working with plasmawipe effects - avid...

Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

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PlasmaWipe effects are real-time plug-in effects that use gradient image bitmaps to create wipes and segment effects. There are 64 preset effects, and you can create your own by creating new gradient images.

While one of the wipe effects plays, the system maintains a value called a threshold point and changes the value gradually from black to white. All gray tones in the gradient image that are lighter than the threshold point are replaced by outgoing video. All gray tones in the image that are darker than the threshold point are replaced by incoming video. As the threshold point gets closer to white, more of the incoming video appears. The result is a smooth, custom wipe.

The following illustration shows the black and white gradient image used by the Horiz Twirl PlasmaWipe effect and the resulting effect, with softness applied. This effect gives the impression of a curling spiral that reveals the image underneath.

Outgoing footage Image used by Horiz Twirl effect Incoming footage

Three sample frames using the Horiz Twirl effect as a transition effect.

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Installing PlasmaWipe Effects

The PlasmaWipe effects installer is available in the following locations:

• On Macintosh® systems, the installer is in the Other Installers folder on the Avid editing application installation CD-ROM.

• On Windows® systems, the installer is available on the main installer window for the Avid editing installation program.

You must enter a password to install the PlasmaWipe effects. You can obtain a password when you register your Avid editing application at Avid’s Web site: www.avid.com/register.

After you install the PlasmaWipe effects and restart your Avid editing application, several PlasmaWipe effect categories appear in the Effect Palette.

The installation program installs a file named PlasmaWipes.pdf (this document) at the same level as the Avid editing application. PlasmaWipes.pdf describes how to use and to create PlasmaWipe effects.

The installation program stores a PlasmaWipes folder in the SupportingFiles folder of your Avid editing application. The following shows the default locations for the folder for Avid Xpress® Pro:

• (Windows) drive:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress Pro\SupportingFiles\PlasmaWipes

• (Macintosh) Macintosh HD/Applications/Avid Xpress Pro/Supporting Files/PlasmaWipes

c (Macintosh only) If you create additional folders for your custom PlasmaWipe effects, back them up before you run the PlasmaWipes installer to replace or update the PlasmaWipes folder. The installer deletes and replaces the entire PlasmaWipes folder.


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The following illustration shows the default PlasmaWipes folder structure.

There are parallel folders for NTSC (720x486) and PAL (720x576) resolutions. When you create your own PlasmaWipe effects you create two versions of each effect, one for each resolution.

Using PlasmaWipe Effects

PlasmaWipe effects are two stream, real-time effects that you can use as either transition effects or segment effects. As transition effects, PlasmaWipe effects allow you to create custom wipes. As segment effects, you can use PlasmaWipe effects as static wipes. For example, you could design a PlasmaWipe effect that gives the impression of fog on the top and bottom of the video image or a custom border for an effect similar to a picture-in-picture effect.

n For information on the effects in the Border category, see “Using PlasmaWipe Frame and Border Effects” on page 19.

n Although PlasmaWipe effects are real-time, they are CPU-intensive effects and might require rendering if you combine them with other effects or multiple video streams.

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To use a PlasmaWipe effect:

1. Apply the PlasmaWipe effect to a transition or segment.

2. Click the Effect mode button.

3. Adjust the parameters and add keyframes (as necessary) in the Effect Editor.

The Level value corresponds to the black and white threshold. As you increase the value, the threshold moves closer to white and reveals more incoming video. The following illustration shows how the threshold point changes as the effect plays.

Outgoing footage Image used by Horiz Twirl effect Incoming footage

Changes in the Level (threshold) value and corresponding changes in the gradient image.

Corresponding changes in the image.


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Creating PlasmaWipe Effects

This section describes three approaches that you can use to create an image for a PlasmaWipe effect:

• Create a black and white gradient image in a graphics tool such as Adobe Photoshop®.

• Modify an existing image to create a black and white gradient image.

