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Adding new track keyframes
You can add new track keyframes to an existing track-level effect by double-clicking the track keyframe area.
Editing track keyframes
Double-click a track keyframe to open the associated window and adjust the settings. To change a keyframe 
interpolation curve, right-click the keyframe and choose a curve type from the shortcut menu.
Locking track keyframes to events
When track keyframes are locked, you can move events along the track and the keyframes move along with 
them. Only keyframes that occur within the selected events move. 
Select the Lock Envelopes to Events button () to lock track keyframes to the events on the track.
Hiding track keyframes
If track view becomes too cluttered, you can hide track keyframes from view. From the View menu, choose 
Show Video Envelopes, and choose Track Keyframes from the submenu to hide track keyframes.
Sample uses for keyframe animation
The following section provides several examples of how keyframe animation can be used with features such 
as event panning and cropping, video effects plug-ins, and generated text events.
Animating event panning and cropping
You can combine event panning and cropping tools with keyframe animation to create several special 
effects. For more information, see Cropping video on page 223.
Zooming in on a still image
By using keyframe animation in the Event Pan/Crop window, you can zoom in and out on a still image. In 
this example, four keyframes are used to zoom in on faces in an old photograph and zoom back out again. A 
generated color gradient event masks the edges of the image during the zoom to enhance the effect. For more 
information, see Using generated media on page 247.
1.Click the Event Pan/Crop button () on the still image event.
2.Click the keyframe controller to position the cursor for the second keyframe.
3.Click the Add Keyframe button (). Resize and move the selection area to zoom in on a portion of the 
image.
4.Click the keyframe controller to position the cursor for the third keyframe.
5.Click the Add Keyframe button (). Resize and move the selection area to zoom in on a different portion 
of the image.
6.Click in the keyframe controller near the end of the event to place the final keyframe. 
7.Click the Add Keyframe button ().
8.Right-click in the selection area and choose Restore from the shortcut menu. The selection area is zoomed 
out to include the full image for the last keyframe. 
						

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9.Preview the event in the Video Preview window. Adjust the settings in the Event Pan/Crop window as 
you preview the zoom effect.
Using pan-and-scan
Another way to use keyframe animation in the Event Pan/Crop window is panning, or pan-and-scan. Pan-
and-scan is a technique commonly used when film is converted for television. Movie screens and film are 
usually wider (~2.35:1) than television (~1.33:1). When you transfer the film to video, you have four 
choices: (1) squash the film horizontally to fit, distorting it in the process; (2) crop it, possibly losing 
information on the sides; (3) letter box it so the top and bottom have black areas and the picture is shorter 
overall; and (4) pan-and-scan. Pan-and-scan is a variation of cropping, where someone goes through the 
movie and moves the crop area back and forth to follow the action or subject.
1.Click the Event Pan/Crop button () on the event. The Event Pan/Crop window appears.
2.Confirm that the Stretch to fill frame check box is selected.
3.Right-click the selection area and choose Match Output Aspect from the shortcut menu.
4.Select a starting position, size, and angle of rotation for the crop rectangle. This is the start position (first 
keyframe).
5.Click in the keyframe controller and press . This moves the cursor to the end of the event.
6.Click the Create Keyframe button (). A new keyframe appears in the keyframe controller at the end of 
the event. 
7.Change the position, size, and angle of rotation. This is the final position (last keyframe).
First keyframe Second keyframe Third keyframe Last keyframe
 
 
 
Ctrl+End 
						

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8.Preview the event. Add and adjust keyframes as needed to create the desired effect. You can adjust both 
temporal and spatial interpolation for each keyframe:
Temporal interpolation (how the pan occurs over time) is controlled by the keyframe interpolation 
curve type. Experiment with temporal interpolation by right-clicking a keyframe to change the 
interpolation curve type (hold, linear, fast, slow, smooth) and previewing the result. For more 
information, see Changing the interpolation curve on page 275.
Spatial interpolation (how the pan occurs within the video image) is controlled by the Smoothness 
setting of each keyframe. A smoothness value of 0 makes the movement linear from one keyframe to the 
next. A higher smoothness value makes the path of the pan more curved. Select a keyframe and change 
the 
Smoothness value to adjust spatial interpolation.
Animating video effects plug-ins
You can use keyframe animation to smoothly and gradually apply an effect to an event. This example uses 
the Add Noise plug-in. The Add Noise plug-in adds static or noise to a video sequence. When added to a 
simple solid-colored background with a monochrome setting and animated, a pattern is produced that is 
similar to a television that is not tuned to any station.
1.Add an Add Noise plug-in to an event. For more information, see Adding a video effects plug-in on page 242. 
The Video FX window appears with the keyframe controller at the bottom of the window.
2.Add two keyframes to the event for a total of three including the one at the beginning. New keyframe 
attributes are copied from the previous keyframe.
3.Click the first keyframe to select it. Drag the Noise level slider to 0.
4.Click the last keyframe to select it. Drag the Noise level slider to 0.
5.Click the second keyframe to select it. From the Preset drop-down list, select Grainy.
6.Hold  and drag the second keyframe to duplicate it. Position this new keyframe between the second 
and final keyframes.
The effect is off at the first keyframe and smoothly transitions to a grainy effect at the second keyframe, at 
which point the effect remains constant until the third keyframe. Then the effect gradually fades out until it 
reaches a minimum value at the last keyframe. 
Ctrl
Keyframe 1
Noise = NoneKeyframes 2 and 3
Noise = GrainyKeyframe 4
Noise = None
The results of gradually transitioning into an effect using keyframe animation. 
						

