gamma", very dark areas are selectively lightened.

HDR Blur: This changes the transition between light and dark areas together with "HDR Gamma".

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The HDR Gamma and HDR Blur features are only available in the Plus/Premium version of
Movie Studio.

Color

Saturation: Use the saturation slider to increase or reduce the hue proportions in the image. A newly
developed algorithm is applied which makes color changes related to other parameters (for example
contrast settings) in order to achieve the most natural coloration possible. With some exper-
imenting, you can achieve some amazing results – such as turning summer images into autumnal pic-
tures, or creating funky pop art...

White balance:An incorrect white balance can lead to an unnatural blue or red hue. To use the white
balance, click on the "White point" button and then select a point which represents white or a neut-
ral gray to the "outside world". The color temperature is then corrected automatically.

You can achieve unusual color effects by choosing a different shade instead of white. There is
definitely room for experimentation!

Color: Select a color for coloring the image from the color chart.

Red/green/blue: Changes the color portion mix.

Red eye removal: Using this photo function you can remove unnatural red eyes that are the result of
using a flash. Click on the eye symbol and then select the red pupils in the preview monitor using the
mouse.

Color correction

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Secondary color correction allows individual colors in video and image objects to be adjusted. "High-
lights", "Midtones", and "Shadows" ranges can be adjusted individually. This includes essentially two
layers, the foreground and background. The master layer may also be used to influence the overall
image. The foreground layer corresponds with the mask created, and editing in the background
changes all of the areas outside of this mask. The mask may be assigned to a certain color or to mul-
tiple colors simultaneously.

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Before using complex color correction, you should first check if "Brightness/contrast" and
"Color" functions can help you.

1. To open color correction, click the video or image object and open the entry COLOR
CORRECTION > VIDEO EFFECTS in the Media Pool.
2. INSERT allows a color to be selected with the pipette tool to create a mask. Movie Studio dis-
plays the mask in black and white stripes to highlight the current selection.
3. Click with the pipette tool on the color in the program monitor that you would like to add to the
current layer until your selection is complete.

Unwanted colors can be removed from the selection again by selecting "Remove" and clicking
the corresponding color.
4. Select the layers to edit: Foreground or background.
5. Shadows, mid tones and highlights of the selected color and level may now be edited sep-
arately in the normal way.

Color angle: Determines the color on the color wheel, with which the image should be colored
in with in each brightness area.
Correction intensity: Sets the intensity of the coloration of each brightness range.
Saturation: Sets the color saturation for the corresponding brightness range.

A classic example: Saturation of all brightness areas on the background layer is reduced, and colors
in the foreground are adjusted as desired.

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Chroma key (Green screen)

Chroma key is technology that makes it possible to replace an element of a certain color in a video
with another one. This is primarily used in film and television production, for example, to remove a
background or insert an object into a different scene. Using Chroma key, you can make a specific
colored area in a video transparent and replace it with a new background. This offers a wide range of
options for designing creative effects or removing unwanted items from your footage.

Background Green screen video Chroma key effect

Apply effect

1. Switch to the Timeline mode .

2. Insert the background video into the Timeline.
3. Add the video whose color you want to replace to the track below.

The background video must be in the track above the object for the foreground.
■ Track 1: Background

■ Track 2: Foreground

4. Adjust the size of the object/video, if necessary.

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» Size/Position/Rotation
5. Mark the green screen video in the timeline and within the MEDIA POOL, click EFFECTS →
CHROMA KEY.
6. Select the desired mode:

Deactivate The Chroma key effect will not be applied.

Hide color Specify which color range should be removed.

range

Activate This video effect uses the brightness of a video to control a cross-fading
black/white effect between two other videos on neighboring tracks. The additional
mask videos should be situated directly above and below the object.

7. Adjust the video level.

8. Adjust the effect settings to achieve the desired result.

Adjust the effect

Video level

Changes the brightness of the video before additional video effects are applied. This can have a ser-
ious influence on the effects, in particular on Chroma keying. The level setting may be automated so
that two videos can be mixed dynamically with each other. See the Animate objects using keyframes
chapter for more information.

Hide color range

This area will only be visible, if you have activated HIDE COLOR RANGE mode.

Select color You can choose between the preset colors green, blue, black and white, as well as
range define a custom color.

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Threshold The threshold value determines how closely a color in your video must match the
selected key color (such as green or blue) in order to be rendered transparent. The
threshold value acts as a defined limit value that determines which image or video
areas are retained and which are masked out. A low threshold value means that only
colors that are very close to the selected key color (e.g. the green of a green screen)
are made transparent. A high threshold value means that colors that are only similar
to the key color are also made transparent.

Fading The fading range determines how smooth the transition is between the transparent
Range area and the visible area of your video.

Anti-spill Anti-spill refers to the removal of color casts and residual colors from the main
object that might be caused by the chroma key technique. This slider allows you to
correct color casts by adjusting the color rendering of your main object.

Threshold value alpha mode

This area is only displayed if you have selected ACTIVATE BLACK/WHITE MASK mode.

In all black parts of the alpha-keying object, the top video is faded in, while in all white passages the
bottom video is shown. Gray passages are permeable for both videos and create a mixture of the
two. In the case of colored passages, the brightness of the color is used for control purposes.

FIGURE Setting 1: Black/white mask mode FIGURE Setting 2: Black/white mask mode

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FIGURE Project window FIGURE Result setting 1 FIGURE Result setting 2

Artistic filter

Erosion: The image is broken-up by means of small rectangles and resembles a "patchwork".

Dilate: Similar like Erosion, but uses light surfaces instead of dark ones to form the rectangle.

Emboss: Creates a relief of the image edges, in which case strong contrast differences are inter-
preted as edges.

Substitution: Parts are exchanged using the rainbow spectrum red, green and blue. Quickly create
surreal landscapes and green faces.

Shift: The color values are inverted increasingly. Blue colors turn red, green ones appear purple.

Quantize: Depending on the setting, colors are either rounded up or down so that the overall num-
ber of colors is reduced. This creates grids and patterns.

Color fill: Using this slider, color in the video with red, green, and blue colors (the basic TV colors).

Contour: The image is reduced to its contours in two sizes (3 x 3 or 5 x 5). It is possible to select
either vertical or horizontal contours.

Deformation

Motion: Moving parts of the image are enhanced and warped.

Echo: The moving images create an optical "echo"; previous images stand still and gradually turn
paler until they completely disappear.

Whirlpool: The image is twisted into an "S" shape.

Fisheye: The perspective is distorted as if the image were viewed through a fisheye lens.

Mosaic: The video is depicted as a mosaic.

Lens: The image is dynamically distorted at the edges.

Sand: The image is depicted in a granulated manner.

Kaleidoscope: The left upper corner is mirrored horizontally and vertically.

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Mirror horizontal/vertical center: The object is mirrored vertically or horizontally – it appears on its
side or upside down.

Sharpness

Sharpen: This fader allows you to increase the sharpness of the image.

Blur: This fader allows you to reduce the sharpness of the image, making it blurry.

■ Apply to: This allows you to set just how much the sharpness or blur should be applied to sur-
faces or edges. This enables you to effectively reduce ongoing image distortions (noise).

Artificial blur: Here you can blur the image in an alternative manner. The achieved effects are much
stronger compared to simply sliding the "Blur" fader.

■ Quality: Enhances the artificial blur.

The artistic blur can be used well for transitions. To do so, you can animate the first video so that
it is strongly blurred and let the second video begin with blur and slowly return to normal focus.

The higher the quality of the effects, the longer the calculation takes.

Speed

The playing speed can be adjusted with the slider control. The range between 0 and 1 plays the video
slowly; values above 1 accelerate playback. If the playing speed is increased, the object length in the
project window is automatically shortened.

Frame rate: Here you can set the video's frame rate directly. Changing it directly affects the speed
factor, while moving the slider conversely results in changing video frame rate.

Algorithm: Here you can determine how to adjust the soundtrack. "Timestretching" changes the
playback speed, without influencing the pitch: "Resampling" changes the playback speed together
with the pitch (the faster the playback, the higher the pitch).

Reverse playback: With this button the playback direction will be reversed (with the same tempo).

Interpolate intermediate frames: Activate this option if your video lags as a result of being slowed
down. Movie Studio then automatically fills in missing frames so that your video can be played back
more smoothly.

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Maintain length: If you shorten an object in the arranger, you can play a video faster without redu-
cing the object length. The shortened footage is used to maintain the object length.

VEGAS Video Stabilization

Video stabilization "VEGAS Video Stabilization" smoothes out undesired frame movements by neg-
ating inadvertent movements in the image. This produces unusable edges in the footage that can be
automatically cropped off by zooming into the picture. The result: A more stable picture at a nearly
imperceptibly increased zoom level.

"VEGAS Video Stabilization" can be found in the Media Pool under "Effects > Video effects".

■ Mark the object in the video, which should be stabilized, and click "Apply effect".
■ Click "Analyze Motion" to start the analysis. This process requires some time. When the ana-
lysis is complete, the stabilization is automatically applied to your media.

If you are unsatisfied with the overall result, click and the video will be played back in its original
form.

Video stabilization "VEGAS Video Stabilization" smoothes out undesired frame movements by neg-
ating inadvertent movements in the image. This produces unusable edges in the footage that can be
automatically cropped off by zooming into the picture. The result: A more stable picture at a nearly
imperceptibly increased zoom level.

"VEGAS Video Stabilization" can be found in the Media Pool under "Effects > Video effects".

1. Mark the object in the video, which should be stabilized, and click "Apply effect".

Use and adjust the following parameters prior the motion analysis of the video to affect the results of
the analysis:

■ Accurate method: The analysis takes longer, but is more precise and offers a better result.
■ Reduce video size: Scale down video objects that are Full-HD and larger before analysis, so
that the analysis takes less time. The result will be marginally more imprecise.
■ Movement correction: Select which types of motion should be assessed during analysis.

2. Click Analyze Motion to start the analysis. The process will take some time depending upon the
selected mode, the length of the file, and other factors. When the analysis is complete, the sta-
bilization is automatically applied to your media.

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If you want to change the selection of the analysis parameters, you must run the analysis again.
In this case, click "Clear Motion Data" to discard the motion analysis, do your changes and run
the analysis again.

After completing the analysis, 2 parameters are available for adjusting the final appearance of the
video object:

■ Smoothing magnitude: The camera movement always consists of many small, fast, and unin-
tentional movements and shaking, along with any intentional movements like pans, zooms or
travel that must be kept. This parameter defines how much "unsteadiness" should be kept in a
scene; the higher that factor is, the more the movements are smoothed.
■ Autoscaling: When the picture is moved in one direction to compensate for an unintended cam-
era movement black borders will appear at the opposite edge. To avoid this the picture is
zoomed by a certain amount. Autoscaling is activated by default and ensures that all black bor-
ders are completely removed.

The parameters Scaling, Rotation, Movement X and Movement Y do not affect stabilization, but
rather can be used to further adjust the object. These parameters can also be animated using key-
frames.

Shot match

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

This function lets you match the appearance of two video clips to each other. The colors and tonal
values of two separate photos are aligned fully automatically.

Here's how:

1. Open the "Shot match" effects area in the Media Pool under "Effects" > "Video effects".
2. Select the object where you want to match a shot ("target") and place the playback marker
within this object at the shot that you want to change.
3. Click "Select target frame". The selected position will be displayed.
4. Place the playback marker in the arrangement at the position with the look you want to use
("reference").

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Do not change the object selection in the process. You need to keep the selection on the target
object.

5. Click on "Select reference frame". The selected position will be displayed.

6. Click on "Match shot" to adjust the look of the object. The playback marker automatically
jumps back to the modified target object.
7. You can reduce the strength of the effect by moving the "Intensity" slider.

Shot match works best under the following conditions:

■ The same scene has been filmed with multiple (different) cameras from various perspectives.
■ The same scene has been filmed in different lighting conditions.

Different conditions can lead to suboptimal results.

A note on multiple selection: Selecting multiple objects will apply the effects of shot match to
all selected objects.

Match the appearance of two video clips to each other. The colors and tonal values of two separate
photos are aligned fully automatically.

Here's how:

8. Click on 'Start comparison mode' to switch the source monitor to preview mode.
9. Then select a source image from the program monitor (left) and a target image from the
source monitor (right).
10. Now click on "Apply shot match" to transfer the source image characteristics (left) to the tar-
get object (right).

Remove the checkmark in front of the "Match Look" button to hide the look matching. Set the
check mark again, and the shot match will reappear. You can also use this for comparison during
color assignment under "Manual adjustments".

You can adjust the result by activating "Manual adjustment“ and then picking and assigning indi-
vidual colors.

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1. Using the pipette, select a color that should be matched from the source monitor (left).
2. In the target monitor (right), select the color that should be replaced. Movie Studio replaces
the color.

You can conduct color assignments without a preliminary shot match.

Shot match works best under the following conditions:

■ The same scene has been filmed with multiple (different) cameras from various perspectives.
■ The same scene has been filmed in different lighting conditions.

If the conditions are different, the result may be suboptimal.

Note on multiple selection: If multiple objects are selected as target objects, then the object
selected last will serve as the target. The target image is set as usual in this target object. This
sets the shot match result, which can be applied to other clips.

Cookie cutter

Apply the "Cookie cutter" effect to punch simple geometric shapes and create picture-in-picture
effects in a video.

■ Click on APPLY EFFECT to activate the Open FX plug-in.

The selected object will be punched in circular form as default. You can also customize these
presets the way you want.

Color: Use the values R, G, and B for red, green and blue to set the colors for the borders (only visible
when borders > 0).

Shape: Select a shape in the drop down list to define the cut form.

Methods: Specify whether part of the video image is visible/masked:

■ Cut everything apart from section: The cutout shape forms a window which displays your
video.
■ Cut section: The cutout shape covers your video and the area outside the shape is visible.

Feather: Drag the slider to determine how smoothly the cutout border fades into the background.

Borders: Drag the fader to determine the size of the frame around the cut shape.

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Restore X/Y: Drag the slider to repeat the cutout shape along the horizontal axis by the number of
times specified.

Size: Drag the fader to determine the size of the cut shape selected.

Middle: Drag the slider to set the center of the cutout within your project's video frame: 0.00, 0.00
represents the lower-left corner of the frame, 0.50, 0.50 represents the center, and 1.00, 1.00 rep-
resents the upper-right corner.

Gaussian Blur

This alters the apparent focus of the video, blurring and softening the appearance. It can also be used
to smooth out some types of noise and can also be used as a corrective filter.

■ Click on APPLY EFFECT to activate the Open FX plug-in.

Horizontal range/vertical range: Drag the slider or enter values in the editing fields to specify the
number of pixels in a block.

Color channels: Select individual color channels (Red, Green, Blue or Alpha) to which you want
apply blur. If the video or image has an alpha channel, basing the blur on that channel can some-
times improve transparency and mask blending.

Glow

This effect produces a halo effect around bright image objects.

■ Click on APPLY EFFECT to activate the Open FX plug-in.

Glow percent: Changes the quantity of light emitted (similar to Blur effect) Light intensity, Effect
intensity, and Suppression all work together. Adjust the settings to get the desired effect.

Intensity: Sets the intensity of the glow color.

Suppression: Drag this to reduce the glow so that it can only be used for highlights.

Color: Use the values R, G, and B for red, green and blue to set the colors for the glow effect.

Lens reflection

Apply the "Lens reflection" effect to simulate the light reflected by a camera lens.

Light color: Set the color value to which you want to apply the effect.

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Light position: Set the position of the light source that creates the Lens Flare effect.

Lens type: Click on a lens in the drop down list to select the number of light flares to be created.

Tint: Drag a fader or enter a value in the field to set the strength of the tint that will be applied to the
light source.

Intensity: Drag the slider or enter a value in the field to set the strength of the effect.

Blend: Drag the slider or enter a value in the field to set the transparency for the light flare effect. A
setting of 0 is completely transparent; a setting of 1 is opaque.

Size: Drag the slider or enter a value in the field to set the size of the light flare effect.

Perspective: Drag the slider or enter a value in the field to set the angle of the light flare effect.

Mask Generator

This effect lets you create a mask from any video or image. The video or image is converted to gray
scale and made partially transparent. Brightness (luminance), one of the color channels red/-
green/blue or an alpha channel (for image files in PNG or TGA format) can be set under Type as an
information source for transparency.

■ Click on APPLY EFFECT to activate the Open FX plug-in.

Invert: Reverses transparent and opaque areas in the mask.

Low in/high in: Lets you determine a range between the minimum and maximum brightness values
for the source (independent of type) for which the image/video will be opaque. If both values are the
same, the mask created will have hard borders (threshold value), whereas if the second value is
higher, a graduated fade will appear at the mask borders.

Low out/high out: Lets you set the minimum/maximum transparency value. If lows are increased in
value, the entire image will become brighter (less transparent)

1.0 corresponds to maximum white, therefore maximum opacity.

Default

Pre-configured effect combinations for direct use can be found here.

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AI Style Transfer

This AI-driven artistic filter makes it possible apply the styles of famous artists such as Picasso and
van Gogh in images and videos. It's intuitive and fully customizable using the effects window. Add
the flair of timeless masterpieces to your media.

1. Select an image or video object in the project window.

2. Click on auf EFFECTS → VIDEO EFFECTS → AI STYLE TRANSFER → APPLY
EFFECT in the Media Pool.
3. Under STYLE, select the desired look.
4. Under DETAILS, specify how detailed the style transfer should be. More detail cor-
respondingly generates more intense processing.

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AI Colorization

With the Colorization effect it is possible to automatically recolor black and white film material. An
AI-supported algorithm determines the most likely colors within the two color dimensions red green
and blue yellow.

1. Select an image or video object in the project window.

2. Click on auf EFFECTS → VIDEO EFFECTS → AI COLORIZATION → APPLY EFFECT
in the Media Pool.

Luminance If the image is better exposed, the color prediction works better, so you can
enhancement optimize the brightness. You can also specify whether the enhanced luminance
should be applied to the material (APPLY TO OUTPUT) or only used to
improve color prediction (ESTIMATION ONLY - DO NOT APPLY TO
OUTPUT).

Model The precision of the color application can be defined in two different levels:
SIMPLE or ADVANCED. The latter uses the full resolution of the original image
for color prediction, the others use a more or less downscaled version of the
image.

The following parameters are used to adjust the overall coloring of the image:

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Invert Green and Red The assignment of determined color attributes in the red-green channel
is swapped.

Invert Blue and Yellow The assignment of determined color attributes in the blue-yellow chan-
nel is swapped.

Shift between Green and The colors in the Red-Green channel are shifted towards red or green.
Red

Shift between Blue and The colors in the Blue-Yellow channel are shifted towards blue or yel-
Yellow low.

Gain on Green and Red Control of the strength of the colorization in the red-green channel.

Gain on Blue and Yellow Control of the strength of the colorization in the blue-yellow channel.

Position and animation effects

Size/Position/Rotation

With this effect, you can edit the size, position and rotation of an object (e.g. video, image, title, etc.)
in space.

You can also adjust the resize and reposition the object using the handles in the program monitor
visually:

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■ the red handles control the width

■
the yellow handles control the height

■
the gray handles in the corners can be used to adjust both simultaneously

If you want to work using the anchor point, first move the anchor point before changing the pos-
ition or rotation.

Size

Here you adjust the size of the selected object.

Movie size The object will be scaled to the size of the movie.

Original The object will be displayed in the original size.

size

Width and Using the input button, enter an absolute size (px) or relative value (%) for the width
Height and height. The relative value refers to the footage size, the absolute size refers to the
size of the object.

» Click the units to switch between pixels and percentage.

The object will be reset to the original size.

Combine Enable this option to retain the aspect ratio of width and height.
input fields

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Scaling in any direction is always performed with relation to the anchor point. If you compress or
stretch the element, the area on top of the anchor point will not move.

Location

Horizontal/Vertical These values can be used to move the object in relation to its anchor point.
Enter an absolute size (px) or relative value (%) to specify the position of
the anchor point. The object moves in relation to the predefined anchor
point.

» Click the units to switch between pixels and percentage.

The object's position is moved so that the anchor point is reset to 0 and
centered horizontally or vertically in the center of the movie.

This button can be used to easily adjust the object per click.

The object is positioned in the respective corners of the movie.

The object is positioned on the left or right edge of the movie, but its
height is fixed.

The object is positioned on the top or bottom edge of the movie, but
its width is not changed.

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The object is positioned in the middle of the movie.

To visually adjust the position, click on the object and drag it with the mouse to the desired position.

When the object is moved, the anchor point is also moved.

Rotation

The layer in which the element is situated may be rotated on three spatial axes (X, Y, Z). The anchor
point also serves as the center of rotation. The angle of rotation can be adjusted directly by the three
control elements or entered in the fields using degrees (°). The set rotations are applied one after the
other. The order used can be set in the selection field. This might be necessary in certain situations,
e.g. if you specify more than one rotation or want to rotate around more than one axis.

Anchor point

Using the anchor point, you can select and move the rotation point (center point) of an object freely.
The anchor point functions as the reference point for all three operations.

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Horizontal/Vertical Enter an absolute size (px) or relative value (%) to move the object in rela-
tion to the anchor point. The position of the anchor point will remain
unchanged.

» Click the units to switch between pixels and percentage.

The anchor point is reset to 0 horizontally or vertically. The position of the
anchor point remains unchanged. The object will move so that it is
centered horizontally or vertically at the anchor point.

This button allows you to easily align the anchor point on the object with
one click. In contrast to entering values, the anchor point moves and the
position values will change. The position of the object remains unchanged.

