Scene Length

In Scene Composition (SC) mode there is a timing modification tool called "Scene Length" control. By using this control, you can change the length and playback scheme of any scene in your movie, whether it is of moving picture or of static image.

Interface wise "Scene Length" control consists of 2 operational components: the frame display window and the length definition menu (which is normally hidden by the indent next to the frame display window). Here are how this control works:

a. When a scene is in Compose Window, its default length is shown in 'total' frame field (on the right) of the frame display window. If the scene is a "moving" picture clip (e.g. QuickTime, AVI or SWF movie) the 'total' frames will be default to whatever that movie length is. If it's a "still" picture clip (e.g. JPEG, GIF or PNG) the 'total' frames will be default to 12 frames long (one second). Note that both the 'current' frame number and the 'total' frame number are user selectable and definable. Meaning: a typed-in number in either field (with 'Enter' key) will change the frame position or the length of a scene respectively.

b. From the default 'total', you can either shorten or prolong the scene by selecting the 'total' number and replacing it with a new number (smaller or greater than the original) then pressing "Enter" key. Now a length definition menu will pop up at the right of frame display window showing 4 selectable buttons: To End, To Front, To Cycle and Reset.

To End: means adding/subtracting frames to/from the end of the scene. The added footage is the replications (repeats) of the last frame of the clip. The truncated footage is to be taken out from the last frame of the clip counting backward.

To Front: means adding/subtracting frames to/from the beginning of the scene. The added footage is the replications of the first frame of the clip. The truncated footage is to be taken out from the first frame of the clip counting forward.

To Cycle: means adding/subtracting frames to/from the end of the scene in a cycling manner. For example, if the original clip is a 24 frames cycle animation and the new total is 36 frames, the new scene will contain 1.5 cycle of the original animation. Vice versa if the new total is 18 frames the new scene will be 0.75 time of the original length (meaning: 0.25 is missing from completing the original cycle). When "To Cycle" command is applied to prolong a normal "one way" scene, the new scene will simply repeat itself at the end of the original clip.

Reset: This command will reset the total frame to its original length. Please note that "original" means the original length of a movie clip, not the last "defined" or "recorded" length of a scene.

Note: The shortest length you can define for a scene is 2 frames (1/6 of a second). But there is no limit on the other end. From 2 frames to infinity, any number in between is OK.

c. Once a menu command is selected, the length definition menu will go off and the respective change takes place immediately, leaving a clickable symbol of your selected "definition" on the right of the frame display window. (If you clicks the space outside of the menu, the menu will go off and no length change will take place.) Now the Record button will turn red reminding you that a change has been made to the scene and that you should click "Record" to preserved this change.

d. You can continuously make length changes to a scene by reentering new numbers in the 'total' frame field (with "Enter" key). Each change is based on the last "modified" parameter. For instance, you add 6 still frames to the end of a 24-frame animation cycle, and then you use "To Cycle" command to make the total frames to 60. This means the new scene contain 2 broken animation cycles of 30 frames each. If you click the space outside of the definition menu, the menu will go off without new selection and the symbol remains unchanged as it was before the menu opened.

e. After length change(s), you can reset a scene to its original length by using Reset command through its definition symbol. To do so, click on the "definition" symbol of a modified scene to bring up a menu with a sole Reset button in it (all other buttons are dimmed out and unselectable in this menu). For making additional length changes you should follow the same steps described in paragraph b) and c).

Note: You can't bring back the normal length definition menu by clicking a scene's "definition" symbol. The symbol is mainly to indicate the nature of the last length change to a scene. And the button itself is solely for the purpose of "resetting" your scene to its original length.

f. Only when the 'Record' button is pressed the length change will be registered to your Timeline.

Note: The frame display is also doubled as an informatics device (as described elsewhere in Frame Track) denoting the current slider and/or in-and-out mark position in relationship to a scene's frame space.