• Create a wipe by drawing a wide brush stroke that changes smoothly from black to white. You can use the Pencil tool in Photoshop to create this type of image.

n The images in the PlasmaWipes folders are raw Photoshop images. You can open the images in Photoshop to get some ideas for new effects.

The following sections describe how to create the gradient images used for PlasmaWipe effects and the folder structure that you must use to ensure that the Avid editing application recognizes your new effects.

n This document describes how to create gradient images using Adobe Photoshop. However, you can use any graphic tool, such as Jasc® Paint Shop™ Pro®, that allows you to create black and white gradient images and save the image as a raw image file (with a .raw extension).

n For information on the effects in the Border category, see “Using PlasmaWipe Frame and Border Effects” on page 19.

Creating PAL and NTSC Versions of the Image

Because PAL and NTSC require different resolutions for graphic images you must create two versions of your image as follows:

• A 720 x 576 pixel image for PAL

• A 720 x 486 pixel image for NTSC

It is better to start with a 720 x 576 image because it is the highest resolution.

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Creating a PlasmaWipe from a Custom Image

This sample procedure uses Adobe Photoshop, but you can use any graphic tool that creates black and white gradient images and allows you to save an image as a raw image file.

To create a gradient image using Adobe Photoshop:

1. Create a new file with the following characteristics:

- Image size: 720 pixels (width) by 576 pixels (height)

- Resolution: 72 pixels/inch (you can use any resolution)

- Mode: Grayscale

2. Create a black and white graphic. For example, use the Gradient tool to create a basic pattern with the following settings:

- Foreground: black

- Background: white

- Opacity: 100%

3. (Option) Use distortion filters such as Spherize, Twirl, or Ripple to modify the image. The following illustration shows a gradient image modified by two separate distortion operations.

4. (Option) Perform image operations to create different effects. For example, you can copy different gradient images to separate layers and experiment with blending the layers.

n For information on blending layers, see your Photoshop documentation.

Gradient image Distortion Swirl applied Distortion Ripple applied


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5. Save the image as a raw image file as described in “Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

Creating a Wipe Using the Photoshop Pencil Tool

This procedure describes how to create a gradient image similar to the images in the PlasmaWipes/Avid/Paint folder. The wipe effect simulates uncovering the incoming video by wiping away the outgoing video with a brush or cloth. The following illustration shows two examples. The darkest part of the image is wiped away first.

This sample procedure uses Adobe Photoshop to create the gradient image.

To create a gradient image using the Pencil tool:

1. Select the lower color selection box in the Adobe Photoshop toolbox and change the background to black.

2. Select the upper color selection box and change the foreground color to white.


- Image size: 720 pixels (width) by 576 pixels (width)


- Mode: Grayscale

- Contents: Background color

4. Select the Pencil tool. The pencil tool is useful for this method because it creates hard edges.

5. Click Other Dynamics in the Brushes palette.

Image used by Paint Strokes 1 Image used by Paint Strokes 4

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6. In the Opacity Jitter parameter area, click the Control pop-up menu and select Fade.

7. Enter a high Step number in the Control text box (for example, 500).

This creates a pencil stroke that fades from white to black (foreground to background color) in small increments.

n For Photoshop 6.0, select Color > Fade in the Brush Dynamics dialog box.

8. Click Brush Presets, and select a wide pencil shape, for example 100 pixels or higher.

You can also create a custom brush. For example, in Photoshop 7.0 you can create a brush that rotates and changes size as you draw.

9. Close the Brushes palette.

10. Set Opacity to 100%.

11. Start anywhere in the image and draw back and forth across the image, covering the entire image from top to bottom. This should create a wide pencil mark that changes the color from white to black.

Draw the line as if you are painting the wipe backwards from white to black. When the wipe plays, the darkest parts of the image are replaced by incoming video first. For example, to create an effect similar to Paint Strokes 4, start drawing in the upper left corner and draw concentric rectangles until you reach the center. This wipe starts in the center and spreads out in concentric rectangles. The image used for Paint Strokes 2 creates a wipe effect with a crisscross pattern.