The anchor point is positioned in the respective corners of the object.

The anchor point is positioned on the left or right edge of the object,
but its height will not be shifted.

The anchor point is positioned on the top or bottom edge of the

object, but its width will not be shifted.

The anchor point is positioned in the center of the object.

The values in the number fields can also be changed by dragging them vertically with the mouse.

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Section

Sections may be used to display only a part of the photo or video.

Specifying sections

1. Select the object in the project window.

2. Set the aspect ratio (see the Drop-down menu).
3. In the program monitor, drag out a frame and adjust it using the eight handles. The frame can
be changed depending on the defined aspect ratio.
4. Move the frame to the location you want.
5. You can adjust the size and position of the section using the input buttons if necessary.

Preview With this button you can preview how segment will look like in the movie. Click on
this button a second time in order to keep editing this segment.

Movie size The section will be adjusted to the size of the movie. This way if your raw material is,
for example, in 4K quality, you will get a section in top HD resolution.

Drop-down In this menu, you can select the aspect ratio for the section. By default, the aspect
menu ratio of the original object is used as default (LIKE THE SOURCE).

■ Like movie
The aspect ratio of the movie is used to crop a section.
■ Same as source
The aspect ratio of the selected object is used to crop a section. If the object's
aspect ratio differs from that of the movie, a black border is displayed in width

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or height.
■ Free proportions
You can freely choose the width and height of the section.

Fullscreen If this check box is selected, the section will be zoomed to fullscreen. If this option is
deactivated, only the section of the object within the frame will be displayed and the
edge will remain black or filled with the object behind it.

Opens a menu with additional options

» Apply effects to objects

» Load effects masks
Resets the current settings.

Camera/Zoom Shot

With this effect, you can move a previously selected frame inside the image, creating an impression
of camera movement or zoom.

Direction of movement

Determine the direction in which the selected section or image will move during the time selected
under "time period". In addition to horizontal and vertical movements, diagonal movements are also
possible.

Preview: Displays a preview of the section at the playback marker location.

From section: The selected picture section is displayed and is then zoomed out to display
the entire picture according to the time set in "Duration". If no section has been previously cropped,
a central section of 50% of the picture is enlarged for cropping.

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To section: The entire picture is displayed and then zoomed in to show only a smaller pic-
ture section according to the time set in "Duration". If no section has been previously cropped, a cent-
ral section of 50% of the picture is enlarged for cropping.

Direction and time

The option selected here sets the position where the keyframes of each movement effect are set by
default. You determine the positions for the start and end of movement.

The automatically set keyframes can be edited, then the option will be set to "User defined".
Read the section "Change the keyframes of an effect after the fact" in the chapter "Animate
objects".

Reset: This button resets all of the current settings.

Orientation/Horizon

Straighten horizons

The image can be rotated around the axis using the slider. The image is automatically zoomed to
avoid black edges.

Show guidelines: Activating this check box displays a grid in the program monitor for orientation dur-
ing horizontal straightening.

Zoom automatically: This function is preset to active. Unwanted black borders that result from hori-
zon straightening are eliminated by zooming in on the image.

If the image format does not completely conform to the current movie format and already has
black borders, these cannot be eliminated with the horizon straightening function.

Rotate/Flip

Mirrors the image on the vertical axis.

Mirrors the image on the horizontal axis.

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Rotates the image 90° clockwise.

Rotates the image 90° counterclockwise.

Lens Correction

With the lens correction you can remove image distortions caused by certain lenses. Even "con-
verging lines" can be easily straightened. Here is an example:

Original and picture after lens correction

Setup

Lens: Affects the curvature of the image

Section/zoom: Corrects the black edges that appear around the image when changes are made to
the "lens" parameter.

Automatic: Automatically sets the "Section/zoom" parameter to remove black edges caused by
changes to the "lens" parameter.

Manually changing the "Section/zoom" parameter will automatically deactivate this.

Perspective: Strongly upward or downward facing image material often contains distortions which
are unnatural for the human eye and causes so called "converging lines". This parameter balances
out these distortions, allowing images with "converging lines" to appear more natural.

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The lens correction parameter can be animated. This is particularly useful in videos where the
perspective changes, causing, for example, converging lines to also change over time.

3D Distortion

This enables the perspective of images to be distorted and moved. This produces a 3D impression
by causing several components of the image to appear further in front of others.

Enter the individual corner points numerically or move them in the program monitor using the
mouse here.

Unlike Stereo3D, this does not involve genuine 3D positioning. The image is only distorted so
that it appears three-dimensional on a normal two-dimensional monitor.

Movement Templates

This is where you can find finished templates for movement effects that can be applied to objects.

360° videos

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

In a 360° video, the action is recorded in all directions simultaneously. 360° video can be shot with
special cameras that contain two 180° lenses, or by creating an array of several normal cameras to
record in different directions. In the simplest array, there are two cameras with super wide angle
lenses that record in two directions; better setups use six or more cameras.

The result is that the viewer can view "around" themselves by determining the view direction. To do
this on a PC, drag the mouse during playback. On mobile devices, the built-in orientation sensor can
be used: The view direction follows the device's rotation. In combination with VR glasses or a

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smartphone attachment such as Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard, it is possible to be com-

pletely submerged in a virtual environment with a 360° video.

360° videos are supported by the most important video platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Face-
book.

Technically, 360° videos are regular, two-dimensional videos. The images of the sphere surface
around the camera are displayed distorted, similarly to how the earth's surface is projected onto flat
maps of the world. This results in relatively large videos in order to provide enough resolution along
the strongly distorted edges after rectification.

Preprocessing/Stitching

Stitching describes the process of combining images from individual cameras to create one, large
image and projecting the spherical image onto the rectangular surface of the video. While more
advanced cameras can perform their own stitching, most simple cameras with only two lenses cre-
ate a video which needs to be stitched together to create a true 360° video.

FIGURE Unstitched video image from two 180° fisheye lenses on a 360° camera

These cameras often also include stitching software, but the more elegant solution is to perform
stitching directly in Movie Studio. The stitching feature is located under the Effects tab in the 360°
video section of the Media Pool.

Select the video object and effect, then click "Apply effect". The video should look like this in the
video monitor:

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For standard 360° cameras with two lenses, there are presets located in the list field above. For
other camera models, you can change the parameters below.

Movie Studio normally recognizes 360° video material in need of stitching and automatically
applies the effect.

360° editing

There are two ways to work with 360° in Movie Studio:

1. Creating a 360° video from your 360° output material and adding content (videos, images and
titles) and effects to it, or
2. adding your 360° content to a normal video and specifying the display section and direction of
view.

The editing features for both scenarios are available under 360° video under the "Effects" tab in the
Media Pool. The editing mode which makes the most sense for the application scenario in question
is automatically displayed under 360° editing.

Creating a 360° video

Movie Studio automatically switches to 360° mode when you load 360° material (a prompt will
appear). The program will also automatically perform any necessary stitching (see below).

For these types of videos, the video monitor is switched to a special 360° mode which straightens
the image and allows you to move the direction of view using your mouse. (You can get to 360°
mode by going to the menu located in the upper left-hand corner of the program monitor.)

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If Movie Studio does not automatically recognize your 360° video material as such, you can manu-
ally switch to 360° mode by going to the movie settings and selecting a corresponding video preset
(360°...) at the bottom of the list.

You can cut this video and apply effects as you would a normal video in Movie Studio. But bear in
mind that most effects in the View/Animation section will remove the 360° effect.

Automatic recognition currently only works for Ricoh (Theta m15, S and SC) and Samsung Gear
360 models and for 360° projects you have exported yourself.

Adding content to 360° Videos

Position object in 360° space editing mode

To add content to a 360° video (e.g. floating titles), proceed as follows:

1. Place the play cursor where you want the title object to appear.
2. First create the title object.
3. Select the object and switch to the 360° editing effect in the Media Pool.
4. Activate 360° editing (1)
5. In the video monitor in 360° mode, use the mouse to set the view to the position where you
want the title to appear.
6. Click "Orient to perspective" (3) to place the title precisely in the direction of view. Use per-
spective (4) to specify the distance between the title object and the viewer.

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7. To make the title fly in and out, you can apply a keyframe animation to the perspective and ori-
entation parameter (2).

FIGURE Video monitor in 360° mode, with a 3D title object added to a 360° video

Adding 360° content to other videos

"Select section from panorama" editing mode

To add 360° videos or photos to a normal video, proceed as follows:

1. Load the 360° video or photo. If a message appears asking if you want to switch to 360°
mode, select "No" — we do not want to create a 360° video, we simply want to add 360° foot-
age to a normal video.
2. Select the object and activate 360° editing (1).
3. Use "Orientation" (2) to define the direction of view. It's also possible to simulate a camera
pan through three-dimensional space by animating these parameters and the viewing angle
(4) using keyframes.
4. The "Camera angle" (3) is preset to 360° for 360° videos; for panorama photos with a lower
camera angle, you can check the box and set the camera angle to a different value. You can try

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to get close to the "exact" value by eyeballing the effect and adjusting the angle cor-
respondingly.
5. "Perspective" (4) specifies how much you want to zoom in or out.
6. The remaining parameters can be used to correct distortion: "Super wide angle" (5) widens the
perspective beyond the maximum permitted angle of 180° all the way up to 360°. This lets
you turn panoramas into eye-catching mini-planets. The fisheye lens ("fisheye"6) distorts the
perspective. If an image already contains distortion as a result of a wide-angle shot, the fisheye
effect can be used to correct this. For instance, a curved horizon can be "straightened".

360° scene rotation

When editing 360° videos, you have the option of controlling the viewing angle. You can change per-
spective, highlight certain areas, or focus on specific details.

This effect rotates the entire 360° scene along all three spatial axes. This allows you to make cor-
rections if the 360° camera was upside down or crooked during filming.

Stereo3D
Movie Studio enables the editing and creation of "genuine" 3D videos and photos. First, let's create
an overview of this complex topic by familiarizing ourselves with the most important principles and
the golden rules that are involved. Next, we'll look at the individual steps of the workflow in more
detail.

Note on using 3D content: Some people experience unpleasant symptoms (e.g. headaches,
overexertion, eye strain or nausea) when they are exposed to 3D video. We recommend taking
regular breaks for this reason. In case of problems, the user should immediately stop use and
refer to a doctor or optometrist. Incorrect production of 3D content may also produce these
symptoms.

Warning regarding small children: The eyesight of small children (especially those younger
than six years old) is still developing. We recommend referring to a doctor or optometrist prior
to allowing your child to view 3D videos.

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The basics

Human eyes perceive objects from two different angles, and our brain calculates an image using this
information. This enables us to recognize the distance and position of an object. That's any 3D mater-
ial that we want to process should be recorded according to this scheme.

Viewing 3D

A conventional canvas or a simple television is only able to display images in two dimensions, which
is why different techniques have been developed to project images in 3D. All of these techniques
have one thing in common: special glasses are required in order to display the left and right eyes dif-
ferent information. We will examine these technologies in detail later.

The three golden rules

■ Maintain limits during recording: In order to retain a 3D recording with natural depth inform-
ation certain limits need to be maintained. The most important rule is not to go below the point
of minimum distance or "near point". The near point is the point in the picture that is closest to
the camera.
■ Frame around near point: To create a 3D effect behind the illusory window, both title images
must be moved exactly over each other at the location of the minimum point. Simultaneously,
the same objects must be visible at the edges of both spatial images; if needed, you may use
the cropping function in the Media Pool to do this.

The illusory window is a theoretically perceived sort of screen, behind which the 3D film is
played back to the audience. This marks the closest point, i.e. the foremost point. If this rule is
not adhered to, the object seems to "jump out" of the imaginary window, and this may cause
headaches if it is excessive.

■ Observe natural viewing direction of eyes: Objects featuring 3D depth effects as a red/cyan
image (anaglyph) that are viewed without glasses may be perceived as offset. This dis-
placement should, if possible, take up less than 1/30 of the entire image. Otherwise, it will
appear that the eyes are looking in different directions.

This offset may only take place on the horizontal access. Displacements on the vertical axis and
rotated portions must be adjusted to each other!

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Record 3D

The distance between eyes in humans is ca. 65 mm, which forms the so-called "stereo base width".
But because our eyes are dynamic and we can even "cross" our eyes, it is possible to focus on
objects that are closer.

Various techniques exist for 3D recording. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages:

■ 3D cameras with two lenses: The advantages are easy to see – these cameras deliver 3D
material without much effort. The disadvantage is that the stereo base width (lens distance)
cannot be changed.
■ Two cameras on a special mount: This involves a little more work. Two cameras are mounted
on a special support to record material for the left and the right side of the 3D image sim-
ultaneously; microphone booms for stereo recordings may also be used for this purpose. The
disadvantage in this case is that the shutter releases have to be pressed at exactly the same
time if there are moving objects in the picture. In case of video, both movies must be syn-
chronized before being edited. Advantages: Stereo base width may be changed by adjusting the
distance between the cameras; larger selection of camera models.
■ Two photos via the same camera: This technique only allows still images. The camera is
simply used to record two images from different perspectives, and these are used as the right
and left images. For best results, use a tripod.
■ Consistently fast camera movement, e.g. along a street: Only a single conventional camera is
required in this case, but the range of applications is very limited. This is the most cost-effective
method for creating 3D videos. Material is filmed at a speed of circa 6 to 15 km/h. During edit-
ing, the edited video object is duplicated and one of the videos is played back with a time lapse.
The movement direction determines which is the right and left image. 3D still shots may also be
created using this method.

Pay attention to the minimum distance.

The position of the object closest to the lens or lenses is designated as the "near point". This near
point may not exceed a specific minimum distance; this is easy to calculate via the following for-
mula:

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Focal length of the lens (e.g. 25mm) x stereo base width (e.g. 65mm) x 1.5* /1mm**= near point
(2437.5mm ~ 2.44m)
*1.5 is a factor derived from the cut-off appearing when filming through a lens.
**1 mm is the so-called "deviation" or "spatial dimension". This only involves a rough value in this
case.

Examples for 3D cameras:

Panasonic HDC-SDT750 (base width 12 mm): Near point is approx. 1.5m.

Fuji REAL 3D W3 (base width 75 mm): Near point is at approx. 3m; for long-distance recordings as
much as 8m.

The "near point" has an important role in other aspects of 3D editing.

Prepare for 3D editing

3D videos are recorded and saved differently by the various cameras, which means that depending
on the camera model or recording method, videos and images will be present in different forms.

In one file

Many cameras, especially for photos recordings, create one single file containing the left and the
right image next to one another.

■ Drag these files from the Media Pool directly into your arrangement.
■ Select the created objects.
■ In the Media Pool under "Effects > Stereo3D > Properties > Create stereo", select the entry
"Side-by-side (left image left/right)" for material at half-width.

If you have created side-by-side material yourself (e.g. two photos arranged next to each other
in a single image file), then continue as described, but select "Side-by-side (left image
left/right)" for material at full width.

In multiple files

Some 3D cameras create one file for each the left and the right side. In case you just take two photos
from different perspectives with a conventional camera, the process functions the same way.

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■ In the Media Pool, open the folder that features the desired files.

■ Sort the files in increasing order according to the date. This way, all files will lie in pairs one
below the other.
■ Now, select the files and drag them from the Media Pool directly into your arrangement.
■ Now select all newly created objects in the arrangement.
■ In the Media Pool under "Effects > Stereo 3D > Properties > Create stereo" create "Stereo 3D
pair left/right image first".

3D mode Technology Requirement

View partially interlaced Polarizing filter

Shutter output Shutter mode

Side-by-side display Side-by-side

Anaglyph display Color anaglyphs

Turn camera movements into 3D videos

Camera movements may be transformed into 3D videos by being duplicated and converted via time
displacement. To do so, you can simply record on the right or the left side while, for example, driving
along a street.

The speed should be set between 6-15 km/h (approx. 4-10 mph) and depends on the frame rate, the
focal point, and the distance of the objects being filmed (among other things). At increased speeds,
it may occur that the spatial impression is too strong and the filmed material seems unnatural and
unpleasant.

■ If the video is in the arrangement, the stereo depth for the 2D object may be set in the Media
Pool via "Effects > Stereo 3D > Properties".
■ Depending on the direction of the recordings, you will have to move the control either to the
right or the left.
■ Check the results in the anaglyph display with red/cyan glasses
■ Correct any unrealistic effects by adjusting the controller in the opposite direction.
■ If the spatial depth is exaggerated, reduce the changed parameters.

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Note: Not only camera movements, but also other 2D materials may be arranged spatially.
3D material may be edited with the same functions as 2D material.

Export and burn 3D videos

There are no special requirements for export and burning. Only the desired 3D technique is spe-
cified.

Anaglyph: This technique is recommended for uncomplicated playback of finished videos or play-
back with conventional TV sets or projectors. Viewers must simply put on a pair of red/cyan glasses
to be able to enjoy a 3D movie.

Side-by-side: Create 3D movies for a 3D-capable playback device without having to compromise
the quality. It doesn't matter initially whether your video is viewed in "Shutter" mode or in "Polarized
filter".

■ Depending on your playback device, you should set double resolution in order to produce full
resolution for both the right and the left image.
■ Not all playback devices are capable of double resolution. If this is the case for your device,
50% pinched images will be displayed. The quality is nevertheless higher than output using the
anaglyph technique.

Only left/right side: This setting only exports one side of your 3D video instead of the entire video.

Lenticular image: This allows you to view 3D footage without 3D glasses. The footage is displayed
interchangeably to give the impression that it is wiggling or shaking.

Superimposed: This export option is similar to „Side-by-Side“. The images are superimposed during
output.

■ Depending on your playback device, you should set double resolution in order to produce full
resolution for both the upper and the lower image.
■ Not all playback devices are capable of double resolution. If this is the case for your device,
50% pinched images will be displayed. The quality is nevertheless higher than output using the
anaglyph technique.

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Exporting files

The standard path for all file exports is "File > Export". Depending on the export format and des-
tination, the export dialog also allows the 3D technique to be used to be selected.

Burning

When burning a Blu-ray Disc or DVD, you must first open the encoder settings in the burn dialog
and select the 3D technology you want. You can then proceed to burn the disc as usual.

Audio effects

Audio effects in the Media Pool

The Media Pool offers various creative options for adding effects to audio objects. Another advant-
age of these "object-oriented" effects is that the effect settings, including automations are moved
automatically with objects when they are moved, since they are attached to the object and not to the
track itself.

Under "Effects" > "Audio Effects" > "General" you'll find other audio effects besides volume and pan-
orama, including DeClipper, DeNoiser, DeHisser, equalizer, compressor and StereoFX (these are all
contained in the Audio Cleaning Editor), echo/reverb, timestretch/resample, a sharp filter, a soft fil-
ter and distortion.

The faders AUX 1 and AUX 2 control the volume at which the object's signal is sent to the cor-
responding FX tracks in the mixer.

Volume and balance curves are also present in the track. The set values of the curves add up
respectively.

Audio effect presets

In the Media Pool you'll find a broad palette of effect settings which you can apply to audio objects
via drag and drop.

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Using audio effects

Object effects

Individual, customizable effects or preset effect templates are also available for audio objects. These
are only applied to the corresponding, selected object. These effects can be found in the Media Pool
under "Effects" > "Audio effects" or in the menu under "Effects" > "Audio object effects".

Track effects

Track effects always apply to all audio objects of a track. They are set in the mixer. Open the Mixer
using the M key.

Audio effect plug-ins

(only Movie StudioPlus/Premium version) supports VST effect plug-ins. These are usually effect
modules such as reverb, equalizer, dynamic compression, etc.

Installation:

The relative plug-ins must be installed before before using the audio effect plug ins. The installation
of the plug-ins is carried out depending on the type of plug-in that is used. VST plug-ins are usually
stored in a certain folder.

In Movie Studio, you need to enter the folder for the VST plug-ins in their path settings. After the
path has been indicated, Movie Studio scans it for working plug-ins and makes them available for
use.

Using plug-ins:

Plug-in effects can be used in an audio effects rack at the track, object, and master level.

Clicking this button lets you insert plug-in effects. The effects user interface will then be opened
and active. After having closed the user interface, you can reopen it by double-clicking the plug-in
name.

This button removes effects from the rack. Since deactivated effects don't use up any computing
power, this option is used mostly for maintaining an overview.

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Master effects

Master effects influence the mixed sum of all audio tracks. To this end a Master Audio Effects Rack
and additional plug-ins are installed in the Mixer window. Plus/Premium version, there is addi-
tionally the special MAGIX Mastering Suite for the perfect sound.

The Audio effects dialog

Some of the following effects can be opened individually (context menu) or occasionally as part of
the track or master effects rack. However, the functionality remains the same.

Effect devices controls

Some effect options (e.g. options from the "Echo/Reverb" or "Time stretching" effects menu) open a
graphic interface that recreates an audio studio effect.

These virtual effects are controlled in the conventional way by using slider controls, turning knobs, or
buttons, or alternatively using the graphic sensor fields.

Sensor fields: You can control sensor fields intuitively with mouse movements. The graphics and the
respective effect setting change in response to each other.

Power switch: Every effect device in the rack may be switched on or off separately. This button
allows you to directly compare the neutral, unedited sound of the audio object with the effect setting
you have chosen.

Reset: Every effect has a reset button that restores the effect device’s initial default state. In this
starting point, no computing power is required and no effect is added to the sound

Each effect device features a selection of presets that can be selected via the drop-down menu.

