| TO... |
DO THIS... |
Visual |
| Basics |
| Open the Wizards tool |
Double-click the Wizards for Movie Maker shortcut on your desktop (shown at right), or choose Start > Program Files > Pixelan > SpiceFX 4.0 for Movie Maker > Wizards for Movie Maker. |
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| Choose a wizard |
Use the menu at the top of the Wizards window. |
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| Choose which item to customize |
Click the Transition (or Effect) button, then choose from 01 – 40. |
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| Show your clip(s) in the preview. |
Wizards can preview YOUR still-images (not video) instead of its default images -- to aid customizing to a particular clip in your project. In SpiceMaster or PerfectPIP, click the 1 (and/or 2) button to set the first (and/or second) clip's image. In AccentFX and PanZoom, click the Clip button to set the effect's image.
Tip: A quick way to make a representative still-image in Movie Maker from a video clip is to drag the vertical marker in the Movie Maker timeline over the clip, then choose Tools > Take Picture from Preview.
Tip: Each custom item can show different still-images. Note the images are only for reference in Wizards – they are NOT part of the exported custom transition/effect. Wizards only create the custom effect/transition -- not any clip content. To apply your results, apply the custom transition/effect to the same clip(s) in your Movie Maker timeline. |
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| Change the look of the transition/effect |
Click a button such as Shape or Softness or Timing, then move the cursor over the palette that will appear next to the button. For all except Timing, the preview image will update to whatever choice your cursor is over. Click on your final choice.
Click here to see a brief screen movie of our easy, visual interface in action.
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| Change the timing/pace or direction |
Use the Timing button palette to make a desired choice. You can accelerate/decelerate a SpiceMaster transition, for example, by choosing a "curved line" item in the Timing palette. |
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| Make a transition play inverted |
Choose the downward sloped line in the Timing palette of SpiceMaster or PerfectPIP, as shown at right. |
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| Move the position of a transition or effect |
Drag the center 'handle' in the preview window.
Tip: This gives you the power move the transition or effect EXACTLY where desired for your subject or action! A HUGE advantage compared to other Movie Maker transitions or effects! Such positioning is available in PerfectPIP, PanZoom, and TranJelly of the basic Wizards, and in all five tools of the PRO Wizards. |
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| Scale a Shape larger or smaller |
Drag the edge of the blue rectangle in the preview. Such scaling is available in the basic and PRO versions of AccentFX, PerfectPIP, and PanZoom. |
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| Clear one (or all 40) items in a Wizard |
Click the Clear button, then choose Clear current only or Clear ALL. Either choice clears only the selected Wizard -- it does not clear all five Wizards at once.
Tip: If you have previously applied the effect/transition in Movie Maker, this action will NOT clear it from your Movie Maker project or affect it in any other way. This only affects what is currently stored in Wizards. |
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| Removing custom items from Movie Maker |
Perhaps after working with the Wizards, you have many custom effects (or transitions) now in Movie Maker, but you want to remove them because they are not relevant to your new project. Here's how: 1) In each Wizard from which you have previously exported into Movie Maker, click the yellow Clear button (-) in the lower right of the window. Select the Clear ALL option when asked. This will clear all of the effects (or transitions) you created in the Wizard. 2) Make a minor change in one effect only. 3) Click the Export into Movie Maker button. Now only that one effect (or transition) from this Wizard will appear in Movie Maker. |
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| Additional PanZoom Basics |
| Position the start/end of a PanZoom effect |
Drag the center 'handle' of the blue (or red) frame in the right window's image to position the panzoom's start (or end).
Tip: Look in the preview window as you drag to see the visual result of your changes. Note that the preview initially shows the mid-point of the effect's duration. To see other time points, use the controls under the preview. |
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| Pan left or right during the effect |
Position the blue Start or red End frame to the left or right of the other frame. |
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| Zoom in or out |
Drag a blue (or red) frame edge to zoom either in or out. To zoom in, for example, drag the red End frame smaller than the blue Start frame.
Tip: To have no panning occur during the zoom, click the Match button before re-sizing a frame smaller. Then both frames will share the same center point. |
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| Hold (constant zoom/position) |
Drag one frame to the position/size desired, then click the Match button. |
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| Move a frame only horizontal or vertical |
Hold down the Shift key while dragging the center 'handle' of the Start or End frame. |
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| Re-center a start/end frame's position |
Click the Start or End frame, then click the Center button. To center ONLY vertically or horizontally, click the Center V or Center H button. |
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| PRO version Additions |
| Undo/redo changes |
Click the Undo (or Redo) button at the top right of the Wizard's window.
Tip: 100+ undo/redo's are available, a great way to experiment without risk! |
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| Append the item's name as a reminder |
Enter text in the Add to Name box as a reminder of the intent of the effect you are creating. Up to 16 characters can be added. Typing "sunset iris " for Transition 01 of SpiceMaster will result in a transition icon named "SpiceMaster 1 sunset iris" in Movie Maker. |
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| Choose a custom color for Border, Glow, etc. |
Click the pink triangle in corner of the Border button (or other buttons), then choose a color from the color picker that will appear.
Tip: The color picker allows you to set the border or shadow/glow color to match or complement colors in your clip. |
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| High-resolution output for still-images in PanZoom PRO |
Turn on the Attach the above Clip to the effect for best quality output check box. Then click the Clip button above it to load the intended source clip. Note this feature only works for still-image clips. This feature creates the sharpest possible output for zoomed still-images in movies-- a breakthrough for Movie Maker users!
Tip: Do not later move (or remove) the source clip on your drive, or the custom pan/zoom effect will not be able to find it to produce better output. |
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| Easing a panzoom move in PanZoom PRO |
Click the Ease button and choose from 6 options to add a professional ease (i.e. acceleration/deceleration) to the beginning and/or end of the panzoom's movement. No other panzoom tool for Movie Maker offers this!
Tip: The top three options ease only the active segment (the green line between blue and red points) of the keyframe line. The bottom 3 options ease the entire clip. Leftmost options are linear motion (no ease); rightmost are the strongest ease. |
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Create a complex move in PanZoom PRO by keyframing
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To create a complex pan or zoom within one clip: (1) Drag the blue (and red) frames to a desired start (and end) look. (2) View a desired intermediate point between the start or end, using the Play button or other controls under the Preview in the main window. (3) Click the Add Keyframe '+' button (shown at right) to add an intermediate keyframe. Note that the segment in front of the keyframe will then appear green (active) in the keyframe line, with blue and red markers in the line corresponding to the blue and red frames. (4) Now the Start and End frames shown will be just for that active segment. Drag the blue Start frame to adjust the position or zoom of the new keyframe. (5) Repeat steps 2-4 as desired for additional keyframes (as many as 8 in total).
Tip: To revise any segment, click the keyframe line in that portion of the duration. Then drag either frame as desired. Also, any keyframe marker in the line can be dragged left or right anytime to revise its timing. |
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| Save/load a favorite item for later re-use |
Click the Save Favorite button to save the currently displayed effect or transition as a separate file. To re-load it later into the Wizard, such as after you've created a new set of 40 items for a different project, click the Load Favorite button and choose the saved file. Note that there is no need to use this feature to separately save each custom Wizard transition/effect you have created per project -- each Movie Maker project file holds all Wizards info that you applied in the project.
Tip: To share a custom effect/transition, send to other PRO Wizard users the file created by the Save Favorite button. |
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| Click here for help about previewing, integrating the results with Movie Maker, and more. |