12. (Optional) Apply filters to the image to change the edges. For example, select Distortion > Ripple to apply a Ripple effect.

Image used by Paint Strokes 2Image used by Paint Strokes 4


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n When you resize the image for NTSC, select Nearest Neighbor in the Resample Image menu. This maintains the sharp edges in the image.

Creating a PlasmaWipe Effect from an Existing Image

This sample procedure describes how to create a gradient image from an existing image using Adobe Photoshop. You can use any graphic, but images with rich texture often give the best results.

To create a gradient image from an existing image:

1. Open an existing graphics file.

2. Select Image > Image Size.

The Image Size dialog box appears.

3. Change the image size to 720 pixels x 576 pixels.

4. Deselect Constrain Proportions.

5. Click OK.

6. Select Image > Mode > Grayscale.

7. Select Image > Histogram and use the histogram to ensure that the image uses the full range of gradient values. For more information on using histograms, see “Tips for Working with Gradient Images” on page 10.

8. Click OK.

Image used by Falling Text Image used by Lava Flow 3

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Tips for Working with Gradient Images

The following tips apply to working with gradient images:

• Keep the graphic smooth without too many hard edges. This increases the number of levels (gradients) and creates a smoother wipe.

• Do not use dithering or antialiasing because they might add artifacts to the wipe. For example, when a graphics application performs antialiasing, it smooths out the edge of a line by blending the colors along the edge. These blended colors might force small portions of the incoming or outgoing video to appear at inappropriate times.

• If you use Photoshop, use the histogram to view the gradient levels of the image. This allows you to ensure that the image uses all the available gradient values and that the effect plays smoothly.

To use the Adobe Photoshop histogram:

t Select Image > Histogram.

The Histogram shows the area of coverage as the wipe appears. The following tips apply to using the histogram:

• The wider the range of gradient values (levels), the smoother the resulting animation. For example, the following illustrations show two histograms. The one with the wide range of gradient values will create a smoother animation.

Image does not use all available gradient values.

Image uses all available gradient values.


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• A horizontally smooth histogram results in an animation that doesn’t have abrupt changes. If the histogram has a wide vertical range, the wipe might come in quickly then slow down. The following illustrations show two histograms. The image with the peak creates an animation that starts quickly, slows down as it gets to the middle of the effect, and then speeds up again. The image with the smooth histogram creates an animation with a constant speed.

Depending on the effect you want to create, the image associated with either type of histogram can create an acceptable animation as long as it uses the full range of gradients.

n If you want to change the speed of the wipe, you can use keyframes to control the Level parameter. You can also use the Acceleration parameter in the Effect Editor to change the speed.

To use the histogram to change the image:

1. Select Image > Histogram to view the range of gradients (levels) used by the image. For example, the following histogram shows that the image does not use all of the available gradient values (the histogram shows no gradient levels on the right side of the graph).

Image does not use all available gradient values.

Image uses all available gradient values.

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You can use a command like Equalize, Auto Levels, or Auto Contrast to increase the range of gradient values.

2. Select Image > Adjustment > Equalize. The following illustration shows the resulting histogram.

This histogram uses a wider range of gradients but has many gaps. In a short wipe effect the gaps are not noticeable. In a long effect, the gaps might create doubled frames in the animation. You can use a blur effect to smooth out the range.

3. Select Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and enter a value of 2.0. The following illustration shows the resulting histogram.

This image creates a smooth wipe effect.

You often need to use a combination of blur effects and level or contrast changes to create a smooth histogram that uses the full range of gradients.

Testing the Animation

You can use the following procedure to preview the animation that the system performs on your graphic. This example uses the Horiz Twirl image from the PlasmaWipes folder.