A/B: The A/B button compares two settings with each other. If you have selected a preset for the
effect and make manual changes to it later, you can compare the original preset sound with the new
settings by using the A/B button.

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Timestretch/Resample

This effect device changes the object's speed and/or pitch.

Tempo: This control changes the tempo independent of the pitch ("time stretching"). The object
acts as if it were compressed or stretched on the track.

Pitch: This control changes the pitch independent of the speed of the object ("pitch shifting").

+/- buttons: Use this feature to change the pitch in semitones.

Setup: This button opens a setup dialog where you can select various pitch shifting and time stretch-
ing procedures.

■ Standard: Time stretching and pitch shifting in standard quality. The method is suitable for
audio material without a pronounced beat. Existing beat markers are evaluated to improve
audio quality.
■ Smoothed: Time stretching and pitch shifting for audio material without abrupt elements. The
method is suitable for several voice orchestra instruments, surfaces, speech and singing. Beat
markers will not be evaluated. A significantly more demanding algorithm is used for this, which
requires more processing time. The material may also be used with very large factors (0.2... 50)
without causing severe artifacts. To do this, the material is "smoothed" to give it a softer sound
and a different phase length. This smoothing is hardly audible, e.g. with speech, singing, or solo
instrumentation. More complicated spectra – such as a sound mixture containing different
instruments or a finished mix – can cause problems.
■ Beat marker slicing: Beat-synchronized time stretching and pitch shifting via splitting and tem-
poral repositioning. Exactly set beat markers are required at the beats or transients. Markers
can be generated in real time (automatically) or read out from the source file, as long as they
are available (patched). The MAGIX Music Editor contains a patch tool which allows the user
to set markers manually. The algorithm is suitable for rhythmic material that can be divided into

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individual beats or notes. This requires that the material contains low levels before and after the
individual beats or notes.
■ Beat marker stretching: Beat-synchronized time stretching and pitch shifting in high audio qual-
ity. The material is stretched between beat markers positions so that the impacts or attacks at
the beat markers positions are not impaired by stretching. The markers can be generated in real
time from the audio material (automatically), provided they are present (patched). This method
is suitable for rhythmic material that cannot be divided into individual beats or notes because
the beats or notes overlap each other.
■ Beat Marker Stretching (smoothed): Beat-synchronized time stretching and pitch shifting in
high audio quality, even with more intense time stretches. Beat markers are used at the beats or
transients. The markers can be generated in real time from the audio material (automatically),
or read out from the wave file, provided they are present (patched). This method is suitable for
rhythmic material that cannot be divided into individual beats or notes because the beats or
notes overlap each other. This method requires a relatively high amount of processing time. If
you have a slow system, you should only use it if needed.
■ Universal HQ: A universal time stretching and pitch shifting method for very high audio quality.
Suitable for all types of audio material. Existing beat markers are evaluated to improve audio
quality. This method requires so much processing time, that a real-time application is recom-
mended only in exceptional situations.
■ Monophonic voice: Time stretching and pitch shifting for vocal solos, speech or solo instru-
ments. Your material should be free of any background noises; strong reverb can also make it
difficult to apply this method. With suitable material the audio quality is very high. In addition,
the formants remain when pitch shifting. Beat markers will not be evaluated.
■ Resampling: Pitch shift and tempo can not be changed individually. This method requires com-
parably little CPU time.

Reverb

You can control the sound of the reverb effect using the following parameters:

Room Size: Defines the size of the room (or the system for the plate and spring). The larger a room,
the longer the sound travels between walls or objects. With some low "size" settings you can also
reduce the distance between the individual reflections. This allows resonance to develop (accen-
tuated frequency ranges), which can sound oppressive if the reverb sustain is too long.

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Tone Quality: You can manipulate the sound characteristics of the effect to an extent. The effect of
this controller depends on the preset used. In rooms, "Color" controls the dampening of the highs in
the reverb (from dark to bright) as well as pre-filtering of the signal. With plate and spring presets,
this fader determines the dampening of the basses as well.

Reverberation Time: With this knob you can adjust the reverberation time and determine how
much of it will be absorbed and, simultaneously, the reverb's decay.

Pre-Delay: The reverb portion ("Mix") and the early reflections play a big role in the spatial per-
ception of the sound. Here the time required for the perception of the early reflection is know as
"pre-delay". For sound sources that are close, the reverb portion is usually low, and the early reflec-
tions reach the ear noticeably later than the direct sound. By contrast, sound sources that are far
away usually have a high reverb portion, and the early reflections reach the ear almost sim-
ultaneously with the direct sound. The length of the pre-delay can be used to influence the perceived
"distance" between the sound source and the listener.

Mix: This controller sets the mix ratio between the original and the edited signal. For rooms, you can
move a signal further into the room by increasing the effect share. The last four presets are intended
for use in an AUX channel of the mixer and are set to 100%.

Presets:

The presets represent the basic settings for the various room algorithms, which can be varied along
with the other parameters. In this respect, they are more than just parameter sets.

Echo

This effect is like an echo which delays the signal and repeats it.

Delay: This sets the period of time between the individual echoes. The more the control is turned to
the left, the faster the echoes will follow each other.

Feedback: This adjusts the amount of echo. If you turn the dial completely to the left, there is no
echo at all; if you turn it completely to the right, there are seemingly endless repetitions.

Mix: This fader determines how much of the unprocessed original sound (dry signal) is subjected to
the echo (wet signal).

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Audio effects in the Mixer

The Audio effects rack is opened in the mixer via the "FX" button for each track or in the
master area on the right.

Mastering also features the MAGIX Mastering Suite.

Reset clears all effect settings.

10-band Equalizer

The 10-band equalizer subdivides the frequency spectrum into 10 areas (‘bands’) and equips them
with separate volume controls. This makes it possible to create many impressive effects, from a
simple boosting of the bass to complete distortion. Note: If low frequencies are boosted too much,
the overall sound level is heavily increased, which may cause distortion. In this event, adjust the over-
all volume downward by using the "master volume" control situated at the bottom center of the
effect rack.

Slider control: Each of the 10 frequency ranges can be separately boosted or turned down with the
10 volume controls.

Link bands: Using this button randomly combines the frequency ranges with each other in to avoid
artificial-sounding overemphasis of an individual frequency range.

Touch screen (right EQ section): This is the "sensor field" of the EQ. Here you can draw any type of
curve with the mouse. This will be immediately translated into a corresponding control setting on
the left side of the EQ.

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Compressor

The compressor is an automated, dynamic volume adjustment controller. Louder passages become
quieter and quiet passages become louder. A compressor is useful to make spoken passages more
audible against background noise or music in case simple increase of the overall volume is insuf-
ficient. Several useful presets are included for this purpose, however compression may also be set
manually.

Threshold: Set the volume threshold, below and above which compression is applied.

Ratio: This parameter controls the amount of compression.

Attack: Sets the algorithm's reaction speed to increasing sound levels.

Release: Sets the algorithm's reaction speed to falling sound levels.

Gain: The gain controller amplifies the compressed signal.

Create mono objects

Mono recordings can leave noise on the second track, e.g. a mono microphone recording. You can
deactivate the track with the noise by selecting the function USE ONLY LEFT SIDE or USE ONLY
RIGHT SIDE (but not with mono videos).

You can find this function in the audio and video object context menu under AUDIO FUNCTIONS.

MAGIX Mastering Suite

MAGIX Mastering Suite is a special effects rack for use with the mixer master channel. The effects
in the Mastering Suite are used as part of the mastering process, in which the mixed music piece is
given a final polishing.

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The on/off switches switch the effects on and off individually. Each effect has a range of presets
that can be selected from a list along the lower border of the effect.

Each effect can be reset by pressing the Reset button.

In surround mode, only the compressor and the parametric equalizer are available.

Auto Mastering

The Auto Mastering feature enables you to automatically apply the sound of typical musical styles
from the past and present (e.g. 70s disco, 90s club, jazz etc.). The sound of the source material is
analyzed and appropriate equalizer and dynamic effects are applied.

1. Activate the Auto Mastering Wizard.

2. Now choose the musical style. Movie Studio will analyze the audio material in the project. The
settings that are used to achieve the optimal sound for a particular musical style depend on the
audio properties of the source material.

Use the ORIGINAL interface in order to compare the original with the edited version.

Parametric 6-band equalizer

The parametric equalizer has six filter bands that you can use to shape the sound of the music track.
Each band is a filter with a typical "bell shape". You can increase or reduce the signal level gain
within a specific frequency range around an adjustable middle frequency . The width of this fre-
quency range is called bandwidth. The bandwidth is defined by the Q value. The higher the Q value,
the narrower and steeper the filter curve.

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You can influence the basic sound of the mix by boosting or cutting specific frequency ranges (low Q
value) to give it more "depth" (lower mids 200-600 Hz) or more "air" (highs 10 kHz). You can also
decrease very specific frequencies (high Q-value) to remove unwanted noise.

Sensor field: The sensor field displays the resulting frequency response of the equalizer. The fre-
quency is displayed horizontally and the increase or decrease of the respective frequency is dis-
played vertically.

The blue bullets 1-6 symbolize the six frequency bands. You can move them around with the mouse
until you find the frequency response you want. The bandwidth (Q value) can be adjusted using the
mouse wheel.

The faders under the filter graphic display the parameters of the currently selected band.

You can use the knobs to set the values for each band more precisely. There is also a numeric field
for each parameter where values can be entered.

Gain: This controller allows you to raise or lower the filter. Setting the controller to 0 deactivates the
filter so it does not use any processing time.

Freq: The center frequency of the individual filters can be set between 10 Hz and 24 kHz with the fre-
quency controller. The freedom to select frequency enables you to set multiple filters to the same fre-
quency in order to have a greater effect.

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Q (Bandwidth): Here you can set the bandwidth of the individual filters to between 10 Hz and 10
kHz.

Bands 1 and 6 are special: Their Filter Curves can be edited in three different modes. The four editing
points in the graphic have different functions in each mode.

Peaking: Here the effect curve is brought closer to the working point (which represents the peak
of the curve) from both sides simultaneously.

Shelving (Basic setting): Here the working point displays the beginning of the filter curve. From
this point on there is a gentle increase or decrease in the frequency.

High-pass and low-pass:In Band 1 the working point displays the frequency which is filtered out
of particularly high or low frequencies.

You can control the output level of the equalizer with the Peak Meter. The output amplification
beside it lets you offset the level changes resulting from EQ adjustments.

Peak meter: You can control the output level of the equalizer with the Peak meter. The output amp-
lification beside it lets you offset the level changes resulting from EQ adjustments.

Multimax

Multimax is a compressor with three independent frequency bands. The dynamics are edited sep-
arately for each band. The advantage of a multi-band compressor versus a "normal" compressor is
that the "pumping" tendency and other unwanted side effects are dramatically reduced while editing
the dynamics. For instance, it can prevent a peak in the bass range from suppressing the entire sig-
nal. Multiband technology also lets you specifically edit individual frequency ranges.

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Setting the frequency bands: The settings of the frequency bands are changed directly in the
graphic. Simply click on the separator lines and move them.

Lows/mids/highs: These knobs control the level of compression for each frequency band.

Link: When this button is activated and a fader is adjusted, all other faders are changed pro-
portionally. However, the way the dynamics are edited is not affected.

Presets:In MultiMax, you can use Presets 2 to open further special features:

■ Cassette NR-B decoder: Movie Studio simulates decoding of Dolby B + C noise suppression if
a Dolby player is not available. Cassettes recorded with Dolby B or C sound more muffled and
dull if played back without the corresponding Dolby.
■ De-esser: These special presets help to remove overstressed hissing sounds from speech
recordings.

Stereo processor

With the stereo enhancer you can determine the positioning of the audio material in the stereo bal-
ance. If the stereo recordings sound unfocused and undifferentiated, an extension of the stereo base-
width can often provide better transparency.

Use the maximize feature to move the echo (e.g. into the foreground) and improve the stereo pic-
ture.

Volume controller: Adjusts the volume of every single channel, thereby adjusting the entire pan-
orama. The reduction of left and right levels is displayed under the control buttons.

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Pan direction: Use this controller to move the sound source from the middle into stereo panorama.
The signals at the outer edges of the sound picture remain unchanged.

Multiband: This can be used to switch Stereo FX to Multiband mode. Stereo editing only applies to
the middle frequency, the bass and highs remain unchanged.

Bandwidth/maximize sensor field: Adjusts the base width between mono (extreme left),
unchanged base width (normal stereo), and maximum base width (wide, extreme right). Raising the
bandwidth (values over 100) diminishes the mono compatibility. This means that recordings edited
this way sound hollow when listened to in mono.

Maximize strengthens the spatial component of the recording, which also increases the stereo trans-
parency without influencing the mono compatibility.

Stereo meter (correlation gauge): This provides a graphical display of the phasing of the audio sig-
nal. You can use it to check the alignment of the signal in the stereo panorama and the effect of the
stereo enhancer. To maintain mono-compatibility, the "cloud" shown should always be higher than it
is wide.

Limiter

The limiter prevents clipping by automatically lowering the level if it is too high. Quiet parts remain
unaffected. In contrast to the compressor it tries to leave the basic sound as unaffected as possible.

Mixer

The Mixer can be opened by pressing the M key or in the menu going to "View" > "Mixer".

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Mixer channels

In the mixer, every project window track is represented by a corresponding mixer channel. The mixer
channel offers a series of options for regulating the audio signals of objects in the track.

FX: Opens the audio effects rack for the corresponding track.

Auto: Activates the volume and panorama automation of the corresponding track.

Volume: You can set the volume of a track using the large fader.

The fader can be fine-tuned in the following way:

■ Press the Shift key while setting the fader. This makes the control range of the fader ten times
larger.
■ While setting the fader, move the mouse away from the fader horizontally. The control range of
the fader will increase in accordance with how far the mouse is from the fader.

Stereo panorama: Use the knob to define the stereo position of each track.

Double-clicking on the volume or panorama control resets it to the passive default setting, in
which no processing power is consumed. Double-clicking again sets it back to its former pos-
ition.

Solo/Mute: The "Solo" button switches a track to solo mode, i.e. sound playback for all tracks which
have not been switched to solo mode will be deactivated. "Mute" mutes the track.

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Effects channels

In addition to the normal mixer channels assigned to tracks in a project, two separate effects chan-
nels can be created. This allows you to send part of a signal from a normal channel to an effects chan-
nel, where it will be processed by additional effects. This is a common practice in professional audio
production.

Two FX send controllers (FX1 and FX2) are located on every mixer channel under the but-
tons FX and Auto. You can determine how much of the track's signal is sent to the available effects
channels.

The FX tracks are usually hidden in the mixer. They will be displayed to the left of the master sec-
tion as soon as one of the FX send controllers is used.

An effects channel is an entirely additional mixer channel with volume and

panorama controller and effects rack.

In the first effects channel, the reverb feature is activated by default, since it
is the most common way of using send effects.

The volume controllers serve to regulate the volume of the effects channel
and corresponds to an AUX return controller. The "Mute" button is used to
switch the FX feature on and off. The "Solo" button enables you to listen to
the effects channel separately. The peak meters of the tracks, which send to
the FX track, are displayed in gray.

Master channel

The master channel is located to the right of the individual channels. This controls the overall sound
and also offers all editing options: volume, panorama, plug-ins and effects.

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The FX button and the plug-in slots function exactly as in the other channels. The FX button will
open the master audio effects rack. The complete mixer settings including the effect channels can be
reset with the "Reset" button.

Mastering: Opens the MAGIX Mastering Suite.

5.1 Surround: This button switches the mixer to Surround Mode.

Both faders control the total volume.

Link buttons: If the link button is deactivated, the volume of the right and left chan-
nels may be set individually.

Volume and panorama automation

You can automate the volume and panorama curves of a track. This means you can move and record
the track volume faders and panorama controls during playback. This way, for instance, you can sim-
ulate the movement of a sound source from left to right and make volume adjustment instantly dur-
ing playback.

As long as the Auto button in a track is active, all movements of the volume and panorama
controller are recorded.

The automation is displayed as a curve in the project window and can be edited later with the
mouse.

Automation curves of the mixer are track-related, i.e. independent of the objects contained in
the track.

Extra effects in plug-ins

Video effect plug-ins are additional programs from third-party manufacturers that can be used to
apply extra video effects to video objects. Movie Studio supports the plug-in format of the freeware
video editing software VirtualDub, as well as the "VitaScene" and "Adorage" programs by proDAD
and effects based on OpenFX standard.

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Install the OpenFX plug-ins and click on "Scan" under "Effects" > "Extra effects" in the Media Pool.
Then restart Movie Studio. OpenFX plug-ins appear directly below and are ready for use.

Important applications for plug-ins:

■ Removal of broadcast logos

■ Removal of interference
■ Addition of special effects

Activate plug-ins

1. First, update Movie Studio via Menu HELP > UPDATE ONLINE.
2. In the menu, click HELP > UNLOCK CONTENT PACKAGE(S).
3. Enter your coupon code in the field and click on CONTINUE.
Once the plug-in is activated, you will receive an email with the corresponding serial number.
4. In the Media Pool, click on EFFECTS > EXTRA EFFECTS.
5. Select the plug-in and click on DOWNLOAD.
The plug-in will be installed automatically after the download is complete.

After the effects have been successfully activated, they will display under EXTRA EFFECTS. If
they don't appear there, restart your system.

Using video effect plug-ins

First select the video or image object.

Then open the Plug-in manager in the Media Pool (under "Effects > Extra effects > Plug-in man-
ager"). This opens the manager dialog for video effect plugins, which lists all available plugins on the
right side of the dialog.

You must install the plug-ins in order to use them. After you install the plug-ins, they will be dis-
played.

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Plug-in manager

Effect templates for plug-ins: Movie Studio does not include plug-ins due to licensing reasons.

You can save your settings by pressing the "Save" button and remove them by pressing
"Delete".

Available plug-ins: All available plug-ins are listed here.

Add plug-in: The selected plug-in is added to the editing chain (plug-ins on the current object list is
on the right). You can load as many plug-ins as you like simultaneously. They are then edited sub-
sequently according to the list sequence. Drag and drop the plug-ins in the list to change their order.

Plug-in settings: Here you can open the settings dialog for the selected plug-in. All plug-in settings
for the entire list can be saved as a preset (effect templates for plug-ins) .

Advanced...: Opens the Advanced settings dialog.

Navigation buttons: Switch to the previous or next movie via the navigation buttons in the lower
part of the dialog of a movie.

Apply from previous: Uses the settings of the most recently set movie. This option is only active if
you are editing objects with the navigation buttons (see above).

OK: The adjustments made to the settings will be applied to the current object.

Apply to all: The effects will be applied to all objects in the movie.

Cancel: Closes the dialog. The settings will not be applied.

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Advanced...

In the "Advanced" dialog, you can specify the search path for plug-ins. Movie Studio checks in these
folders for available plug-in files at program start and adds these to the list of available plug-ins.
With "Add path" you can add new search paths, Delete path removes them from the list again.

Check for file extension only: This accelerates the search for new plug-ins when a larger number of
plug-ins are available, as only the file extension is checked for validity, not the actual plug-in.

Search subfolders:The search will be extended to include the subfolders.

Local settings

Dynamically recalculate video effect plug-ins for bitmaps for every frame: If you have to apply a
plug-in to a bitmap (image) object, you need to activate this option if the plug-in creates moving
effects.

Load effects masks

Effects masks are a tool that allow you to apply specific effects to a selected area of a video and leav-
ing other parts of the video unchanged. The effects mask creates a kind of mask that defines the area
to which effects are applied. This can be particularly useful when, for example, you want to blur only
the background of a video while keeping the actual object in the foreground sharp.

Typical use cases include:

■ Image optimization: A typical example is a horizontal pan across a horizon, in which case the
upper or lower area of the image is brightened or colored in.
■ Eye-catching color gradients, colorations, etc.
■ Special effects such as pixelation of a car license plate.

Effects masks are regular image objects and may be animated or attached to a certain image pos-
ition to use them as moving video images.

Load effects mask

1. Select the object in the timeline to apply the effects mask to.
2. Open the desired video effect in the Media Pool (except "Chroma Key").
3. Set up the effect parameters in the Media Pool that should be applied using the effect mask.
4. Click the button in the upper right corner of the effects page for more options → LOAD
EFFECTS MASK.

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Now, find the template for SD and HD material in the folder that opens.
5. Double-click the mask you want to apply. The brighter the area in the effects mask, the
stronger the effect will be.

■ Black indicates no effect,

■ and white indicates full effect.
When using your own color images, the brightness values are used.
6. In the effect overview, you can define if effects mask should also be used for other effects Click
on the masking button for every effect the mask will be applied to.

Remove effects mask

» Click the More options → DELETE EFFECTS in the upper right corner of the effects page to
remove the effects mask.

Invert mask

You can also invert masks: Click on the arrow in the mask effect's object, which appears when you
position the mouse over this object. This makes all dark areas light, and all light areas dark. To revert
the masks, click the arrow again.

Layer masks

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

You'll find various layer masks in the Media Pool under "Templates > Image objects". These masks
can be imported directly into your project as an object. The mask automatically applies the chroma
key effect "Alpha" and can be used to crop objects in a particular form. This can be used to create
interesting collages with two overlapping objects that blend into one another with a layer mask.

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The black area of the mask contains the top object, the white area is the object underneath. If you
apply a gray scale mask, the two object will be mixed according to the desired transparency.

You can also invert masks: Click on the arrow in the mask's object, which appears when you pos-
ition the mouse over this object. To revert the masks, click the arrow again.