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Animating generated text 
You can add a generated text event to a project by dragging a text generator from the Media Generator 
window. For more information, see Using generated media on page 247. You can then animate the text by 
adding keyframes. 
Not all attributes of generated text media can be animated using keyframes, however. You cannot, for 
example, morph one text message into a different one. Some aspects can be easily and smoothly animated 
using the keyframe controller, such as text, color, transparency, leading, tracking, and position.
Other aspects of generated text do not allow interpolated keyframe animation. For example, if you set the 
text to “One” initially and then at five seconds change it to “Two”, the text will suddenly jump to the new 
value at the five second keyframe. This behavior is different from the behavior of other keyframe animation 
techniques. 
In this example, keyframes are used to make a title appear one letter at a time across the screen.
1.Drag a text generator from the Media Generator window to the timeline.
2.Right-click the new event and choose Edit Generated Media.
3.Enter the first letter of the title, for example “T”.
4.Click the keyframe controller at the 1.000 second mark and enter the second letter, for example “y”. The 
title now reads “Ty”. A new keyframe appears in the keyframe controller at the 1.000 second mark.
5.Proceed down the keyframe controller to 2.000 and enter the letter “p”.
6.Proceed down the keyframe controller repeating this process until the title is finished: “Typing”.
7.Preview the event in the Video Preview window. The word “Typing” appears one letter per second until 
finished.
Text box
Keyframe
Controller 
						

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Adding track motion
The Track Motion window (accessible by clicking the Track Motion button  on any video track) is used to 
move a video track across a background. This background can be a solid color, another video event, or an 
image. Picture-in-picture effects and scrolling title sequences are two simple cases where this tool is 
important.
The gray area in the center of the window (covered by the blue/gray rectangle) represents the actual screen 
or area that is visible in the movie. The area outside of the main screen, which is filled with dotted lines, is 
the general workspace. The video you are moving can be positioned off of the visible screen and then 
animated onto and across the screen. The dots are markers to help position the video window. If snapping is 
enabled, these serve as snapping points. 
The main window allows you to control the placement, size, and orientation of the overlay video through 
time. The blue and gray rectangular overlay in the middle represents the video on the track. The selection 
box in the workspace is used to represent the orientation of the track.
You can also use 3D compositing to move tracks through space. For more information, see 3D Compositing on 
page 252.
Controlling track motion
1.Click the Tr a c k  M o t i o n button () on the track that contains the overlay that you want to animate. The 
Track Motion window is displayed. 
2.Adjust the selection area to change the viewable area of the track and its position in space. Guides are 
displayed in bold to indicate how the track will be moved or rotated:
 
3.Use the buttons at the top of the dialog to allow or prevent movement or scaling. For more information, see 
Changing editing options on page 282.
4.The track motion occurs instantly, and the results are updated in the Video Preview window. 
Keyframe controller
Track area
Properties 
ControlsKeyframe presets
Moving closer to or farther 
from viewer. Drag across 
corners to flip the track.Dragging the track.Rotating around the
Z axis. 
						