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To test an animation:

1. Select Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast.

The Brightness/Contrast dialog box appears. The following illustration shows the image and the Brightness/Contrast dialog box.

2. Move the Contrast slider all the way to the right to view the animation with hard edges.

3. To view the animation with some softness applied, move the Contrast slider to the left to select a lower Contrast number.

4. Move the Brightness slider from left (-100) to right (+100) to view the animation. The following images show three stages of the animation.

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To adjust the image in increments of 10, click the Brightness slider and use Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow.

n You can also use Image > Adjustments > Threshold to view the animation with hard edges.

Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC

This sample procedure assumes that you created a PAL version of the image (720 x 576 pixels) using the steps described in “Creating a PlasmaWipe from a Custom Image” on page 6.

To save a gradient image:

1. Make a backup copy of the image.

2. If the image has multiple layers, flatten the image.

3. Select File > Save As.

The Save As dialog box appears.

4. Name the file, and select Raw(*.RAW) from the Format menu.

The system saves the file as a raw Photoshop image with a .raw extension. This is the 720 x 576 (PAL) version of the image.

n The name you choose for the image will become the name of the effect that appears in the Effect Palette. Make sure you use exactly the same name for the PAL and NTSC versions of the file.

5. Use the following steps to save an NTSC version of the image.

a. Select Image > Image Size.

b. In the Height text box, change the image height to 486 pixels. Keep the image width at 720 pixels.


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c. Deselect Constrain Proportions.

d. Select Resample Image and select Bicubic from the Resample Image menu.

n If the image has hard edges, select Nearest Neighbor from the Resample Image menu. This avoids extra blending. If you have smooth edges, select Bicubic.

e. Click OK.

f. Select File > Save As.

The Save As dialog box appears.

g. Name the file as described in Step 4.

6. Store the two images in the PlasmaWipes folder structure. See “Storing Images in the PlasmaWipes Folder Structure” on page 15.

n You can create actions in Adobe Photoshop to automate these save operations. For more information, see the Adobe Photoshop documentation.

n For information on how the name you give to a PlasmaWipe effect affects the default values, see “Default Values for PlasmaWipe Effects” on page 22.

Storing Images in the PlasmaWipes Folder Structure

You now have an NTSC and a PAL version of your new PlasmaWipe images. In order for the Avid editing application to recognize the files, you must store them in the correct folders.

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The following illustration shows the default PlasmaWipes folder structure. The PlasmaWipes folder is located in the SupportingFiles folder of your Avid editing application.

To store your Plasma Wipe image files:

1. Give your image files unique names so that you can recognize the files if you copy them to another system.

n The name you choose will become the name that appears for the effect in the Effect Palette.

2. Create new folders to organize your new effects. Create identical folders within the 720x486 folder and the 720x576 folder.

Do not store your files in the Avid folders because the folder may be overwritten when you update your Avid software. Create folders within the 720x486 folder and the 720x576 folder at the same level as the Avid folder. You can use any number of nesting levels for your folders in order to organize your effects. The system displays the full path as part of the name in the effect category. The following illustration shows the Effect Palette with the full default path in the effect category.


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3. Copy your images to the new folders. Make sure the images have identical names in the 720x486 folder and the 720x576 folder.

4. Restart your Avid application.

Your new effects appear in the Effect Palette.

n If you move sequences that use your new wipes to another system, you must copy the wipes to that other system. You must maintain the same folder structure on each system that uses your effects.

c (Macintosh only) If you create additional folders for your own custom PlasmaWipe effects, back them up before you run the PlasmaWipes installer to replace or update the PlasmaWipes folder. The installer deletes and replaces the entire PlasmaWipes folder.

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Tips for Adjusting an Existing PlasmaWipe Effect While the Application is Running

If you add new effects you must restart the Avid editing application in order to see the effects in the Effect Palette. However, you can use the following procedure to adjust a PlasmaWipe effect that you have previously created. This helps when testing changes to one of your effects.