Animate objects using keyframes

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Use keyframes to animate and adjust precise movements, effects and other properties for objects.

A keyframe is a single frame in an animation that serves as an essential reference point (start or end
point). Various keyframes are set when an animation is created to define movements and changes
during the animation process. Intermediate values for the frames are calculated by interpolating the
settings. This creates smooth transitions between keyframes. If you want to add further effects or
make other changes, you can add more keyframes to create complex animations. Object properties
are set for each keyframe. These properties include:

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■ Position: Changes the position of the object in the frame.

■ Size: Changes the size of the object in the frame.
■ Rotation: Rotates the object in the frame.
■ Transparency: Changes the transparency of the object in the frame.
■ Color: Changes the color of the object in the frame.
■ Audio volume: Adjusts the volume of the audio clip in the frame.
■ Effects: Changes the effects that are applied to the object.
■ Masks: Adjusts the mask applied to the object.
■ Speed: Adjusts the speed at which the object is moved in the frame.
■ Text: Changes text content and effects in the frame.

Preparing animations

1. First, select the object in the project window to animate.

For more complex animations, it can be helpful to set project markers beforehand for ori-
entation. Markers

2. In the MEDIA POOL, click on EFFECTS > VIEW/ANIMATION.

Here you can find all the effects that can be used to animate the object.
3. Set up the effect as it should be at the beginning of the animation.

4. Use this button at the bottom of the Media Pool to display the effects overview. You can
see here which animated effects are currently applied to the selected object. Keyframes can be
placed, selected, moved and deleted.

The effects overview includes two dashed lines for orientation. These lines will help you recog-
nize the start or end of the transition.

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Place keyframe

Click the timeline to set the playback marker at the locations where a keyframe should be added.

You can also use the timeline in the project window for exact positioning. Using project markers
is recommended in this case. Markers

This button places keyframes for all parameters required in the animation.

■ Additional keyframes may be added simply by placing the playback marker at the next key-
frame location and changing the effects parameters directly.

The positioned keyframes may also be retroactively moved via drag and drop.

Copy keyframe

Select the keyframes to be copied by clicking them and then press the "Copy" button.

Next, set the playback marker at the location for insertion and click the "Insert" button.

Delete keyframe

Select the keyframe to be deleted by clicking it.

This button removes the selected keyframe.

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Example: Making objects fly through the image

The effect "Position/Size/Rotation" can be used to animate objects or titles appear to fly across
the screen. In this case we recommending placing the start and end point of the animation out-
side of the image.

You will need a video object and a second object to be animated, for example a title that you
want to fly through the video. Here's how to do it:

1. Click on the program monitor and zoom out of the video image (Ctrl + mouse wheel). This
displays the workspace at the edges of the reduced preview image.
2. Select the effect "Position/Size".
3. Move the object to be animated to the position on the workspace where the animation
should start. For example, to the left of the preview window.

4. Position the playback marker at the location where the animation should start.
5. Create a keyframe for the animation start.
6. Position the playback marker at the position where the object to be animated should dis-
appear from the image.
7. Move the object to the position on the workspace where the animation should end; for
example, to the right of the preview image. This will place a second keyframe for the end of
the animation automatically.
8. Play back the result. The object to be animated should now fly from left to right through
the video picture.

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Display keyframes of individual parameters

Effects can include several parameters. When you create a keyframe, it is assigned to all parameters
of an effect. However, the keyframes of the individual parameters can also be controlled individually
via the effects overview.

■ Click the small arrow beside the name of the animated effect to display all of its parameters.

■ All keyframes of the effects parameter can be individually moved, deleted, activated, and deac-
tivated.

Only the parameters that are used for the animation are listed. If another parameter is required
for editing the effect, it will also become visible here.

Retroactively editing an effect's keyframes

Previously set keyframes can be retroactively and temporally moved and their parameters can
edited.

■ Keyframes can be moved using drag and drop. Simply click on the keyframe to be moved and
drag it to the desired position.
■ To change an effects setting for an already positioned keyframe, click the keyframe and adjust
the effect in the Media Pool.

Keyframe interpolation

Keyframe interpolation refers to the process of how the transition is made from one keyframe to the
next. This can either be constant ("linear") or flattened ("Bezier"). The interpolation type for each
animated effect can be set using the interpolation buttons in front of the keyframe bar.

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In addition to the standardized curve progressions you can also create any kind of curve progression
you like.

Linear interpolation is the default setting. This transfers the values evenly as a straight line to
the following keyframe.

Automatic Bezier interpolation applies an approximation curve at the keyframe. This makes
the movement progression softer and more natural.

Effect curves

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Effects curves are an option for controlling how effects change over time. The parameters of the
effect are plotted along a curve that runs over time. By placing keyframes on the curve, you can
change the settings of the effect over time to create animated effects. Effect curves can be used to
control brightness, contrast, and hue, for example.

Activate effects curve

For each animated effects parameter, a curve is created and placed over the object.

Effect curves will be displayed only after a first keyframe is set.

» In the EFFECTS OVERVIEW, click on the button to display the effects curve on the object
in the timeline.

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Edit curve points: The curve point can either be edited with the individual curve points (in "Stand-
ard" mouse mode) or by freely drawing the effect curve (in Curve mouse mode).

New curve points can be added to the curve in "Standard" mode via Ctrl + Shift and clicking; existing
ones can be deleted in the same way. Every curve point can be moved with the mouse horizontally
and vertically.

Effects curves – additional functions

The context menu can also be opened via the small arrow beside the
effects indicator.

Delete effects: Removes the selected effect completely.

Delete effects curve: Removes the effects curve to be created again.

Copy effects curve: The effects curve is copied to the clipboard to be used at other positions.

Insert effects curve: A previously copied effects curve can be inserted elsewhere with this function
at any time. This may be in the same object or in another object.

If you would like to insert the curve into a longer or shorter object, then think about setting the
option "Connect curve length with object length" correctly before copying.

Connect curve length with object length: If this option is set, then changes to object length will
affect the effects curve accordingly.

Load effects curve: A previously saved effects curve may be loaded via this menu item. This is use-
ful, for example, if you have added your own default animations.

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The current effects curve will be overwritten as another one is loaded.

Save effects curves: Effects curves can be saved as a separate file. This is useful if you want to add
your own default animations and load them again at other positions.

Be aware that during saving the setting "Connect curve length with object length" is saved as
well and applied during loading.

Edit effect curve

This dialog serves to stretch, compress and move effect curves within an object. The info bar of the
dialog will display the effect, whose automation curve is currently being edited.

Move position

Timeline: With each click on the arrow, you can move the effects curve forward or back by the dis-
played time value.

Effect: Every click on the arrow up or down moves the effect curve by the entered value. Depending
on the effect, it is possible to enter exact or percent values.

Stretching & compressing

Timeline: The effects curve will be stretched or compressed by the entered time value. Invert
reverses the curve on the time axis and reinserts it in "reverse". The entire object duration will be con-
sidered.

Effect: The effect curve is stretched or compressed in its values, no time-related editing takes place.
The selected option (see table) is decisive in editing.

Mirror: The entire curve is mirrored along the X-axis, whose position is determined by the following
option (see table).

... around the object center: The X-axis lies exactly at the center of the
object.

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... at the center of the curve: The X-axis lies between the upper and lower
automation point.

... at the curve minimum: The X-axis lies at the level of the lowest auto-
mation point.

... at the curve maximum: The X-axis lies at the level of the highest auto-
mation point.

Effect settings for the entire movie

You can open the effects from the the settings via the "Effects" menu.

All of the settings made here influence the entire movie. Settings are made separately for each indi-
vidual movie in the project. On the right, you'll see a preview of the current setting. Use the position
slider to jump to different positions in the movie or to various scenes in order to see how the selec-
ted setting affects the image material.

Brightness/Contrast

Brightness: Use the sliders to reduce or increase the object's brightness.

Selective brightness (gamma): “Gamma” determines the mean gray scale that can be calculated
from the various color ranges. "Selective brightness" is the most important function for enhancing
images. In the preset list, select the various envelope curves to edit only the dark, median, or bright-
est areas of the image.

Using the fader you can also set the power of the brightness/darkness adjustments.

Contrast: You can increase or lower the object's contrast.

Adjust color space: This option is effective for correcting extreme colors that violate TV standards
and can no longer be displayed properly on-screen. The color saturation of the affected material is
thereby reduced until the maximum permitted value is reached.

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Paint

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

Hue: Use the palette to select a hue for coloring-in the picture.

Saturation: Use the saturation slider to increase or reduce the hue proportions in the image. A newly
developed algorithm is applied which makes color changes related to other parameters (e.g. contrast
settings) in order to achieve the most natural coloration possible.

Red/Green/Blue: Changes the color portion mix.

Sharpness

Use the slider to adjust the sharpness or blurriness of the entire film.

Apply to: Set whether the sharpness should only affect edges or whether the blurriness should only
affect surfaces. This enables you to effectively reduce ongoing image distortions.

Presets: Try out the presets from the preset menu.

Temporarily switch off all effects: With this option, you can temporarily deactivate all effects. This
way, you can quickly compare the original with the edited version.

TV picture

This option ensures that the image size is adapted to fit the real television picture (anti cropping).
Without this adjustment, the screen could cut off edges of the image in some cases.

Fade in TV display area in the program monitor: This option displays the image borders of the tele-
vision as lines in the program monitor. The four image borders of the TV display area can be set by
means of the 4 input fields. Here, it is of course necessary to know the actual size of the TV picture.
To determine it, proceed as follows:

The four input fields also enable the borders of the four sides to be adjusted freely in percent. It is
important to find the optimal balance between distortion, reduction, bar formation, and image crop-
ping:

■ If the same value is entered for every margin the image size is reduced proportionally. In this
case no distortions will occur, but there will be bars along the edges.

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■ If different values are entered for the 4 fields the image size will not be reduced proportionally.
This will distort the image.

Apply border range to:This option enables the input values for the four image borders to be applied
to the respective photos in reduced form. The result can immediately be viewed on the program
monitor.

Determining the visible TV frame size

To determine the picture properties of your television as well as optimal image size editor settings,
you should perform a test run:

■ Load the project "Visible TV image" from the folder "My Media > Projects > Visible TV image"
in the Media Pool.
■ Play back the film and read the instructions on the program monitor.
■ Burn the project to DVD
■ Place the disc into your player and play back the movie. Compare the TV picture to the picture
displayed on your program monitor by Movie Studio.
■ Determine the proportional value of the borders cropped by the television with the 4 meas-
urement scales along the edges of the test picture.
■ Enter the values in the “Full TV size” editor.

The image size is now optimized to your TV picture. Please note: Depending on device settings and
disc carrier type, the cropping values may vary slightly.

Object tracking
ATTACH TO PICTURE POSITION IN THE VIDEO

You can attach an image object or a title to moving image content of a video, which is known as
object (or motion) tracking. The attached object (overlay object) automatically completes the move-
ment of the image content from the video. For example, you could use this method to insert a hat
that stays on someone's head throughout, even if the person is hopping around in the frame.

1. Switch to Timeline mode .

2. Insert an image object on a track below the background video (reference video).

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Make sure that the reference video and overlay object are positioned on different tracks in
parallel. You should also ensure that the reference video is on a track above the overlay
object.

3. Move the object to the desired position in the reference video and resize it if necessary.

» Size/Position/Rotation
4. Right-click the image object and select ATTACH TO PICTURE POSITION IN THE VIDEO.

If you want to attach two objects, e.g. a title and a speech bubble, an additional dialog
appears, which lets you select the objects you want to attach to your video.

5. In the program monitor, select an image range that you would like to use for the movement of
the overlay object. Use the mouse to draw a frame around the image content you want to
track.
The movement of the object will then be tracked automatically.

Film looks and lookup tables

With lookup tables, you can apply specific color and contrast settings to raw camera material.

Lookup tables are provided by camera manufacturers. This means the camera material will be pro-
cessed as the camera manufacturer had intended it. The image contains saturated colors and strong
contrasts. Lookup tables also enable you to modify visual aesthetics. Certain film genres each have
their own characteristic color properties: Crime thrillers often use strongly saturated, almost mono-
chrome colors, whereas romantic comedies often have bright, saturated colors.

For many film productions, you can find their lookup tables online to download. You can also use
such external lookup tables in Movie Studio to increase your stock of lookup tables. The lookup
tables provided can be found in the Templates tab in the Media Pool. There is a preview for each
lookup table. To load a lookup table, drag and drop the object into the Timeline.

Lookup tables (LUT)

Lookup tables (LUT) contain predefined values, which can be called up without having to be cal-
culated first. They are implemented in various industries, including image editing, such as in color
render improvement.

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You can use lookup tables in creative areas to give your movies a certain look, for example "Matrix
style".

But lookup tables can also be used to calibrate log/flat formats. Some cameras offer these formats
to create low-contrast original material, for easier editing later. Often, manufacturers of such camera
models offer corresponding lookup tables for conversion.

Currently, Movie Studio supports lookup tables in cube format.

Some lookup tables for specific film looks are already included and can be set. See if you can find the
right look.

You can search online using terms such as "color grading lut" and "cube lut" for lookup tables
and save these on your PC. You can then load and use them in Movie Studio.

Camera lookup tables

Lookup tables from different camera manufacturers will adjust the image to appear as they intended
it. With these tables, you can achieve a saturated, neutral image with rich contrasts.

Effect lookup tables

This folder contains lookup tables which you can use to give your video image a certain atmosphere.

Object properties

In the dialog "Object Properties", the video material properties will be listed in more detail.

■ Right-click on the object to open the dialog in the context menu.

■ In the "Video" tab, you can see the color depth, color sampling and the color profile for your ori-
ginal material. Here, you can also access the camera lookup tables from the Media Pool.
■ You can access the save destination folder for the lookup tables using the folder symbol. Here,
you can see the path information, add further lookup tables or create your own.

Create your own lookup tables

■ To create your own lookup tables, first load the film material.
■ Now, use the individual color and contrast effects until you are satisfied with the image.

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■ Use the arrow button in the effect dialog to open the effects menu. Gradation curves from the
contrast dialog and color properties can be saved as a lookup table. In the following dialog, all
the active effects that can be saved as a lookup table will be listed.
■ Click on "Next" to open the save destination folder for the lookup tables.
■ Choose an appropriate name.
■ Your new lookup table can be accessed later by going to the lookup folder in the Media Pool.

Templates

The TEMPLATES area offers an extensive collection of templates for giving your videos a pro-
fessional look. The templates offer pre-made transitions, fades, titles, animations and other elements
that you can use to easily create a unique design and style for your video.

Transitions

Transitions are effects that are placed between two video clips to create a seamless transition
between the scenes.

Title templates

Title templates provide different styles and designs for text elements in your video. You can choose
from a wide range of pre-made title templates including different fonts, colors and animations.

Movie and editing templates

These templates open as standalone movies and contain placeholders that you can swap out with
your own material.

Intro and outro animations

These templates are designed to create an engaging intro and outro for your video.

Theme packs

Theme packs are collection of templates in specific visual styles or concepts. They contain a com-
bination of transitions, titles, animations and other visual elements in a matching theme.

Movie looks

Film looks are pre-made settings that affect the look and atmosphere of your video. They offer vari-
ous options for style and color scheme to give your video a unique visual character, such as sepia,

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black and white or 16mm.

Design elements and image objects

These templates contain different visual elements such as shapes, icons, frames and other graphic
elements that you can add to your video to enhance it and make it more visually interesting. You can
use these as overlay elements to highlight text, graphics or other content.

Some design elements require a free track 6. For these elements, you will be informed by dialog
before you can use them.

Movie and editing templates

Unlike effects, film and editing templates are not dragged on to the existing material in the project
window like effects, but opened just like a standalone film. Each holds a placeholder that can be filled
with its own material. For example, you can use it for the opening credits or a film teaser to introduce
material on a website or in an email.

The movie templates are located under "Templates" > "Movie templates & editing templates" in the
Media Pool. Select the movie template according to the desired length of the movie. Double clicking
on a movie template opens it for editing.

Insert your own material

In the lower section, you can see the vertically arranged structure of the template. It is arranged into
several scenes. You can find additional explanations in the information window to the right.

You can insert your own content anywhere you see a media placeholder. The specified length will be
displayed on the media placeholder. Their lengths cannot be changed.

The placeholder icons indicate which type of material should ideally be inserted here (e.g., group
shot, landscape, close up).

1. Drag the desired image or video from the Media Pool in front of the placeholder to be replaced.
If the video inserted is too short, it will be rejected by Movie Studio.

Images automatically become the length of the controlled media placeholder.

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2. If the video is too long for the media placeholder, move the position of the video in the editing
area.

Automatic filling

To add content quickly, use automatic filling.

Select multiple media items in the Media Pool and drag them over the movie template. A field will
appear where you collect your media. The movie template will now be automatically filled. The order
of the media items in the template determines the date of the files; the sections are selected at ran-
dom.

Depending on the template, either the entire template will be filled with the video footage or indi-
vidual placeholders will each be filled with a video from the selection.

If you do not like the compilation, click on REAPPLY and the program will select new video sec-
tions.

Design title

To customize the text, click on the corresponding placeholder and enter the desired text to the right
of the editing area in the text field.

Further use of movie templates

Burning and exporting a filled template works just like with any other project.

Manually editing a movie template

Click this button if you want to customize the movie template in detail. The movie template will
be transferred to the known edit screen and every object, every transition, every music title, etc. can
be customized.

Warning! You cannot return to the movie template wizard.

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Transitions
When importing video files into the project window, individual objects usually follow directly after
one another. This is called a "hard cut". However, you can make scenes blend or “transition” into
each other.

This means that for the duration of a transition, two objects are shown at once and can be mixed
"faded" together in different ways. You'll find a wide range of transitions in the Media Pool's trans-
ition folder.

Simple crossfade

A simple transition can be created in the project window by dragging one object over another. A
crossfade will be created automatically. During this standard transition, the brightness of both
objects are added together; the first clip fades out while the second clip fades in. The duration of the
crossfade is displayed in the project window by white crossing lines. You can adjust the length of the
crossfade by dragging the upper handle of the second object to the left or to the right.

Transitions from the Media Pool

Use transitions sparingly. Look closely when you are watching movies in the theater or on TV.
You will notice that hard cuts are used as a rule and transitions are used less frequently. Videos
appear unprofessional and too ornate if transition effects are added to every change of scene.

■ To open the transition folder, click on the "Transitions" button in the template folder located in
the Media Pool.
■ Double clicking on an entry provides a preview of the transition.
■ Drag the transition you want onto the border between the two objects. Only when the mouse
pointer is placed over a scene change will it turn from a lock icon into an object icon, i.e. you can
place the transition at that position. The object at the back will be shifted to the front to accom-
modate the duration of the transition.

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Most transitions can have any length, and if a transition is shortened, it means that the resulting
effect is speeded up.

Some transitions can be set even more exactly. To do so, click on the transition icon again and select
"Settings..." at the bottom of the menu. Thus, a transition icon in the Media Pool can represent an
entire group of different effects.

The so-called alpha transitions (in the subfolders "Mold and Objects" "Iris", "Random", etc.) are actu-
ally pre-produced black and white videos that are combined with the alpha keying effect to be used
as transitions.

Other transitions use sound effects. Look around at all the contents to form an idea of what you can
use in future projects.

Custom transitions with alpha keying

Alpha keying extends the range of transition effects used in Movie Studio to produce black & white
movie transitions or selected color fade-ins and fade-outs. You can create such a video from any
video material (also color) by exporting it as a transition (File > Export movie > Export as transition).

The loaded movie is then exported as a black and white video in mxv format and stored in the fade
directory. Afterwards, it will be available on the Media Pool and in the fade menu.

3D transitions

3D effects offer exciting and varied opportunities to create transitions between two videos.

The following transition settings are available:

Anti-aliasing: An undesirable step effect is usually created at the borders of 3D objects. Anti-ali-
asing reduces this effect, but also requires more computer power. The setting applies globally to all
3D fades, switching on anti-aliasing during 3D fades has the effect that all other 3D fades are also
affected by this setting.

Horizontal/Vertical mirror: Use these options to influence the path of the 3D objects within the
fades. "Horizontal" mirrors the movement of the object horizontally, i.e. along the X-axis. "Vertical"
mirrors the movement of the object vertically, i.e. along the Y-axis.

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3D series

The 3D series are a further development of 3D transitions, where the transitions are thematically sor-
ted. For instance, you can let photos appear on a notice board or make it look as if the photos were
hung on the walls of a gallery.

■ Click on "Templates" > "Transitions" > "3D series" in the Media Pool. Select the desired 3D
series and drag it onto the first scene or image transition where the 3D series should start.

You can select how many of the subsequent fades should be replaced by the 3D series in the dialog.

Create Panorama

This special feature can be applied to selected photos by going to "EFFECTS" > "VIDEO OBJECT
EFFECTS" > "CREATE PANORAMA". Using it, you can combine several photos into a wide pan-
orama photo.

It's a good idea to optimize your photos beforehand so that the transitions can't be seen in the
finished panorama.

1. Load all necessary images into the film project. The images that should make up the panorama
should be selected one after the other while holding down the Ctrl key. Select the entry
CREATE PANORAMA from the context menu.
2. Sometimes photos are accidentally loaded in the wrong sequence. To sort the photos properly,
click on the INVERT SEQUENCE button.
3. If you click on CREATE the panorama image will be processed. Depending on the resolution
and number of original images this may take some time. The original photos are replaced in
your slideshow with the panorama image in the movie. The original files on your hard disk are
not affected.

You can use up to six images to create a panorama image. Click on MORE OPTIONS, to find
out more about the upgrade.

Image optimization for individual objects

The context menu features various adjustment options for selected video and image objects.

» Right-click on the the object in the project window.

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Interpolation Choose this option to remove interlace artifacts from your video image. If, for
for interlace instance, you extract still shots from a video, interlace artifacts appear in
footage sequences which feature movement.

Anti-interlace Choose this option to remove interlace artifacts from your data. This filter
filter reduces line flickering during TV playback.

Border crop- Select this option if the edges are cropped during playback on your television. The
ping adjust- values defined under "Film effect settings" will be applied.
ment

16-bit deep color support

The color depth support in Movie Studio expands available color depth in internal editing from 8-bit
to 16-bit per color channel and can theoretically reach over 281 billion color nuances.

Background information:

Color depth is determined by the number of displayable color nuances. The number of nuances is
measured in bits and is known as the color depth of an image. The more nuances or bits are detect-
able, the more brightness levels and color nuances can be displayed. A higher bit number reduces
jagged edges in color gradients.

8-bit processing is currently the editing standard for DVDs, Blu-rays and most TVs and monitors.
Everything above was extremely difficult to achieve in home and semiprofessional environments due
to various technical limitations such as missing cameras and corresponding playback devices.

Furthermore, several video codecs and image standards use the process of color subsampling for
data reduction. There are different methods of subsampling, which make different selections when
sampling the color signals. Any perceivable loss of quality is quite minor.

The first internal color grading workflow processes in Movie Studio have already been switched from
8-bit to 16-bit deep color. Eventually, all internal processes will be switched to 16-bit. Effects such as
TimeStretch, DoFlip, Saturation, Fade and Crossfade are already supported.

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Notes:

■ 16-bit requires more computing power.

■ Material that has very similar hues and saturation profits enormously from additional color
depth.
■ In order to display and transmit color depth correctly, all devices (TV, Blu-ray player) as well as
the connection cable must support deep color.

Supported formats with deep color support in Movie Studio

Import

Video: AVC, HEVC

Photo: TGA, PSD, TIFF and RAW up to 16-bit

Export

Video: HEVC

» Export movie (for advanced users)

Editing audio

In principle, any track in Movie Studio can be used as an audio track. There are no specific track
types. But it's easier not to mix object types within one track.

Loading audio files

■ All importable audio files may be accessed in the Media Pool and previewed via the transport
controls of the program monitor by clicking on the file name.
■ The files can be moved to the project window or the project folder using drag and drop. Tracks
from audio CDs can also be dragged and dropped into the project.
■ Edits, fine positioning, volume settings, and fading in and out can all be adjusted directly in the
project window using the object handles.
■ Various effect curves can be selected for audio tracks, dynamically controlling selectable
effects, volume or stereo panorama.

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Adjust loudness of all selected objects

This function adjusts the loudness values of all selected objects according to the "reference object".
The object that has just been activated is used as the reference object.

Requirements

■ Objects need to be at least 5 seconds long for a reasonable calculation. An object length of 10
seconds or longer will provide better results.
■ Background music provides the best results. In the vast majority of cases, music provides a
homogeneous sound image and minimal volume changes (of course, very good results can also
be obtained with video material).

Open

1. Set the object loudness of the reference object to the desired value.
2. Select all objects (including the reference object) whose loudness you would like to adjust.
3. Open the context menu of the reference object:

I. Right-click on the the object.

II. Select "Adjust loudness of selected objects" (for Combo objects in the submenu "Audio
functions").

Or:

I. Press the Shift key and click on the reference object.

II. In the menu, click on EFFECTS → AUDIO OBJECT EFFECTS → ADJUST
LOUDNESS OF SELECTED OBJECTS.

Result:

■ Movie Studio determines all loudness values for the selected objects und adjusts them to fit the
reference object. The object loudness of the remaining objects will also be adjusted accordingly.

■ If the adjustment results in an object loudness which is so high that it could possibly cause clip-
ping, Movie Studio will provide an automatic correction. This will lower the volume of all
objects (including the reference object).

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Problems & solutions

For objects containing large loudness differences or noises (e.g. in video camera recordings) the res-
ult may not always be satisfactory. Prepare these objects as follows:

1. Split the object at the corresponding transitions before carrying out the function.
2. Open the function (see Open).
3. Afterwards transition the objects with simple crossfades.

Edit volume curve

You can use volume curves to easily edit the audio track of an object as you wish.

1. In a project, select an object whose volume you would like to adjust.

2. Open the volume curve by going to "Effects" > "Audio object effects" > "Volume curve".
You will now see an additional line in the audio track; this is the volume curve.
3. When you touch this line with your mouse cursor, the cursor is transformed from a hand sym-
bol to an arrow. Now if you click on the line, you will create a point (keyframe), which you can
grab with the mouse cursor and drag to a lower position. This lowers the volume of the overall
object.

4. Create another point. Move this point down too and make sure you don't lower the entire
volume curve, but simply a section of it.

You can create as many keyframes a you wish, adjusting the volume curve section by section, untill
all segments play at the appropriate volume. Check whether the keyframe are positioned right by
playing back the track (spacebar starts and stops playback) and listening to hear the effect of the
keyframes.

If you would like to move a keyframe to the left or right, grab it with the mouse cursor and move it to
the right position.

If you would like to delete keyframes, use the effect overview in Media Pool under "Effects" > "Audio
effects" > "General" as described under "Animate objects, effect curves". Select the keyframe that
you wish to delete and click on the Delete button.

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Audio mixdown
This option combines all audio objects in a single audio file (mixdown). The audio material in the pro-
ject then occupies a single track, so you have a clear overview of other objects and more space for
them.

Movie Studio automatically normalizes the audio file, i.e. the loudest point of the wave audio object
is identical to the highest value of the 16-bit resolution ceiling. This guarantees the same sound qual-
ity, even if you repeat the mixdown procedure in the project window or you combine the mixdown
file with other wave audio objects again and again. The mixdown function is very helpful if you want
to continue using the mixdown object afterwards.

Volume reduction
The Volume reduction command from the audio object context menu automatically dampens the
volume for the length of the audio object on all other tracks. The volume on the track of the selected
object thus remains unchanged.

Only original sound: Here you can also specify whether you want to dampen only the original sound
of the video or all audio tracks.

Transition length: In the dialog you can set the dampening and the length of the fade in and out.
You can use this command while recording audio (Audio recording, advanced options).

Audio cleaning
In the context menu for an audio object, open the "audio cleaning" editor for correcting noise, dis-
tortion or other audio discrepancies.

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Select the cleaning function you desire from the upper part of the dialog:

■ The equalizer allows you to manipulate the frequency spectrum – perfect for cleaning-up
muffled dialog.
■ The compressor is a dynamic volume control that lends a deeper, richer quality to the overall
sound.
■ The Stereo FX processor controls the position of the sound within the stereo panorama.
■ DeClipper, DeNoiser and DeHisser are professional noise reduction tools for removing noise
and hiss.

Preset: You can find the right presets for your project in the preset menu.

Temporarily switch off all effects: With this option, you can temporarily deactivate all effects.

Apply to all: Applies the selected cleaning settings of all effects to every scene of the movie.

DeClipper

If the input level of an audio recording is too high, distortion may result at the louder parts (the signal
peaks). This digital distortion is also called "clipping": At the overmodulated area, the values that are
too high are simply cut off, and typical, quite unpleasant-sounding crackling and distortion appear.

Movie Studio includes a special function for dealing with digital clipping and analog distortions. This
only works to a certain degree, of course. It's better to avoid clipping during recording in the first
place.

Using the fader you can set at what level the DeClipper should register a signal as being over-
modulated and, if required, correct it (Clip level). This is important, as different sound cards show dif-
ferent clipping methods. The more the fader is turned up, the lower the level recognized by the
program as overmodulated. If the clip level is set too high, unwanted sound modification may occur.

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Get clip level: The clip level is gauged from the current position of the playback marker.

How to get clip level:

1. Set the playback position just before the loudest section.

2. Press "Get clip level".
3. For more precision, you can adjust the clip level control.

DeNoiser

The DeNoiser removes persistent background noise like computer humming, hissing, noises from
sound cards, disturbance from ground wires, interference from audio-equipment with high-imped-
ance outputs (e.g. turntables), footsteps or rumbling sounds from LPs.

The DeNoiser requires a noise sample. Some typical noise sounds are included in the "Preset" selec-
tion menu.

Set the degree to which the noise should be reduced with the fader. It is often better to reduce inter-
ference signals by 3 to 6 dB rather than as much as is possible so as to keep the sound "natural".

A different option consists of creating a noise sample yourself. A short section from the audio track
in which the distortion can be found is all that's needed. To get it, switch to the DeNoiser dialog by
clicking "Advanced".

Advanced settings

Step 1: Choose noise sample

First of all, a sample of the distortion you wish to remove must be selected, a so-called "Noise
sample".

You have two options to choose from:

■ Pick out typical background noise: You can select and use a number of typical background
noises from the flip menu. Select one and listen to it by pressing the "Play" button. If it's similar
to the background noise in your audio track, go ahead and use it (see "Step 2: Removing back-
ground noise").
■ Extract a new noise sample from an audio track: You can also pick out a short passage (from
the existing sound track) in which you can hear the background noise.

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Automatic search: Searches especially quiet passages in which background noise is most notice-
able.

Previous/play/next: This button allows you to play all of the passages found for easy comparison.

Save as: Once found, you can save noise samples to the hard drive. They then appear as entries in
the "Typical background noises" flip menu to be used in other projects.

If you only wish to use the noise sample in the current project, you don't have to save. Instead just go
to the "Remove noise" category.

Step 2: Remove noise

Noise level: The level of the noise reduction function should be set as precisely as possible. Values
that are too low are expressed in too low a distortion dampening level and in artefacts, like noises or
"twittering" (see below). Values that are too high give rise to dull sounding results – the highs of the
sound signal are also filtered out. Take your time to find the best setting for an individual case.

Reducer: This sets the balance between the original signal and the signal with the applied noise
reduction. It's often better to reduce interference signals by 3 to 6 dB rather than as much as is pos-
sible to keep the sound "natural". For buzzing, it’s best to apply complete removal.

DeHisser

The DeHisser eliminates regular "white" noise typically produced by analog tape recordings, micro-
phone preamplifiers, or AD transformers. Noise reduction can be adjusted in decibel increments
with the fader. It is often better to reduce interference signals by 3 to 6 dB rather than as much as is
possible so as to keep the sound "natural".

Noise level: You can choose from different noise levels. You should set the selection as precisely as
possible. Setting the value too low will result in only partial removal of the hissing. Settings that are
too high lead to dull results – noise-like signal components (such as the blow-off of wind instru-
ments) are also removed.

Equalizer FX rack

The 10-band equalizer subdivides the frequency spectrum into ten areas (‘bands’) and equips them
with separate volume controls. This makes it possible to create many impressive effects, from a
simple boosting of the bass to complete distortion. If low frequencies are boosted too much, the
overall sound level is heavily increased which may lead to distortion.

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Slider control: Each of the ten frequency ranges can be separately boosted or turned down with the
ten volume controls.

Link frequency bands: The frequency fields can be bundled together flexibly in order to avoid arti-
ficial-sounding overemphasis in individual frequency fields.

Compressor

The compressor is an automated, dynamic volume controller. Loud passages become quieter and
the total value is raised. This makes the volume more consistent and speech easier to understand. A
compressor is mainly useful in case background noise or music interferes with speech and simply
increasing the volume of the individual objects or tracks does not result in any significant improve-
ment.

Ratio: Regulates the amount of compression applied.

Function: Defines the way compressor operates according to the audio material.

Stereo FX

With the Stereo FX processor, you can determine the positioning of the audio material in the stereo
panorama. If stereo recordings sound unfocused and undifferentiated, an extension of the stereo
base width can often provide better transparency.

Bandwidth control: This adjusts bandwidth between mono (all the way to the left), unchanged
base-width (center) and maximum band-width (“wide”, all the way to the right).

Reducing the base width can produce an increase in the level. In extreme cases – when the left and
right channels include identical material and the base width control is pushed to the extreme left on
”mono” – the result can be a level rise of 3 decibels.

Raising the base width (values over 100) diminishes the mono compatibility; this means that some
frequency ranges may cancel each other out if the stereo signal is played on a mono device.

5.1 Surround/Multichannel

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

With Movie Studio, you can play back and export multichannel audio tracks.

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Requirements

To edit audio tracks in Surround Mode you need a sound card in your computer which can operate
the following channels:

■ front left (L) / right (R)

■ center (C) / Subwoofer (LFE)
■ back left (Ls) / right (Rs)

Surround playback is possible with all audio driver models (see Playback settings), (Wave, Dir-
ectSound). Please adjust these in the program settings from the "Playback" tab.

DirectSound is supported by most of the standard sound cards.

Wave drivers are similarly supported by many standard sound cards; however, individual sound
cards (for example, Soundblaster) require access to DirectSound.

Output of the six output signals is achieved in all driver models in the output channels in the same
(standardized) order:

Channels 1/2: L- R

Channels 3/4: C-LFE

Channels 5/6: Ls – Rs

Importing and exporting multichannel audio files

When importing MPEG-2 files with multichannel sound (e.g. VOB files from DVDs or DVB-TV
recordings), you can choose from two different applications:

■ Mixdown: multichannel sound is displayed as an audio object under the video object, playback
of the multichannel track is reduced and recalculated to stereo playback. Use this option if you
want to export the multichannel sound without editing or if you think that a stereo export is
enough to meet your requirements.
■ Multichannel sound mix: The individual channel pairs of the multichannel sound (L-R, C LFE,
Ls-Rs) are split into three audio tracks as separate objects and the mixer is then set to Surround
Mode. This mode allows you to change the multichannel sound mix.

Movie Studio can also import interleaved wave files (multichannel wave files), multichannel Win-
dows Media Audio and MP3 files. This will always create a multichannel sound mix.

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Multichannel audio mix exports can occur in one of the following formats:

■ 6-channel PCM files (interleaved wave)

■ Windows Media files (as a multichannel soundtrack of a Windows Media Video or WMV-HD
disc)
■ MPEG-2 files with multichannel audio

The export is performed using the same menu commands (e.g. "File > Export movie > Audio as
wave") like the normal stereo export. You will then be asked if the export should be in stereo or mul-
tichannel format.

Export the multichannel sound using Smart Copy

You can also burn original material with multichannel sound to DVD again without the need for the
codec or you can export the corresponding MPEG files while keeping multichannel sound. To do this,
use the "Smart Rendering" option which transfers the unprocessed parts of the original material to
the destination file without renewed encoding.

The mixer in multichannel audio mode

To activate multichannel playback, open the mixer (M key) and click on "5.1 Surround" button in the
master.

In the master, six peak meters for the individual channels are provided. The normal panorama button
turns into a representative display of the Surround editor (see below), which can be opened by click-
ing on the display.

The Surround sound editor is also available to the effects tracks. For example, you can send the ori-
ginal track to the front L/R speakers, the FX track however will remain at the rear L/R speakers.

The master volume is applied to all channels, here the left controller influences channels L and Ls,
the right controller; channels R and Rs and the middle value of both controller; the channels C and
LFE.

The master plug-ins are only applied to the front channels.

In the master FX rack of the MAGIX Mastering Suite the full effect palette is not available in 5.1 Sur-
round mode, but rather only the compressor and the parametric equalizer (from the Mastering
Suite). The settings of these effects have the same effect on all six channels.

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5.1 Surround Editor

In the 5.1 Surround Editor of the mixer track you can arrange the audio signal of a track (displayed as
two red sound sources) in the "imaginary" room. The signal is dispersed to the 5 (blue) loudspeakers
which represent the individual surround channels.

There are 6 channels:

■ L: Front left
■ R: Front right
■ C: Center
■ Ls: Back left/left surround
■ Rs: Back right/right surround
■ LFE: Sub bass (Low Frequency Effect) channel

Dispersing the signal to the 5 loudspeakers occurs after the so-called sound source emits a sound
field of a certain level (displayed as red circles). The further away a loudspeaker's source is, the less
its share of the corresponding loudspeaker channel. The position of the source and the loudspeaker
can be moved with the mouse.

The sub bass information (LFE) is set directly in the corresponding value table. It can also be
changed by dragging the mouse.

There are various modes in which you can use the source signal:

■ Mono: The (stereo) source signal is seen as mono material, the left and right channels are
mixed together and arranged together. The original stereo information is lost here.

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■ Stereo 1: Similar to mono mode insofar as the left and right channels are moved together, how-
ever, only a portion of the left source is audible in the loudspeakers Land Ls, and only a portion
of the right source in the right channels R and Rs. The stereo information remains as faithful as
possible.
■ Stereo 2: The left and right channels can be moved individually. The distance between the left
and right source is retained when you move the left source. You can move an individual source
by holding down the "Alt" key. You can move an individual source by holding down the "Alt"
key.
■ Center/LFE: Only the left channel is arranged. In return, the LFE share is drawn solely from the
right channel. This mode is only of importance when importing Surround material.

"Width" determines the level of the sound field of an individual source.

Automation:

Panning of the sound source on the loudspeaker can be automated to simulate movements in the
room.

For this to happen "Automation" must be activated. There are two methods to create automations:
record and draw.

To record (when automation is on) the sound source is moved between the loudspeakers during
playback. When recording the automation, the "Record" checkbox lights up red.

The draw function is an alternative way of recording complex movements. If drawing mode is activ-
ated, all panner movements are transmitted to the time interval between the start and end marker
(when the mouse button is held). You can thus draw the entire movement curve for the selected
time range.

"Reset" deletes surround automation from the track.

There is no automation of the parameters for width and LFE, of the distance between the left and
right source in "Stereo 2" mode, or of the loudspeaker positions.

Scrubbing
Scrubbing is used to quickly preview individual passages of a film or a piece of music. The function
plays short samples at the original speed. Scrubbing is especially useful for quickly finding and mark-

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ing specific places in the video to work on them later. It is also often used to improve the accuracy of
cuts or transitions by searching the video frame by frame.

To listen to an audio object the whole way through, use the mouse mode "Preview".

1. Right-click on the speaker icon in the project window toolbar.

2. Select a scrubbing mode:

■ No scrubbing:
Scrubbing is deactivated. Sound will not be played when the playback marker is set or
moved.
■ Scrubbing (1 frame):
Scrubbing is active and samples are only 1 (video) frame in length. The speed is 25 fps, i.e.
1/25 second. This mode is suitable for positioning the playback marker exactly.
■ Scrubbing (long):
Scrubbing is active, the sample length amounts to approx. 0.5 seconds. In this mode, loc-
ating specific events is particularly easy.
■ Play 1x during scrubbing:
If this option is active, the current position will be played one time. If it is inactive, then it
will be repeated.
3. Use the mouse to place the playback marker at a specific position in the timeline.
4. Hold the mouse key and move the playback marker to various locations in the project.

Scrubbing may be used also by employing the jog and shuttle wheel on the program monitor, as
well as for various hardware controllers.

Import audio CDs

Importing an audio CD works the same way as adding other audio files into the project:

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■ Insert an audio CD into the drive.

■ Go to your drive in the Media Pool. The individual CD titles appear in the file list.
■ Double-click on an entry to preview it.
■ Drag and drop the track from the CD into a track of the current project and it will be digitally
scanned and copied to the hard drive. The files will be saved in the import folder (may be spe-
cified in "File" > "Settings" > "Program" > "Folder").

The CD track appears in the track as an audio object and can be played back or edited immediately.

Import Audio CD track(s)

There is an additional custom option for audio CDs in the "File" > "Import audio CD track(s)" menu,
which allows a more convenient import with additional features.

This option opens the CD Manager where you can select tracks from audio CDs and partially or fully
import them into the project. Audio tracks are saved in the directory of your choice in WAV format
and imported into the project.

Track list

The tracks in the list can be selected with a mouse click or by using the keyboard shortcuts "Shift +
arrow keys" or "Ctrl + click".

The transport console in the dialog opens the monitoring function. The play arrow starts the audio
playback of the first selected track.

Select all tracks: This option will select all audio tracks, e.g., for copying the complete CD.

Save the selected tracks: This button opens a dialog for saving the selected tracks. This can be
saved either as all tracks in one WAV file or as a WAV file for every track. In either case, a new
object is created in the project for every track.

CD Drive options: This option opens the "CD/DVD Drive list" dialog.

■ Configuration: This button opens the configuration dialog where you can make various special
settings.
■ Add: Creates a new drive in the list that requires special settings.
■ Delete: Deletes a selected drive from the list.
■ Load setup: Loads the current drive list and all configuration data from a *.cfg file.

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■ Save setup: Saves the current drive list and all configuration data in a *.cfg file.
■ Reset: Restores the default settings of the drive.

AI Text-to-speech

A 365 subscription is required to access this feature. To use the feature, you first need to log in
to your Hub account (see MAGIX Hub section).

The text-to-speech feature enables you to convert text in a video to speech and add it as an audio
file. It's an efficient way to convert large amounts of text into speech without the need to hire pro-
fessional voice actors.

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Convert text to speech

1. In the Media Pool, click on MAGIX HUB.

Alternatively, click in the main menu on FILE > MAGIX HUB.
2. Log in to your MAGIX account (when opening MAGIX Content for the first time).
3. Click on SPEECH SERVICES.
4. In the text field, type the text you want to convert to audio.
5. Click on GENERATE SPEECH. The text is converted and then played back.
You can now save the generated speech as an audio file and insert it into the project.