To adjust an existing effect while the application is running:

1. Edit the older version of the effect into a sequence.

2. Locate the PlasmaWipes folder and replace the old effect with the new effect in the appropriate folder.

3. In the Timeline bottom toolbar, click the Video Quality menu button and select a lower video quality.

4. Click the effect icon in the Timeline and move the position indicator to update the effect in the Timeline.

5. Click the Video Quality menu button and select a higher video quality.

The system replaces the effect with the new version.


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Using PlasmaWipe Frame and Border Effects

PlasmaWipe frame and border effects allow you to add a variety of edge treatments to a clip. The following illustrations show several examples.

Frame and border effects are in the PlasmaWipe Avid Borders category of the Effect Palette. There are two groups of these effects:

• Border effects allow you to darken the edges and corners of an image or give a tint or shadow to the sky as though the image was shot through a lens filter. For example, the image with no effect in the

Soft Window effect used as PIP

Soft Sky effect

Stone Frame Medium effect Stone Frame Large effect applied to a PIP effect, resized, and repositioned

Image with no effects

Soft Window used to darken edges

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previous illustration shows a slight darkening of the corners created during the original filming of the clip. The bottom right image uses Soft Window to accentuate this effect. Border effects include the following:

- Round Border

- Soft Sky

- Soft Window

- Square Border

• Frame effects allow for textured, colored frames. These effects have the word Frame in their name. There are three versions of each:

- Large: places a frame around the entire image. These effects are intended for use with DVE effects such as picture-in-picture (PIP) effects.

- Medium and Small: remain centered in the image and cannot be resized or repositioned.

n You can achieve effects similar to frame effects if you import a Matte key created in an application such as Photoshop. Frame effects have the added benefit of allowing you to adjust the frame color within the Avid editing application.

Applying and Adjusting Frame and Border Effects

Frame effects are segment effects. Border effects like Soft Sky can be used as either segment effects or transition effects but are intended as segment effects.

n For information on how the system identifies a frame effect from other PlasmaWipe effects, see “Default Values for PlasmaWipe Effects” on page 22.

To apply a frame effect or border effect:

t Click the effect icon in the Effect Palette, drag it to the segment in the Timeline, and release the mouse button.


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To Apply a frame or border effect to an existing DVE such as a PIP effect:

1. Apply the PIP effect to a clip in the Timeline.

2. Double-click the effect’s icon in the Timeline.

The system steps into the effect and displays the nested tracks.

3. Drag the frame or border effect onto the upper track in the nested effect. For example, the following illustration shows the Stone Frame Large effect applied to the 1.2 track.

4. Double-click the PIP effect icon again to step out of the nested effect.

5. Adjust the parameters for the PIP effect.

n The Frame Large effects are designed to be used with DVEs such as the PIP effects.

To adjust a frame effect or border effect:

n If the effect is part of a nested effect, step into the effect to modify the frame effect or the border effect.

1. For Frame effects, adjust the Border and Blend color to change the color of the frame. The color modifies the effect as follows:

- Border adjusts the base color of the frame.

- Blend Color adjusts the highlight color.

2. Adjust the Soft (softness) and Foreground Level parameters as needed.

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If you want to adjust a border effect to darken the edges of an image, use the Foreground Level parameter to expand the border to the edges of the image. Then modify the border using the Soft, Border color, and Border Blend parameters.

n You usually do not want to keyframe the Foreground Level parameter on a frame effect. The source graphics for PlasmaWipe frame effects have a sharp transition between black and white values and you might find that the change from foreground to background video happens too quickly.

Default Values for PlasmaWipe Effects

Frame effects have different default values from the rest of the PlasmaWipes effects. This is because frame effects usually have crisp edges between the video and the frame graphic. Other PlasmaWipe effects often blend video clips together and those effects can benefit from some amount of softness.