Saving an audio file

■ Click on DOWNLOAD. The audio file that has been generated is saved as a .wav file in the
MAGIX Hub folder.
You can access this folder either via the Hub window > OPEN DOWNLOAD FOLDER or
via the MEDIA POOL > IMPORT tab.

Add the audio file to the project

■ Click on INSERT IN TIMELINE. The audio file is inserted into your timeline at the current
cursor position and automatically saved in the MAGIX Hub folder.

Customize style

Change voice Click on the drop-down list AI VOICES and select a voice.

Adjust the speed Use the fader to decrease or increase the speed of speech.

Change language style You can choose different speech styles for selected voices.

Adjust pitch Use the fader to decrease or increase the pitch.

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Translate text

1. Enter text in the text box.

2. Click on the button (Translate text).

3. Select languages in the dialog box that appears:

■ Output language: Language of the text entered

■ Translate to: Target language
4. Click on the TRANSLATE button. The text in the text box will be replaced with a translation in
the target language you have selected.

AI Speech-to-text

The Speech-to-text function allows you to extract the audio from supported video or audio files and
convert it to text. The text objects generated using this process are then inserted into the project on
the corresponding track synchronized with the original object.

✓ To use this feature, you need to log into MAGIX HUB. You can do this directly when using the
function.

Convert Speech to text

1. Switch to the Timeline mode .

2. Add an audio or video file that contains someone speaking to the timeline in the project win-
dow.
3. Right-click on the the object in the project window →

■ for an audio object: SPEECH TO TEXT.

■ for a video object: AUDIO FUNCTIONS → SPEECH TO TEXT.
A dialog will open.
4. Please select a language.
You may leave the settings on AUTO-DETECT and the language will automatically be recog-
nized.
5. Click START ANALYSIS.
When the process completes, the generated text will appear.

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6. Click on CREATE TITLE.

Several title objects will be added to the project on a new track.

Adjust the generated text

Sometimes the generated text does not accurately reflect what was said in the audio file. Many
factors can affect the accuracy of the results including background noise in the file, clarity of the
speech being analyzed, speaker accent, etc. You can edit the generated title objects in the title
editor.

1. Double-click a title object in the project window.

2. Change the text in the title editor or directly in the preview monitor.

For more information, see Create titles.

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EXPORT AND PRESENT MOVIES

Export video file

You can export your project as a video file. During file export, the movie opened in the project win-
dow is combined into a single file that can be saved to any folder on the hard drive.

MORE INFORMATION
» Supported file formats
» Export formats

Upload videos online

To upload a video to the Internet, go to FILE > ONLINE to access direct connections to the media
hosting sites YouTube and Vimeo.

Burn videos to disc

You can burn your projects to DVD, Blu-ray Disc or AVCHD disc with an interactive menu. The disc
selection menu is important for multiple films that are subdivided into individual chapters, since it
enables you to jump between films and chapters using your remote control.

» Click on the BURN button in the upper right corner of the program.

The BURN dialog has two interfaces: Preview and Edit. Using the preview function is a fast way to
add a menu template and then burn the film. More detailed editing such as activating/deactivating
menu entries, creating new menu pages or customizing templates can be done using the "Edit" inter-
face.

Burning

Export movie (for beginners)

Click on the EXPORT button to open the export wizard, which features the most important export
options for your videos.

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Please note that you will only export the current movie. Other movies in the project and the disc
menu will not be exported.

Upload to Vimeo
This option allows you to upload your movie directly to Vimeo.

First, log in to Vimeo.

Title: Enter the name of your movie here.

Description: Create a short description of your movie to describe it to other members of the com-
munity.

Keywords:Enter terms to help users find your video (in addition to the description).

Send: Select whether the film should be private, accessible only to you and authorized persons, or
public – in other words freely accessible.

Export settings: Set various quality settings.

Output as video file

With this option you can convert a movie including all objects, effects settings, fades, texts and oth-
ers into a video file and save it to a computer.

Select a quality level (e.g. DVD quality) and a file format (e.g. MPEG -4). The dialog provides further
information about the properties of your selection. Please note that Movie Studio also adjusts quality
when you change file format if the right quality was not selected for your chosen format.

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Only the most often used formats are listed as options. All available file formats are listed under
"File > Export movie".

Export to mobile device

You can also transfer your project to mobile devices.

■ Click on "Export to mobile device" in the export dialog.

■ Select your mobile device from the list.
■ Click on "Save video".

Movie Studio now creates a video file. You can keep track of the progress in a dialog.

A dialog will open as soon as the export is completed:

■ If your mobile device is connected to your computer, click on "Folder".

■ Select your mobile device and a sub-folder if applicable in the dialog and click on "OK".
Your video will now be transferred to the mobile device.

Upload online
This option allows you to upload your movie directly to YouTube. YouTube is the most well-known
portal for amateur clips.

Community: Select a platform here.

■ YouTube
■ Vimeo

The following options will be displayed or hidden, depending on which community you select.

Title: Enter the name of your movie here.

Description: Create a short description of your movie to describe it to other members of the com-
munity.

Keywords:Enter terms to help users find your video (in addition to the description).

Category (YouTube only): Select the category for your movie here.

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Send: Select whether the film should be private, accessible only to you and authorized persons, or
public – in other words freely accessible.

Export settings: Set various quality settings.

Export movie (for advanced users)

A movie can be exported in different video formats via FILE > EXPORT MOVIE. The options avail-
able vary according to the selected format.

Export formats

Export Dialog
Presets:

These are typical settings for the selected format for the most important applications.

■ Clicking on Save will save your export settings.

■ Clicking on Delete will remove these from the list.
■ Clicking on Show all displays all existing presets for the most common applications.

Export settings:

You can specify general export parameters like resolution, aspect ratio and frame rate. Select the
most frequently used values from the list fields; to set your own values click on the "..." button. The
Advanced button opens the specific settings for the selected video format. File enables you to export
your file to another folder than the default. The option Overwrite file without confirmation allows you
to execute multiple exports in the same file.

For formats that support deep color, the color subsampling scheme and bits per color channel are
also displayed. In some cases, these may also be variable, if this is supported.

Color space: This will select a color space standard, which affects the playback of the file. BT.709
(also known as Rec.709) is the current standard and set as default. You can change this setting if
you want the video to comply with other standards and to ensure a more accurate color display.

Other

■ Export selected range only

■ Apply anti-interlace filter (suppresses flickering)

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■ Shut down PC after successful export

■ Calculate video effects on GPU

Output after export: Some formats offer special options (e.g. DV-AVI for camera or WMV export
with output via Bluetooth for mobile phone).

Burning a disc takes place via the "Burning" interface. Further information: see section
Burning.

Export formats

A wide range of formats are available for exporting videos. You can choose a format according to
your needs and requirements. Selecting the right format is crucial for ensuring that your exported
video is high-quality and compatible.

Each format has its own technical specifications, codec settings and supported functions. Some
formats are better suited for playback on specific devices such as smartphones and TVs, while other
formats are optimized specifically for online publishing or professional productions.

Export formats differ in terms of image resolution, frame rate, compression algorithms and the
codecs they support. Some formats offer higher quality and detail, while others are designed for
smaller file size and efficient transfer.

Video export

Video as AVI AVI is a commonly used video format that offers compatibility with various
video players. It supports a wide range of codecs and allows you to store videos
in high quality. However, AVI files are relatively large in size
When exporting to AVI video you can set and configure the size and frame rate
of the AVI video and the compression codec for audio (audio compression)
and video (codec).

Video as DV- DV-AVI is a special AVI format often used by DV camcorders. It offers lossless
AVI video compression and high quality. DV AVI files are usually quite large.
This option exports the video as a DV encoded AVI. The project can be easily
transferred to a connected camera using a FireWire interface.

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The dialog will provide further information on all available options. You can
access it via Advanced in the export dialog. You will also be asked for which
video standard you want to export the DV data – PAL (Europe) or NTSC
(USA).

Video as MPEG MPEG2 is a widely used video format, and is the main format used to produce
video DVDs. MPEG2 offers a good compression rate and video quality, but it has a lar-
ger file size than newer formats.
We recommend finding the right preset from the list first, since there are many
various devices and applications for this format. You'll also find intra-frame pre-
sets (starting with "Intra422") for video playback in professional studio envir-
onments.
Details on the settings of the MPEG encoder can be found here.

Video as MAGIX Exports the project in MAGIX video format.

video This format is used by Movie Studio for video recording. It enables users to
export videos in high quality and offers optimized settings for editing in the soft-
ware.

Uncompressed The uncompressed video format stores video without compression, resulting in
video excellent image quality. Bear in mind, though, that uncompressed videos are
very large and require a lot of storage space.
When exporting an uncompressed AVI video file you can adjust the size and
frame rate of the AVI video you wish to create. The video material will not be
compressed by a codec.

Video as Motion Opens the export dialog for AVI video in Motion JPEG format. This format is
JPEG AVI supported by digital picture frames, for example.
Motion JPEG AVI uses the Motion JPEG codec to compress video. It offers a
good balance between file size and video quality, but is not as efficient as more
recent formats.

Video as This option exports the video as a series of individual images in bitmap format.
sequence of This means a graphic file will be created for each from of the video. The number
frames of images can be set in the export dialog in "Frame Rate".
It offers maximum editing flexibility, but also allows for larger file sizes.

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Video as Win- Windows Media is a video format developed by Microsoft that offers a high
dows Media rate of compression and compatibility with Windows-based devices and plat-
forms. The settings options in the "Advanced" dialog are quite complex.
Manual configuration
Audio/video codec: Various codecs corresponding to the various Windows
Media versions (7, 8, 9) are possible. Should compatibility problems arise on
playback, try an older codec with a lower version number.
Bit rate mode: Constant and variable bit rates are possible, most devices and
streaming applications require constant bit rates. For VBR two pass modes the
movie is compressed in two passes in order to optimally use the bandwidth for
highly-compressed movies for the Internet.
Bit rate/quality/audio format: The bit rate is decisive in defining the dis-
play/audio quality. The higher this is set, the better the videos will look and the
larger the files and the required encoding time will be. For variable bit rates, the
bit rate is adapted dynamically to the requirements of the corresponding pic-
ture or sound material. Either the quality value may be set between 1-100 or,
for two-pass encoding, an average or maximum bit rate. For audio, the bit rate
is set additionally by the audio format.
Import: For the most common applications (other than for playback on mobile
devices, for which you should use the supplied presets) like Internet streaming,
Microsoft provides diverse system profiles to choose from. If you have the Win-
dows Media Encoder 9 installed, which is available from Microsoft as a free
download, you can edit the profiles or create your own. These may be loaded
by pressing the "Import" button.
Clip info enables the title and artist names, copyright details, and descriptions
to be entered.

Video as MPEG- MPEG4 AVC/H.264 is a widely used video codec that provides a high com-
4 video pression rate and offers a good balance between file size and video quality. This
common format for video compression is supported by most devices and plat-
forms.
Recommendation: Check the presets that the program offers to find the right
preset for each application and the right playback device. These presets are
optimized for typical applications.

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Advanced users can make specific adjustments using the advanced settings.
Learn more about the MPEG-4 encoder here.
The program presets also include various 4K presets for exporting very high res-
olution material.

Video as HEVC HEVC is the successor format to MPEG-4. HEVC allows for the same image
quality across file sizes, even when smaller file sizes are used. The improved
image quality can be clearly seen, especially at lower bitrates. More on this
topic can be found here.

Video as AV1 AV1 is an open source, royalty-free video codec designed specifically for web
video compression. It offers a high compression ratio as well as high image
quality.

Audio export

Audio
Note: MP3 export requires Windows Media Player version 10 or higher.
as MP3
The MP3 encoder cannot be used as a codec for the AVI audio file track.

Options
Set the format and the compression of the audio file here.
Bit rate: The bit rate selection specifies the level of compression: the higher the bit rate,
the higher the quality of the exported audio file. On the other hand, the bit rate determ-
ines the final file size: The smaller the bit rate, the smaller the files.
Mono/Stereo: Most mobile devices have only one loudspeaker. To save on memory,
you can export in mono for these devices.
Normalize: This function should always be activated. It guarantees that the music is not
too loud/overmodulated or too quiet.
Transfer format:
Specify here whether the created file should be transferred via device connected via
Bluetooth or via email.

Audio The movie's audio track is exported in the wave (*.wav) audio format.
as
WAV

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Transition export
The movie is exported as an alpha transition in the MXV format. The brightness value of the movie
determines how the transition works. You can also use the option EXPORT THE SELECTED
RANGE ONLY to specify that only a small part specified beforehand via the in and out points will
be exported.

If you do not change the storage location, you can locate the saved transition in the Media Pool
under TRANSITIONS > STANDARD.

Image export

Single frame as Exports the image located at the playback marker and displayed in the video
BMP file... monitor as a bitmap (*.BMP) file.

Single frame as Exports the image located at the playback marker and displayed in the video
JPG monitor as a JPEG (*.JPG) file.

Single frame as a Exports the image located at the playback marker and displayed in the pro-
PNG file gram monitor as a PNG (*.png) file.

Burning

Click here to switch to the "Burn" interface.

The Burn area enables you to create a selection menu to burn the entire project including all movies
and the selection menu to disc later on.

All movies loaded into the project will be included. If you want to remove some of the films you've
loaded, switch to the "Edit" screen again and delete the unwanted movies from the project there. To
do this, switch to the movie, open the "File" menu and select MANAGE PROJECT > REMOVE
MOVIE FROM PROJECT.

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Note

When you try to burn your first Blu-ray Disc a notice will appear to inform you that a free audio
expansion package must first be downloaded and installed. Click on OK to proceed and wait
until the audio encoder for Blu-ray Discs is installed.

If the current project contains data in the BDMV/MVC (Stereo 3D) format, the burn process
cannot proceed. Due to licensing stipulations of the Blu-ray Disc Association, files in
BDMV/MVC (Stereo 3D) format cannot be burned to blank optical media.

Overview

1 Menu preview: Here you can see a selection menu preview.

2 Change view:Here you can swap between the preview and edit view.

3 Remote control: Check how your disc will react later when you press a button on your
player's remote control.
4 Output:Before burning the project, select the desired format. The Burning wizard will open.

5 Play preview: Play the preview menu and test how it works with the remote control.

6 Template category: Select the desired section from various categories with different menus.

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7 Menu templates: Switch between different templates for designing your menus.

8 Apply templates: Choose whether you want to use a template for the page, the menu or all
menus on the disc.

Preview
Movie Studio provides two different modes for designing and previewing the disc menu.

Preview mode simulates the behavior of a playback device, e.g. DVD player or Blu-ray player. You
can select a template for the menu and burn the disc.

In Editing mode, you may adjust many features of the disc menu. You can choose from a range of
templates and customize them to suit your needs.

Remote control

The virtual remote control is an important helper when it comes to checking how the disc will per-
form later. When the disc featuring the project is inserted into the player, this remote control will
control the preview picture just like a "real" remote control controls the picture on a monitor or TV.
The menu navigation may be activated via the arrow keys or the "OK" button. Activated buttons are
highlighted.

The number keys select the corresponding entry on the menu page. All menu entries are marked
with a corresponding number. Within a chapter menu, playback is started from the particular
chapter. In the movie menu, the corresponding chapter menu (if available) is changed or movie play-
back is started.

Navigation buttons: These buttons can be used to navigate through the menu of the disc to be
burned. The entries can be changed and confirmed by clicking "OK". The remote control works just
like the remote control for your home DVD/Blu-ray player.

Skip/move forward/back: This allows you to skip to the next or previous scene while playing back
your movie. In the menu, you can skip forward or back from one menu page to another.

Play: Starts the first entry in the menu. In case chapter menus are available, the chapter menu will be
displayed first. Pressing the play button again starts playback with the first scene of the movie.

Stop: Pressing stop halts playback.

Disc: Switches to the first page of the film menu.

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Sub: Switches to the chapter menu (if available) for the currently selected film.

Menu

The menu is also burned to disc and appears when inserted into the player. Just like with a store-
bought DVD or Blu-ray Disc, you may easily select your movies with the help of preview pictures, or
access particular chapters within a movie.

Templates

You will find the menu templates below.

To the left you will see a tree structure for selecting various menu templates. At the top, you should
first select whether you would like to use templates in ratio "16"9" or "4:3".

■ Animated (DVD): These templates contain background and introductory videos as well as
music. The control elements are displayed in various modes. The templates can be used only
for mini DVDs, DVDs and AVCHD discs.
■ Static (4:3 only, DVD): Here you will find templates made up of regular background pictures
and control elements.
■ Custom: These templates adjust to your disc project; the movies and scenes you use are integ-
rated directly into the menu.
■ HD static (16:9 only, DVD, Blu-ray, AVCHD, WMV HD): These templates contain super-
sharp, high-res background images that are particularly noticeable on HD TV devices.
■ Movie templates (only 16:9): Here you will find menu templates that are specially made for
movie templates found in the Media Pool.

These menus require "Film menu" and "Chapter menu" to be activated in the "Edit" screen under
"Disc options".

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If you've selected one of the menu templates, you can use the horizontal scroll bar to view all the oth-
ers available. There are lots of options when using the templates:

■ To apply a template to all menu pages, double-click the template. The complete template will
then be applied.
■ You can also combine various elements from different templates with each other. To do so, you
must first switch into Editing mode. If, for example, you wish to combine the text format of a
template with the background of another one, double-click on the template containing the back-
ground first. Then click on the "Font" tab and select a template for the font.
■ You can load the layout (or individual layout elements) for the current menu (movie or scenes)
as well as for all menus.

Edit view
To edit individual menu elements and the menu structure, activate the "Edit" button.

Hold down the left mouse button and drag text boxes or graphical elements to the desired position.
You can adjust the size by dragging out the corners and edges of the frame.

Undo: This command allows you to undo the last changes made.

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Redo: This function undoes the previous "Undo" function.

Set aspect ratio: To avoid distortion, use this button to set the aspect ratio for the menu ele-
ments.

Group: Menu elements are moved or resized simultaneously as a group, including the descrip-
tion text and number.

Fade in TV display area in the program monitor: This option displays the image borders of
the television as lines in the program monitor.

Grid: This button activates a grid to help position frames exactly next to each other as
required. Using the small arrow next to the button you can open a dialog to fine tune the grid
settings.

Navigation

Using the navigation links above you can reach the menu structure.

■ All movies are listed as first entries. The corresponding menu level is the film menu.
■ All scenes are listed as second entries next to it to the right The corresponding menu level is
the chapter menu.

Removing the red check deactivates the corresponding entry in the chapter menu. The scenes are
still displayed of course, but you can no longer select them directly from the menu.

■ You can open the movie menu for further editing by clicking on the movie above it.
■ If you click on one of the chapters, the chapter menu in the preview will be opened for editing.

Disc options

Here you can activate or deactivate certain elements or even complete menus.

To create a variety of templates, not every template contains all the elements that may be
turned off.

Intro video: Press this button to load videos to be used as introductions to your discs. The following
formats are supported: "*.avi", "*.mpg", "*.mxv", "*.vob". The intro is played immediately after the
DVD has been inserted into the player. The DVD menu will then appear. A check mark "Do not skip"

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ensures that the intro video must be played completely each time the disc is inserted and that it may
not be skipped with the remote control or otherwise.

The disc menu essentially consists of two layers:

Film menu: The upper layer includes the film menu, which is only used if a project contains multiple
movies.

Chapter menu: This is the lower layer of the disc menu, which utilizes the chapter markers in a
movie as menu entries. More information about this is available in Chapter markers.

Note: A chapter menu cannot contain more than 99 entries. If your movie should have more
chapters, either burn it without a chapter menu or split your movie into multiple parts.

Audio menu: If your project features multiple DVD audio tracks, then a menu will be added to the
disc for the user to select an audio track. This allows you, for example, to burn audio tracks in both
English and German onto the disc and later select one of the tracks for playback.

Audio tracks can be defined in the editing interface. Open the context menu of a track header of
the audio track and select "DVD audio track". Choose a unique name for the audio track. Repeat
this process with every other audio track that you would like to have as a DVD audio track.

Preview pictures: Shows/hides the preview pictures in the disc menu.

Numbering: The numbers beside the menu entries can be selected directly using the remote control.
Use this option to fade them in and out.

Frame: A frame borders the preview pictures. If you don't want a frame, it can be easily removed
using this option.

You can edit the existing menu background or create a new one from scratch.

A click on this button switches to the "Edit" interface and loads the selected menu
background as video.

Here you can change and design the background as you please. The background movie will be set as
the menu background automatically after pressing "Save".

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If you'd like to design a new menu background, simply delete all existing objects from the menu
project and load new ones.

Designing a page

Edit: You have three options to edit the background of a menu page. You can either
set a certain "color value" for the background or select an image file from your hard drive. You may
also select a certain frame from a video in your project.

In external editor: A PSD file is sent directly to the program that has been selected
in the program settings as the menu editor.

New menu pages may also be added or unnecessary pages may be removed.

Adds a new menu page.

Removes the selected menu page.

Animated selection menus

You can also add audiovisual animations to the disc menus. As required, background videos are
played as endless loops while the menu is shown on the screen. You can also set up background
music in various formats or any background picture for each menu.

Sound/music: Load an audio file and use it as an animation in the menu background.

Video: Load a video or graphics file and use it as an animation in the menu background. In addition
to the options for the background graphic (see above), you can also use a sequence from a loaded
slideshow or from a different video file.

Background video options:

■ Create animated menu buttons: The preview images for individual movies in the movie menu
are shown as small movie samples. Set the start point and length of the animation using the
sequence options faders.
■ Use the audio track of the video: The audio track of the background video is used with the
menu.

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■ Play menu animation as a loop: The background video (audio and/or video) is played back as
a loop.
■ Length of the menu view is set by: Audio/video or whichever medium is longer. You can spe-
cify how long the background video should be here. The other medium will be played as a loop.

Designing buttons

Movie Studio enables easy editing of all buttons together with their menu entries.

Pressing this button or double-clicking the menu entries allows menu entries you
have created to be edited. The dialog with the properties of the menu entries will open.

These buttons open an external program for further editing of the background pic-
tures or selected menu elements.

Apply to all objects: Applies the properties of the selected button to all remaining buttons.

New menu entries may also be added or undesired entries may be removed.

Adds a new menu entry.

Removes the selected menu entry.

If you would simply like to deactivate unused menu entries, this may be done via the Navigation.

Jump to linked page: To test the targets of menu entries, select the desired menu entry and
click the button.

Menu entry properties

Double-clicking the preview picture or a menu entry opens an editor for you to adjust the preview
picture or menu entry.

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Menu text

In the text input field, you can enter any text to match the chosen menu entry.

Set the vertical direction of the text (upwards, centered or downward).

Set the horizontal direction of the text (left, centered or right).

Font size: Set the height of the text in points.

Font color: Define the foreground color of the text.

Font: Here you can set which font and which style (bold, italic, etc.) should be used.

Border: Here you can set a colored border for your text. You can choose the color from the color
field. The size of the border is set in pixels.

Shadow: Here you can set the color and size of the shadow that will appear underneath the text.

3D effect: If you would like to make your text appear three-dimensional, you can set the width,
height and color of the 3D effect.

Apply to all: Except for the text, all settings are applied to all entries in the current menu.

Menu image

Use frame from movie: Use the fader to set which frame should be used in the video as a preview
picture. The numerical input fields are sorted as follows: Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames.

Use different graphic: Here you can also load your own bitmaps to be used as menu pictures.

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Some menu templates may not provide menu images. That means changing the menu image
won't have any noticeable effect.

Action at the end of the film

Here, you can enter which action should be carried out once the film has finished playing. The fol-
lowing options are available:

■ Stop playback: This option depends on the DVD player being used. Most DVD players show
the DVD player's own menu (or background picture) after playback.
■ Jump to movie menu/chapter menu: Jumps back to the previously shown menu.

If one of these two options is not available, check which menu mode is set.

■ Jump to next movie: The next movie will be played without any additional action.
■ Play movie as endless loop: Any movie may be burned onto a disc as a loop. This means that
the movie will be played as a endless loop until the next menu entry is accessed using the
remote control or playback is stopped. This way, you can transform your TV into an aquarium, a
train journey, a fireplace, or anything you want, ready to watch over and over again.

This option works only with DVDs, mini DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs.

Edit your own menu entries

This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

There is another view in this dialog to edit menu entries you have created. Menu links can be edited
here. This makes it possible to link a menu entry with a certain action, menu page, or a certain pos-
ition in the movie.

No link: The menu item cannot be selected and has no other function than showing the menu text.

Link to page in current menu: Jumps to a menu page in the current movie or chapter menu in the cur-
rent film.

Link to another menu: Opens another movie or chapter menu.

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Link to chapter in a movie: If this option is selected, enter the movie and chapter marker where play-
back should start.

For DVDs, only chapters within the current movie may be jumped to.

Link to movie start: The selected movie is played from the beginning.

Burning wizard
Click "Burn" to open the dialog for creating DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, AVCHD and other video media
including a menu.

Select what kind of disc you would like to create.

If you intend to watch your movie project on an HD TV, but there is only a DVD player con-
nected, you will need to burn a DVD.

Burn dialog for DVD player

Here you can select your burner, the type of disc, the encoder settings. MPEG-2 is used for DVDs.
Blu-ray Discs also use MPEG-2, and higher bit rates are employed in order to reach the higher HD
resolutions. AVCHD discs use a much more complex MPEG-4/H.264 codec, which is documented
in detail in the "MPEG-4 encoder settings section of the PDF manual and in Help (F1 key).

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Proceed as follows to burn a disc:

■ Set up burner and burn speed: If you have multiple burners installed, you can select which
device you wish to use in this menu.
■ Encoder settings: Use the "Encoder settings" button to access the selection dialog to specify
settings for the MPEG encoder (memory requirements, quality, and duration of the MPEG con-
version). "Advanced settings" accesses a dialog featuring additional options. Here you can
adjust all the fine settings of the MPEG encoder.
■ Burning disc/starting video encoding: The button "Burn disc" starts the disc burning process.
Every time you burn and every time a simulation is carried out, the disc project is encoded.
Please note that the MPEG file is not deleted from the hard disk after the burn process has fin-
ished. Depending on the length of the project, encoding and burning may take some time. The
time remaining can be seen in the dialog.

The simplest way to create an ISO image is to select "Image Recorder" under "Burner". When start-
ing the "Burning process", you have to specify a name for the image file you wish to create.

Options

Simulate first: If you are not sure about the write speed or memory requirements of the selected
disc, you can simulate the write process before burning.

Activate buffer underrun protection: Many disc drives support technology that prevents the
dreaded "buffer underrun". Use this option to activate this protective feature and burn your files at
higher speeds without risking making a coaster out of your blank disc.

Completely format DVD/CD-RW media: This option reformats the RW media and deletes all exist-
ing file material.

Shutdown computer after burning: Activate this option to automatically turn off the computer after
encoding and burning has been completed. You could, for instance, start the encoding and burning
process in the evening, and then you don't have to wait for the process to finish to switch off your
computer.

Burn standard video DVD onto same disc: You can use this option with a WMV HD disc to burn an
additional normal DVD video. This ensures that your discs can also be played back on standalone
DVD players. See Multi disc.

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Activate the burner's defect management option: If a certain section of the disc is defective, this
will be recognized by the burner and labeled. No content will be saved there as a result.

Check data after burning disc: The finished disc will be checked for any mistakes after burning.

CD/DVD title: This is the title of the DVD which is displayed as the disc name on the PC. The disc
project name is displayed here by default.

Memory

Disc type Storage medium Menu Quality Length (optimal quality)

DVD DVD Yes *** 98 minutes

Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Disc Yes ***** 110 minutes

AVCHD DVD/Blu-ray Disc Yes ***** 30 min./DVD

160 min./Blu-ray Disc

You can set display duration for some DVD players in this menu. The amount of image material
that can be put onto a CD or DVD depends on the sizes of the files.

Especially with the MPEG-2 encoder, is difficult to get reliable information about the storage space
needed. If the “variable bit rate” of the MPEG-2 encoder is activated, encoding will occur according
to the movements in the picture. The required memory depends on the film material; an action film
would need more memory than a drama, for instance.

The Movie Studio burn dialog contains a capacity indicator, which estimates directly how much
space remains on the selected disc type with current settings. As soon as you change encoder set-
tings, the capacity display will be updated.

The capacity display is only an estimate. For this reason, always make sure that you never com-
pletely fill the disc space. Instead, leave a buffer in case the files end up being larger than estim-
ated.

If you can't save your disc project on a single blank CD, you will have to divide it up into various
parts.

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Separate project onto multiple discs

Automatic: If the disc project requires more memory than is available on the disc, a dialog will
appear before burning asking whether the disc project should be automatically segmented for mul-
tiple discs. Confirm this by clicking “Yes”. The disc project will then be automatically divided into indi-
vidual disc projects and burned sequentially onto multiple discs. This is the easiest method as
everything is automatic and all you have to do is insert a new blank CD when required.

Manual:

Case 1: If several movies do not fit on a single disc:

In this case, switch back to the “Edit” interface and delete as many movies as necessary until the
remaining movies fit onto the disc. You can create a new disc project and load and burn the other
movies afterwards.

Case 2: If a long movie doesn't fit on a disc:

In this case, the movie has to be split into two or more parts that will be burned separately to disc.

■ Switch back to the "Edit" view and place the playback marker to the position where you want to
divide the movie. In the "Edit" menu, select "Cut > Split movie".
■ All passages behind the playback marker will be removed from the overly long movie and made
into a separate movie. Both movies can be controlled in the movie tab in the project window.
Save both of them separately to your hard disk (“File > Manage project > Export movie file”
menu option, for example, as “Part 1” and “Part 2”).
■ Remove one of the two movies (for example, "Part 2") from the disc project ("File" > "Manage
project" > "Remove movie from project" menu option).
■ Switch to the "Burn" interface and burn the first film ("Part 1") to CD or DVD.
■ Create a new disc project (“New” button), switch to the “Edit” view and load it into the second
film (“Part 2”).
■ Switch to the "Burn" interface and burn the second movie to ("Part 2") CD or DVD.

Encoder settings

Use the “Encoder settings...” button to access the selection dialog to specify the properties of the
MPEG encoder (memory requirements, quality, and duration of the MPEG conversion).

Preset: This features useful presets for the selected disc type. Here are several sample DVD presets:

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Long play DVD DVD with extra-long playing time. The bit rate is reduced, which compromises
video image quality.

Long play DVD with extra-long playing time for music. The bit rate for the soundtrack
music DVD remains at the highest quality level.

Standard DVD Normal DVD

Widescreen Normal DVD in 16:9 widescreen format

DVD

For all settings, you can choose NTSC (USA and Japan) or PAL (Europe).

Bit rate: The bit rate determines the memory requirement of the completed video. The greater the
bit rate, the larger the file, and the shorter the maximum playing time of the movie that fits on a disc.

Adjust bit rate: The expected file size of the finished video is estimated, depending on the set bit
rate. If the movie does not fit onto the disc, the bit rate is corrected accordingly.

Quality: Specifies the quality of the encoding process. The higher the quality, the better the finished
video will look; however, encoding will take considerably longer.

Anti-interlace filter: This option should only be activated for playback on a TV screen, since it is
intended to reduce line flickering.

Calculate effects on your GPU: To accelerate the export, video effects can be calculated on the
graphics card. Effects for brightness, gamma, contrast, color, saturation, image size, cropping and
position effects as well as various fades and mixes can currently be calculated. Please note that if
using external effect plug-ins and elaborate artistic effects, these must be processed on the CPU and
for this reason, using the function will not yield any advantage in terms of speed.

This function is optimized specifically for NVIDIA graphics cards. You can, however, experience
acceleration with other types of graphics cards, too.

3D mode: In case your project features 3D material that has been edited with Stereo 3D, a mode
may be selected here for burning the material to disc. 3D is switched off by default.

To return to the standard settings, press the Reset button.

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The "Advanced" button opens the "Advanced settings" dialog. Here you can adjust all the fine set-
tings of the MPEG encoder. Read more about the "MPEG-1/2 encoder settings" and "MPEG-4
encoder settings".

Batch conversion

Batch conversion in Movie Studio allows you to convert multiple video files, movies or even entire
projects to another format in just one step. For instance, you can export a large number of videos to
a specific format in order to play them back on different devices such as computers, tablets or smart-
phones. Batch conversion is a very helpful function, especially if you work with a lot of videos and
want to work efficiently.

Batch conversion can be opened using different presets. A pre-selection appears only if you have
loaded a film or a project.

The following scenarios exist:

■ Batch conversion has been opened from the context menu in the Media Pool: The file selec-
ted in the Media Pool before will be transferred to the task list and can be converted to the avail-
able formats.
■ Only one empty movie is open: In this case use batch converting via "File" from the menu. A
dialog opens additionally for batch conversion, in which video files that have to be converted to
other formats can be selected and loaded.
■ Multiple movies with video material are open: The opened movie will be exported as a whole
video. This is especially useful for large projects with lots of individual movies, eliminating the
need to export each one individually.
■ A movie with video material and more than one object in the first track is opened: Open
batch conversion from the "File" menu or using the keyboard shortcut "s". A dialog opens, in
which you can select which tasks should be created for batch conversion.

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● Multiple movies: The opened movie will be exported as a whole video. Additional movies
can be added to the list in the dialog.
● Objects in movie: All of the objects in the first track will be exported in individual video
files.
● Chapters: All chapters of the current movie will be converted into individual video files.

Presets: Here you can save and load your settings. These include the list of files to be exported and
the export settings and names of all entries.

Batch conversion directly references projects and objects contained within them. Keep in mind
that for converting entire movies and projects, the source material must also be available. During
conversion of individual objects, make sure that the movie file has not been changed between
loading and saving.

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This is the list of all objects that have to be converted into the indicated format. Each task can have
its own export settings.

Add files (not during conversion of individual objects from movies): Manually add files, including
video files and projects.

Remove selected: The marked tasks will be removed from the list.

Duplicate selected: If you would like to export tasks in multiple formats, you can mark and duplicate
them and assign individual export settings to them.

Format settings: Here, you can make settings for the currently selected tasks, whereby multiple
tasks can be given a setting simultaneously. Select one or more tasks from the task list.

Note on format setting for multiple tasks: If one of the marked tasks already an individual set-
ting, its will be lost after another format is selected. To prevent this, remove the selection for
each task using Ctrl + mouse click.

Set the target format in the flip menu. The default is "Windows Media Video" (WMV).

Advanced settings: Here, you can open the dialog for the advanced format settings. This cor-
responds to the dialog for normal video export of a movie.

If you give several tasks the same file name, the created files will be intelligently numbered. For
example, you can easily convert and simultaneously line up multiple movies that belong together
thematically.

Shut down PC automatically after successful export: This option is useful especially when you
export long movies and are using an especially high-quality and resource-intensive export format.
You can leave the computer to work on the individual tasks and after finishing them it will turn itself
off.

Start batch conversion: Click on "Start conversion" to start the process. After ending conversion pro-
cesses, a list of all export processes with a message informing of its success will appear.

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During batch conversion, non-critical messages that appear during normal file import will be sup-
pressed. This is to enable the smoothest conversion of all tasks.
Nevertheless, there are some important messages that may require action. Therefore, please
make sure that all files to be converted or the project can be easily loaded before starting a batch
conversion.

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WIZARDS
Movie Studio includes several wizards for helping you achieve professional results quickly and easily.

Slideshow Maker is an easy-to-use tool that lets you create impressive photo slideshows.
Soundtrack Maker allows you to add the perfect music and sound effects to your videos. And with
Travel Maps, you can create an interactive animated map to display the route of a trip you took.

Slideshow Maker

This Wizard is ideal for converting still images into moving pictures and adding background music
and effects. You can access it under "Edit > Wizards".

This button plays a preview. Play around with templates and effects to see which you like best.

Style templates

Select a template that best matches your needs.

Intensity

Controls the portion of video and image objects that feature effects. "Normal" will give you a bal-
anced amount, "Weak" and "Strong" provide fewer or more effects accordingly.

Transitions

Transitions can be individually activated or deactivated using this button.

The slider in the transitions dialog can be used to adjust the amount of each type of transition.

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■ Transition duration: Set the length of the transitions in seconds.

■ 3D transitions use Stereo 3D mode: If this option is activated, 3D transitions use Stereo 3D
mode.
■ Random transitions: The transitions are set to random values.

Effects

Various effects can be individually activated or deactivated using this button.

The slider in the dialog controls the amount of each effect type.

■ Random effects: The faders that control the amount of effects are set randomly.
■ Treat special image formats intelligently: Panoramas and portrait photos can be treated "intel-
ligently". If this option is activated, then panoramas and portraits will be treated with special
effects adjusted to the format. These effects can also be selected and unselected in the detail
view.
If this option is not selected, then these images will use the same effects as all other images.
■ List of effects/transitions: The list icon activates or deactivates effects or fades in each cor-
responding category individually. The arrow below the program monitor plays a preview.

Properties & titles

Film length

■ Resulting film length: This is an estimation of how long the film will be after adjustments made
with Slideshow Maker.
■ Available music: This is the complete length of the music that is currently selected. "Back-
ground music" enables detailed settings for the pieces of music to be used.
■ Adjust movie length to the music: It will be attempted to adjust the length of the photo objects
to the background music. If the film is too short, the music will be cut. If the film is too long, the
music will be repeated.
■ Adjust music length to the film: Photo objects have a set length, and the resulting film is filled
with music. Music at the end of the movie is faded out.

Include video objects

■ Process videos: If this option is set, then videos will be automatically processed with effects
and transitions.

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■ Length: Settings may be made here about whether the original length of the video should be
maintained or if it should be shortened.

Opening and closing credits: Set the text for opening and closing credits here.

■ Custom text: Enter text for opening and closing credits to be added by Slideshow Maker.
■ Use file: A title template, a video, or an image file may also be used.

Note: Titles created using Slideshow Maker may also be edited at any time.

Group associated images together

If this option is active, an attempt is made to detect associated events via their date information and
to separate them from each other optically. Detection of individual events is based on the time span
of these events to achieve a sensible separation.

■ Begin group with fade through black: A black fade is added between the different events.
■ Begin group with data/time below black fade: A black fade is added between the different
events. A title is also faded in with a suitable duration, e.g. 1st/2nd/3rd day, provided the
events take place over multiple days.
■ Begin group with data/time below image: A black fade is added between the different events.
A title is also faded in with a suitable duration after the black fade, e.g. 1st/2nd/3rd day,
provided the events take place over multiple days.

Background music

Here you can set the pieces of music to be used as background music.

Use background music: Background music is inserted.

Load file(s): A file selection dialog will open in which you can select a folder with audio files, and
choose the corresponding file or files you want.

Remove: The highlighted music files will be removed from the list and no longer used.

Insert random: Movie Studio selects random pieces of music from the folder Import > My Media >
Slideshow music in the Media Pool.

Preview: This button previews the selected piece of music.

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Volume ratio: This slider controls the volume ratio between the original sound and the background
music.

Pieces of music in the fifth track are listed and used for background music.

Soundtrack Maker

Music tracks that match the mood are generated automatically by Soundtrack Maker. Even mood
changes are possible.

Open Soundtrack Maker via "Edit" > "Wizards".

1. Choose music genre

Choose a musical style first.

The option "Apply to selected range only" limits the length of the background music you want to cre-
ate.

"Apply only in selected area" works only if no emotion exists yet outside the currently selected
area. Otherwise, the soundtrack will be used up to the point where the selected emotion is in
place, so that there are no gaps in the soundtrack.

Range start and end may be set with the left and right mouse button if Soundtrack Maker is open.

2. Set mood change

You can select a mood from the list.

Preview: Here you can preview your selected emotion.

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Position: With the position slider you can go to a certain position to set the emotions at a certain
position. The playback marker may be moved instead with the left mouse button. The preview will
be displayed in the program monitor simultaneously.

Add emotion: This button inserts the selected mood at the current position. Soundtrack Maker will
then suggest a new position for the next emotion by repositioning the position slider. You can also
position it elsewhere and add different moods.

Delete emotion: Removes the currently set emotion.

3. Generate background music

Clicking "Create soundtrack" creates a new soundtrack. "Progress" shows the current status.

Soundtracks you create are beat-based. In most cases the length of the soundtrack will not
match the marker positions, so that the track can play. These are frame-based and as such, can
be set to a more precise grid than a beat-based soundtrack.

Variations: If the background music that has been created is not suitable, a variation may be cre-
ated. This process may be repeated for the entire background music as well as for individual emo-
tions:

■ If you want to vary the entire background music, then click on "Create variations".
■ If you only want this to apply to a certain emotion, then move to it with the position slider first
in the dialog (or the play marker on the main screen). Then activate the option "Vary only selec-
ted emotions". Now click on "Create variation".

Automatic clip adjustment: This option re-arranges the video and photo objects in your project to
match the music. Make sure to deactivate this option if you do not want this function.

Travel Maps – Travel route animation

MAGIX Travel Maps is an easy-to-use software for creating travel route animations.

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Quick Start
Once you have started MAGIX Travel Maps, you can choose from different maps in the start screen:
Maps are included, Travel Packages can be expanded from the MAGIX Store, or load your own maps
as image files.

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1. Select the map you want to use for your animation by clicking it. The corresponding map
opens.
2. Click on the map to set locations for a route. Routes can contain an unlimited number of loc-
ations. You can alternatively add specific locations using the search.
3. Personalize your travel route with photos and various effects and click the play button to start
the animation.
4. Click the Finish button and create a WMV or mp4 video file.

General menu functions

1 Menu drag handle: Allows you to move the menu to reveal sections of the map which are being
covered by the menu.
2 Create new travel route: Creates a new travel route. You can create multiple travel routes on
the same map.

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3 Load travel route: Allows you to load a travel route which has already been created and saved.
Once loaded, you can make changes to the route.
4 Save open travel route: Saves the currently open travel route.

5 Playback menu: Plays the currently open travel route. This is what the finished travel route
animation looks like.
6 Fullscreen mode: The program uses the entire screen.
7 Open/close menu: Lets you close the menu to reveal sections of the map which are being
covered by the menu. To continue editing your travel route, simply click this button to open the
menu again.

360° Control

You can use the 360° Control to change the map's display as well as adjust the rotation and skew at
any time.

Zoom in and out

Keyboard shortcut: Mouse wheel

Skew map (Live Maps only)

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Mouse wheel

Rotate map

Keyboard shortcut: Shift + Mouse wheel

Double-clicking on the 360° Control or the individual faders will reset the values. If you are using
image maps or your own maps, the original map section will be restored.

Photos

Pictures in JPG format can be added to travel routes by going to "Photos" > "Select photos" and
importing them, and then dragging them from the overview onto the travel route.

■ Photos can also be assigned to specific destinations or set as the background image for a des-
tination.