In order to determine which default values to use, the PlasmaWipes software looks for the words border and frame in the pathname to the effect source graphic. If both words appear in the path, the software applies the frame effect defaults (and only allows the effect to be used as a segment effect). Otherwise the software applies the defaults used for all other PlasmaWipes. For example, the following two effects use the frame effect defaults:

• PlasmaWipes/720x486/Avid/Borders/Stone Frame Large

• PlasmaWipes/720x486/MyEffects/MyFrames/Large Stone Border

The following table shows the default parameters for PlasmaWipes effects.

Parameter Name

Default Values for Frame Effects

Default Values for all other PlasmaWipe Effects

Border

• Hue 0 0

• Sat 0 0


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Creating Custom Border and Frame Effects

For border effects such as Soft Sky or Square Window, you can use the same techniques as described in “Creating PlasmaWipe Effects” on page 5.

Frame effects have the following unique requirements:

• Use an image with a 4:3 aspect ratio to create the frame graphic. For example, start with a 720x540 pixel image. After you create the frame graphic, save it as the correct size for PAL or NTSC as described in “Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

• For best results, keep distinct boundaries between the black, white, and gray portions of your image. Do not blend between black and gray or between white and gray areas. For example, the following illustration shows the image for the Stone Frame Small effect.

• Lum 63 255

Blend Color

• Hue 0 0

• Sat 0 0

• Lum 255 255

• Width 63 0

• Softness 0 32

Level 50 50

Parameter Name

Default Values for Frame Effects

Default Values for all other PlasmaWipe Effects

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Foreground video displays through the black area and background video displays through the white area. If you allow the gray area to blend with the black, portions of the frame might appear within the background video area and portions of the foreground video might appear within the frame.

A histogram for a frame graphic differs from a histogram from other types of PlasmaWipe effects. The following illustration shows the Photoshop histogram for the Stone Frame Small image.

Because a frame graphic does not create an animation, the histogram does not need to contain a wide range of gradient values. In fact, there will be large portions of the image that are completely black or white.

To create a custom frame graphic:


- Image size: 720 pixels (width) by 540 pixels (height)


- Mode: Grayscale


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n The 720x540 size ensures that the original image will have a 4:3 aspect ratio.This allows you to create a frame that fits correctly within the video image.

2. Display the Photoshop grid to allow for precise placement of the frame and interior area. Use a grid size of one gridline every 36 pixels.

3. Create a frame graphic using the grid lines as a guide.

4. Modify the grayscale image and apply filter effects as necessary.

5. Color the inside of the frame black.

6. If you want background video to appear around the frame, color that area white.

7. Flatten the image to remove extra layers.

8. Make a copy of the image.

9. Save one copy as 720x482 (PAL) and another as 720x576 (NTSC) as described in “Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

n Select the Nearest Neighbor option to avoid blending between the black, white, and gray areas of the image.

To create a frame graphic from an existing image:

1. Open an existing image, such as a graphic of a stone slab, piece of wood, or wooden frame.

2. Select Image > Image Size.

The Image Size dialog box appears.

3. Change the image size to 720 pixels x 540 pixels.

4. Deselect Constrain Proportions.

5. Click OK.

6. Select Image > Mode > Grayscale.

7. Turn on the Photoshop grid to allow for precise placement of the frame and interior area. Use a grid size of one gridline every 36 pixels.

8. Modify the grayscale image and apply filter effects as necessary.

9. Color the inside of the frame black.

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10. If you want background video to appear around the frame, color that area white.

11. Flatten the image to remove extra layers.

12. Make a copy of the image.

13. Save one copy as 720x482 (for NTSC) and another as 720x576 (for PAL) as described in “Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

n Select the Nearest Neighbor option to avoid blending between the black, white, and gray areas of the image.

Copyright © 2003 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Avid and Avid Xpress are registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc.

Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Paint Shop and Paint Shop Pro are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Jasc Software, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

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