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■ The images assigned to each destination are briefly displayed when the animation reaches the
destination and are once again hidden when the animation moves on.

Slideshow properties:

In the Slideshow properties you can set transitions, display times and transition lengths for the pho-
tos in your travel route.

Playback menu

Here you can preview your current travel route.

Place the mouse over the icon (do not click) to adjust the length of the animation.

Current pos- Provides a preview in which you can move along your travel route. Use the slider to
ition move along the travel route.

Animation Move the slider to adjust the length of the animation.

duration

Constant Every part of the route will be traveled with the same speed. Uncheck the box to set
speed the animation time for each location individually.

Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + spacebar to play and pause the animation.

Map (Start screen)

Click on "Map" to return to the start screen and select another map. You can use this feature to
change the map (e.g. from standard to satellite) used for a travel route – even routes which you've
already created.

Back to main interface Click here to return to the open travel route.

Load existing project Open an existing MAGIX Travel Maps project.

Search

If you are using a real map (e.g. from OpenStreetMaps), you can search for locations and save them
as locations in the map.

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To add a destination using Search, enter an address in the search field, select one of the listed results
and then press the "+" icon.

Path & Avatar

Use this menu item to edit each individual location as well as the entire route.

Click on the pencil on the left side and select a single location or the complete
route. The coloring of the buttons indicate which section is enabled for editing.

Path & Avatar Settings for the complete route.

> Complete
route

Location list A list of all locations with various settings options for customizing each location.
Click on the location description field to change the name.

Change path properties

The path properties can only be changed for the complete route. These can be found
under "Path & Avatar" > "Complete Route". Then, activate the path properties symbol on
the right.
"Draw curves" lets you create paths with soft, curving lines. You can also adjust the
width, color, transparency and shadow of paths the way you want.

Customize location properties

These properties can be customized for individual or all the locations (complete route).
For instance, you can set location symbols, adjust their size, set the duration of a location
during the animation, select font and much more.

Fade in/out or delete the route or individual locations:

Click on the eye icon to hide all or several locations. The location will remain in the list, but will
be hidden on the map and will not appear in the route. Click on the eye again to display the loc-
ation(s) again.

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This removes the entire route or just a certain location and then adjusts the route.

Customize avatar

Choose an avatar for the entire route or for individual locations. You can change avatar as
much as you like along your travel route. For example, you can start your trip by plane and
later continue it by car.

Align to path

This option can be enabled for 3D objects such as cars and airplanes to ensure that the object is
always pointing in the direction of travel, even on curves.

Load and export GPX tracks

You have the option to save your route as a GPX file and import routes created on navigation
devices or in GPS programs. MAGIX Travel Maps supports the following formats: gpx, kml, kmz, tcx
and trk.

For example, you can export a route created with Google Maps as a .kml or .kmz file and import it
into MAGIX Travel Maps to create an animation of your journey.

Tips for designing routes:

Adding additional locations:

If you have already created your travel route and want to add locations later, click on the
desired location on the path and a location will be added.

Moving locations:

If you want to move a location, move the mouse to the bottom of the location until the
mouse pointer changes and a highlighting circle is displayed. Move the location by
left-clicking the mouse and dragging it to the desired position.

Depicting meandering routes:

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Use hidden locations to create non-linear routes. This will allow you to visualize "meandering"
routes.

Complex routes with several locations:

If you want to create a complex route with several locations, first create the entire route and then
specify "Hide all locations" under "Path & Avatar > Complete route" > "Location properties". Then,
switch to the location list and unhide the key locations one by one.

View

You can add frame and height profile to your animation to customize its appearance.

Elevation profile Enhance your route by adding information about the elevation profile.
To do so, you will need geodata from a gpx file.

Click Edit to customize the appearance of the elevation profile.

Click Save to save your custom configuration.

Click on Open to open a saved configuration.

Frame Select a border for the visible portion of the map.

Animation

You can specify additional details under Animation in the menu.

Behavior

Animate loc- Adds a soft fade-in to the location. Use the slider to set the animation duration.
ations:

View follows Makes the visible portion of the map move to follow the course of the path.
path: When this option is disabled, the map remains static as the animation moves
along the travel route.

Fly-in options

Activate fly-in Start your route's animation by flying in on the map.

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Activate the additional "View follows path" option for a more impressive
start to your animation.

Rotation/Skew When using a fly-in animation, you can adjust the angle at the start and end.

Finish

Export your travel route as an image or video.

Single Takes a single screenshot of the current visible portion of the map, along with your
travel route. Enter a unique file name for the screenshot and select a destination to
frame save it to.
export

Export Specify a target folder and file name for the video you want to export. Click on the
folder & folder icon.
name

Export You can export the video in mp4 or wmv format.

format

Resolution Adjust the resolution of the video.

Start Saves the travel route animation as a video.

video export

Edit video: If this option is enabled, the finished video of the travel route video is opened in the
linked program for further editing. You can specify the associated program in the
Settings.

If the program is open in the background, another window will be opened after
the export. The route will not be automatically inserted into an open project.

Settings
You can access the program settings via the start screen ("Map" menu).

Smooth By activating GPX data smoothing, intermediary points will be calculated and added
GPX data to the GPX route. This provides a smooth and fluid animation, but can cause a loss

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to performance for routes with a lot of locations.

■ Auto searches for the best method of interpolation for the given track (recom-
mended).
■ No smoothing – no interpolation
■ Maximum smoothing - minimum distance between locations is used as basic
interpolation (poor performance)
■ Moderate smoothing - arithmetic mean employs a distance calculation (loc-
ations that are very close to each other but have little relevance are ignored)

Maximum The display duration for the animation can be set here. Choose from 1, 5, 10, 30 or
animation 60 minutes.
duration

Edit with Here you can choose from the installed MAGIX programs in which you can con-
tinue to work with the finished travel route animation after its export.

Language Select a language for the program. Changes will only take effect after the next pro-
gram restart.

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APPENDIX

Shortcut

Playback functions

Start / Stop Spacebar

Increase playback speed in stages L

Shift + L

Stop playback (playback marker is stopped at the current pos- K

ition)

Reverse playback or rewind in stages J

Shift + J

Speed up fast forward Shift + right arrow (hold down

keys)

Speed up rewind Shift + left arrow (hold down

keys)

Restart beginning at playback marker Backspace

Playback marker back to the beginning Home

Playback marker to end End

1 Frame back/forwards (only in Timeline mode) Left/right cursor

5 Frame back/forwards (only in Timeline mode) Ctrl+left/right-cursor.

Previous/next object (only in Storyboard Mode) Left/right cursor

Set project marker Ctrl + Enter key

Play from range start to range end #

Playback at current frame +

Activate smooth playback for preview P

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Monitors

Program monitor fullscreen Alt + Enter key

Other resolution Alt + G

Adjust program monitor to movie settings Ctrl + G

Adjust program monitor to selected video. Ctrl + Shift + G

Anaglyph display Ctrl+.

Display partially interlaced (left image first) Alt + .

Standard 2D .

Side-by-side display (left picture on the left) Shift +

Project window view

Zoom in Ctrl + Up

Zoom out Ctrl + Down

Play movie fullscreen Alt + Enter key

Movie overview Shift + A

Optimize view Shift + B

Zoom 1 frame / 5 frames Ctrl + 1/2

Zoom 1s / 5s / 1min/ 10min Ctrl + 3/4/5/6

Entire movie Ctrl + 8

Move view and start marker

To next object edge Alt + W

To previous object edge Alt + Q

To movie start Home

To movie end End

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To beginning of range Ctrl + Home

To end of range Ctrl + End

Scroll left by page Page up

Scroll right by page Page down

To scroll grid unit to left Ctrl + Pg Up

To scroll grid unit to right Ctrl + Pg Dn

To next project marker Ctrl + Shift + PgDn

To previous project marker Ctrl + Shift + Page up

To next snap marker Ctrl + Alt + Pg Dn

To previous snap marker Ctrl + Alt + Pg Up

To next scene marker Shift + Page down

To previous scene marker Shift + Page up

To next chapter marker Alt + Pg Dn

To previous chapter marker Alt + Pg Up

Go to right marker W

Go to left marker Q

To next empty range <

To previous empty range Shift + <

To next selected object Shift + W

To previously selected object Shift + Q

Select next object Ctrl + W

Select previous object Ctrl + Q

Mouse modes

Mouse mode for single objects 6

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All tracks mouse mode 7

Single track mouse mode 8

Curve mode 9

Object stretch mode 0

Preview audio objects Alt + 6

Context help Alt + F1

Insert modes

Automatic 1

Single track ripple 2

Multitrack ripple 3

Swap 4

Overwrite 5

Context menu
The context menu includes familiar functions from the menus as well as the following additional
functions:

Set audio/video offset Alt + O

Object properties Ctrl + E

Audio and waveform display

Create waveform display Shift + E

Video/Audio on one track Ctrl+U

Video/Audio on separate tracks Ctrl + H

"File" menu

New project Ctrl + N

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Open project Ctrl + O

Save project Ctrl + S

Save project as... Shift + S

Record audio / images / video... R

Export to device... H

Batch conversion... S

Load backup project Ctrl + Shift + O

Cleaning Wizard Ctrl + Shift + Y

Close Alt + F4

Manage project

Add a new empty movie Ctrl + Alt + N

Remove movie from project Ctrl + F4

Export MAGIX movie file Ctrl + Alt + L

Export movie

Export as AVI Ctrl + Alt + A

Export as DV AVI Ctrl + Alt + D

Export movie as an MPEG Ctrl + Alt + P

Video as MAGIX video Ctrl + Alt + M

Uncompressed movie Ctrl + Alt + U

Video as Motion JPEG AVI... Ctrl + Alt + O

Video as sequence of frames Ctrl + Alt + E

Windows Media Export Ctrl + Alt + V

Video as MPEG-4 video Ctrl + Alt + G

Video as HEVC Ctrl + Alt + I

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Audio as WAV Ctrl + Alt + W

Export as transition Ctrl + Alt + T

Single frame as BMP Ctrl + Alt + B

Single frame as JPEG Ctrl + Alt + J

Backup copy

Copy project and media into folder Alt + S

Copy movie and media into folder Shift + R

Settings

Film E

Program Y

Shortcut Ctrl + Shift + U

"Edit" menu

Undo Ctrl + Z

Redo Ctrl + Y

Cut objects Ctrl + X

Copy objects Ctrl + C

Paste objects Ctrl + V

Duplicate objects D

Delete objects Del

Select all objects Ctrl+ A

Cut

Cut scene T

Remove scene start Z

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Remove scene end U

Remove scene Ctrl + Del

Split movie Alt + Y

Musical editing adjustment Ctrl + Shift + M

Edit range

Cut range Shift + Del; Alt + X

Copy range Alt + C

Delete range Alt + Del

Insert range Alt + V

Extract range Shift + X

Insert empty space into selected range C

Group objects G

Ungroup objects Shift + G

Wizards

MovieShow Maker Ctrl + M

Soundtrack Maker Ctrl + Shift + S

Combine audio Shift + D

Combine audio and video Shift + M

Start preview rendering Ctrl + R

Markers

Set project markers Ctrl + Enter key

Set snap markers Ctrl + P

Set chapter markers Shift + Enter key

Set chapter markers automatically Alt + Shift + Enter key

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Delete chapter markers Ctrl + Shift + Enter key

Delete all chapter markers Ctrl + Alt + Enter key

Set range start I

Set range end O

Jump to range start Shift + I

Jump to range end Shift + O

Select range above blank space X

Mute audio tracks (Multicam) Alt + Shift + M

"Effects” menu

Movie effect settings Ctrl + Shift + H

Video object effects

Scene recognition Shift + Z

Video effects

Brightness Alt + Shift + H

Contrast Alt + Shift + O

Gamma Alt + Shift + G

Color Alt + Shift + F

Color correction Alt + Shift + C

Chroma key video level Alt + Shift + B

Sharpness Ctrl + Alt + S

Video effects plug-ins Ctrl + Shift + P

Load video effects Ctrl + -

Save video effects Alt + -

Reset video effects Ctrl + Alt + -

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Copy video effects -

Paste video effects Shift + -

View/Animation

Position/Size Alt + Shift + I

Section Alt + Shift + P

Camera/zoom shot Ctrl + Alt + Z

Rotation/Mirror Alt + Shift + R

Audio object effects

Normalize Alt + N

Decrease in volume Alt + L

Audio cleaning Alt + A

Echo/Reverb Shift + H

Timestretch/resample Ctrl + Shift + Q

Load audio effects Ctrl + +

Save audio effects Shift + +

Reset audio effects Ctrl + Alt + +

BPM Wizard Alt + Shift + K

Volume curve Ctrl+Shift+V

Title effects

Title editor... Ctrl + T

Load title effects... Alt + T

Save title effects Ctrl + Shift + T

Effects library

Audio and video effects Alt + Shift + E

Transition effects Ctrl + Shift + B

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Title effects Alt + Shift + L

"Window" menu

Reset window arrangement F9

Edit trimmer N

Object trimmer Shift + N

Mixer M

Master audio effect rack B

Program monitor Shift + V

Media Pool Shift + P

Activate next window Ctrl+Tab

Movie overview Shift + A

Optimize movie view Ctrl + F

Zoom horizontal

Zoom in Ctrl + Up

Zoom out Ctrl + Down

Zoom 1/5 frame(s) Alt + 1/2

Zoom 1/10 second(s) Alt + 3/4

Zoom 1 minute Alt + 5

Zoom 10 minutes Ctrl + Alt + 6

Zoom to selected range Alt+F

Zoom to complete movie length F

Zoom vertical

Zoom in Ctrl + Shift + Page up

Zoom out Ctrl + Shift + Page down

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"Help" menu

Help F1

Context help Alt + F1

Show tooltips Ctrl + Shift + F1

About Movie Studio Alt + Shift + F1

Editing keyboard shortcuts

You can open the keyboard shortcut dialog via FILE > SETTINGS > SHORTCUTS. In this dialog
you can specify keyboard shortcuts for all Movie Studio menu functions. This allows you to adapt
existing shortcuts to your requirements or to add new ones.

The settings are automatically saved in a file upon closing the program, i.e. they will be available the
next time the program is used.

The complete menu tree of Movie Studio is displayed in the dialog.

Add keyboard shortcut

To add a keyboard shortcut, follow these steps:

■ Look for the required menu item and select it with click. The currently selected menu item will
be displayed under CURRENT MENU ITEM.
■ Then, click on the NEW KEYBOARD SHORTCUT field.
■ Type in the keyboard shortcut. You can also use combinations of any key with "Shift", "Alt", and
"Ctrl".
■ Then click on ASSIGN KEYBOARD SHORTCUT. If the shortcut has already been assigned, a
warning will display.

Please do not use the spacebar, ESC or Insert key (0 in the number block), as the functions of
these keys are permanently implemented in Movie Studio and cannot be changed.

Keyboard shortcut list

Reset: Activates all preset shortcuts again.

Load: Previously saved shortcuts are loaded and activated again.

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Movie Studio offers additional presets for users switching over from other programs. These set-
tings make it much easier to switch to Movie Studio.

If you have used a version of MAGIX Video Pro before and want to use the same keyboard short-
cuts, load Video_Pro_X.ssc for this version.

The current settings will be overwritten during loading. Save your current keyboard shortcuts in
advance if you would like to keep them.

Save: The current keyboard shortcuts can be saved after naming the file.

List: This button opens a window where a complete list of current keyboard shortcuts appears. You
can click on COPY to copy the list to the Windows clipboard for editing and printing using a text
editor.

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Customer support

Dear MAGIX customer,

Our aim is to provide convenient, fast and solution-focused support – that's why you can access
unlimited web support and help through our online community at www.magix.info.

As a registered MAGIX customer, you have unlimited access to web support offered by the MAGIX
service portal in the Support area at www.magix.info. You have access to an intelligent help wizard,
high-quality FAQs, patches and user reports that are constantly updated.

The Online Community is available for free to all registered MAGIX customers in the Forum area.
The community enables you to ask members questions concerning MAGIX products as well as use
the search function in order to search for specific topics or answers. In addition to questions &
answers, the knowledge pool includes a glossary, video tutorials and a discussion forum. A wide
range of software experts are on www.magix.info everyday and are ready to provide quick answers,
sometimes even within minutes.

Send a support request

If you cannot find a solution in the forum or FAQ articles, you can submit a support request.

Registration is required to place a support request at www.magix.info.

1. Open our online community www.magix.info.

2. Click on SUPPORT in the menu bar.
3. Select the product you need help with.
4. Then scroll down. You can find the link under "Other ways to find help" > Contact support.

MAGIX Sales Department

You can contact the MAGIX Sales Department on workdays for help with the following questions
and problems:

■ Orders
■ Product consulting (pre-purchase)
■ Upgrade requests
■ Returns

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Phone: +49 5741 3455-31, Monday to Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Email: [email protected]

Address: MAGIX Software GmbH, Osnabrücker Str. 3, 32312 Lübbecke, Germany

Particularities for purchases made through Steam™

Different conditions apply if you have purchased the program through Steam™. You can find more
information at https://support.steampowered.com.

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Glossary

Alpha
ALPHA MASK
In Movie Studio, alpha masks can be used to define an area that should transparent in a video
clip, or to hide a specific area of a clip. This can be useful, for example, to replace the back-
ground of a green screen video with another image or video, or to create special effects. Here,
the alpha mask is placed over the video as a separate layer and determines which areas of the
video are transparent and which are visible.

Anti-cropping
ANTI-CROPPING
Anti-cropping allows you to maintain the aspect ratio of a video when it is exported at a dif-
ferent size. Normally, reducing or enlarging a video would cause part of the original image to be
cropped. Anti-cropping adjusts the aspect ratio to preserve the entire image by adding black
bars to the sides or top and bottom to maintain the aspect ratio.

AVCHD
AVCHD
AVCHD stands for "Advanced Video Coding High Definition" and is a video format that was
developed by Sony and Panasonic for recording and playing back high-definition videos.
AVCHD material is typically used by camcorders and is characterized by high-quality picture at
comparatively small file sizes. The format uses an efficient compression method to reduce the
amount of data while largely preserving image quality. AVCHD files often have the extension
.mts or .m2ts

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Bit rate
BIT RATE
The number of bits used per second in a video or audio file to determine the quality and size of
the file format. A higher bit rate usually means higher quality video because more data is used
to encode the image. The unit of bit rate is bits per second (bps) or kilobits per second (kbps)
and is typically specified as 1 Mbps, 5 Mbps, 10 Mbps, and so on.

Chroma key (green screen)

Chroma key is technology that makes it possible to replace an element of a certain color in a
video with another one. This is primarily used in film and television production, for example, to
remove a background or insert an object into a different scene. Using Chroma key, you can
make a specific colored area in a video transparent and replace it with a new background. This
offers a wide range of options for designing creative effects or removing unwanted items from
your footage.

Background Green screen video Chroma key effect

Codec
CODEC

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Software used to compress or decompress digital media data.

Decoding
DECODING
The process of converting compressed media data into an uncompressed format.

Encoding
ENCODING
The process of compressing media data into a format that is more space efficient.

Frame rate
FRAME RATE/FPS
The frame rate specifies how many frames per second are displayed in a video. The unit for
frame rate is fps (frames per second). The higher the frame rate, the smoother and more nat-
ural the motion in the video. Common frame rates for video are 24fps, 25fps, 30fps, 50fps, and
60fps, with higher frame rates being especially beneficial when recording fast motion or cre-
ating slow-motion footage.

GOP
GOP
The abbreviation for group of pictures; a group of images in a video file that are compressed
together to reduce the file size.

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Interlace
INTERLACE
Interlace describes a method of displaying video images in which two fields are combined to
form a full image. In this process, each field is displayed alternately on the screen, with the top
field first and then the bottom field. "Top field first" and "bottom field first" refer to the order in
which the fields are displayed. With "top field first", the top field is displayed first, followed by
the bottom field. Bottom field first means that the bottom field is displayed first, followed by the
top field. The choice between "top field first" and "bottom field first" depends on how the video
signal is generated.

Interpolation
INTERPOLATION
Interpolation is a mathematical method for estimating values between two known values. Here,
interpolation refers to the creation of intermediate frames or frames to simulate the movement
of objects between two adjacent frames. Interpolation is often used to increase or decrease
frame rate to achieve slow-motion or time-lapse effects, or to enable smoother playback of
video on devices with a different frame rate.

LUT
LUT
LUT stands for "Look-up table" and is a file that can apply color correction to a video. It is a type
of color filter that applies color correction to a video or image by replacing the color value of
each pixel with a new color in accordance with the color correction stored in the LUT. In Movie
Studio, LUTs can be used to apply uniform color corrections to a group of videos or to give a
video or image a specific artistic look.

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Object
OBJECT
Objects are the basic elements on the Timeline: Videos, audio, images, transitions, titles, masks,
etc. Each imported video or audio file is placed on the Timeline as a separate object. Objects
can be edited, moved, scaled, and assigned effects.

Proxy
PROXY FILE
A low-resolution version of a video clip used to enable faster playback or editing in video editing
software.

Rendering
RENDERING
The process of creating a finished video from various clips, effects, and audio tracks.

Threshold
The threshold value determines how closely a color in your video must match the selected key
color (such as green or blue) in order to be rendered transparent. The threshold value acts as a
defined limit value that determines which image or video areas are retained and which are
masked out. A low threshold value means that only colors that are very close to the selected
key color (e.g. the green of a green screen) are made transparent. A high threshold value means
that colors that are only similar to the key color are also made transparent.

Chroma key (Green screen)

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