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5.Use the keyframe controller at the bottom of the Track Motion window to establish distinct track motion 
settings throughout the duration of the track. 
During playback, immediate frames are interpolated to create smooth motion. Expand the Keyframe 
interpolation
 heading on the left side of the window and drag the Smoothness slider to adjust the 
interpolation. For more information, see Using keyframe animation on page 273.
Using the track motion shortcut menu
When you right-click anywhere in the Track Motion window, a shortcut menu 
appears:
Restore View returns the workspace display to its original state.
Restore Box returns the overlay to its original state (size, rotation, and 
position).
Restore Rotation returns the overlay to its unrotated state.
Restore Size returns the overlay to its original size.
Restore Center moves the overlay to the center of the frame.
Flip Horizontal flips the overlay backwards or left to right.
Flip Vertical flips the overlay upside-down.
Match Output Aspect sets the aspect ratio to the frame value.
Make Square Aspect sets selection box to a square aspect.
Changing editing options
Use the toolbar at the top of the Track Motion window to change your editing options.
IconCommandDescription
Enable RotationSelect this button if you want to be able to rotate, or spin, the video. 
When the button is not selected, video is locked so you can move it horizontally or vertically, but the track 
cannot be rotated.
Enable Snapping to GridSelect this button if you want your editing to snap to the grid.
Edit in Object SpaceSelect this button if you want to edit in the objects space rather than the cameras space. 
For example, if a track is rotated, its X axis may not correspond to the X axis of the of the Video Preview 
window. Selecting the Edit in Object Space button in conjunction with the Prevent Movement buttons allows 
you to move the object along its own X and Y axes.
Prevent Movement (X)Select this button if you want to prevent horizontal movement of the track.
Prevent Movement (Y)Select this button if you want to prevent vertical movement of the track.
Lock Aspect RatioSelect this button if you want the selection box to retain its aspect ratio during resizing. 
When the button is not selected, the height and width can be resized independently.
Scale About CenterSelect this button if you want the selection box to retain its center point when you resize the box by dragging 
its edges.
When the button is not selected, the opposite side of the selection box will remain anchored when you drag the 
edges to resize it.
Prevent Scaling (X)Select this button if you want to lock the horizontal dimension of the selection box.
Prevent Scaling (Y)Select this button if you want to lock the vertical dimension of the selection box. 
						

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Using keyframes in track motion
Keyframes are what create the motion in the track motion feature. You can create, modify, and remove 
keyframes in the keyframe controller in the same way as with any other feature that uses keyframes. In 
addition, for track motion and 3-D track motion, you can use keyframe presets to save and recall the settings 
of the selected keyframe row at the cursor position. For more information, see Using keyframe animation on page 
273.
The keyframe controller in the Track Motion window has three attributes that can be animated: position, 
shadow, and glow. Each effect can be animated independently. The shadow and glow effects can be turned 
on and off. Each effect has its own set of controls that appear on the left-hand side of the window. You can 
access these controls by clicking the respective item on the keyframe controller.
Tip: If any controls described in this section are not visible on 
the screen, enlarge the Track Motion window by dragging the 
lower right corner until all controls are revealed.
Position 
You can control the position of the overlay in the main window by dragging the 
selection box or editing the controls on the left side of the window. However, the 
Po si t io n, Orientation, and Rotation controls in the window are invaluable when you 
need precision in resizing, moving, or rotating the overlay. 
The Smoothness box allows you to modify the smoothness of the interpolation 
curve among three or more keyframes. 
You can use the Workspace controls to adjust the magnification and viewable area 
of the workspace. Use the 
Snap Settings controls to adjust the grid in the 
workspace. 
2D Shadow 
This creates a simple drop shadow that appears under the entire window or only under the opaque 
(nontransparent) parts of the overlay. You can control the size and offset of the shadow as well as the shadow 
color. A shadow is especially effective under a picture-in-picture window or to emphasize text and titles. Use 
the 
Eyedropper tool to select a specific color from anywhere on the screen.
The shadow effect creates a drop shadow under an object, window, or title. A shadow is especially effective 
under a picture-in-picture window.
1.Select the 2D Shadow row in the keyframe controller. When the 2D Shadow row is selected, shadow 
controls are displayed in the Track Motion dialog. 
Select the 
2D Shadow check box to apply the shadow so you can see the results of your shadow in the 
Video Preview window, or clear the check box to bypass the shadow. 
						

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2.Use the 2D Shadow controls on the left side of the window to set the color and appearance of the shadow:
Blur % — type a number in the box or click the  button to display a slider you can use to soften the 
edge of the shadow. Set to 0 for a hard edge, or increase the setting to feather the edge of the shadow.
Intensity — type a number in the box or click the  button to display a slider you can use to establish 
the transparency of the shadows blurred edge. Decrease the setting for a translucent shadow, or increase 
the setting for a more opaque shadow.
Color — click the down arrow next to the color swatch to display a color picker. Use the sliders or edit 
boxes in the color picker to set the shadow color, or use the eyedropper tool (
) to sample a color from 
your screen.
3.Adjust the size position of the shadow by dragging the box in the workspace or using the Pos i ti o n, 
Orientation, and Rotation controls on the left side of the window. For more information about manipulating 
the selection box, see Controlling track motion on page 281.
4.To animate the shadow, click in the 2D Shadow row of the Keyframe Controller to set the cursor to a later 
time and adjust the shadow settings.
2D Glow 
Glow is a bright haze surrounding an overlay. In general, light colors are used for glow effects, but you can 
emphasize bright text on complex backgrounds by using a very small black glow, with little or no feathering, 
and 100% intensity.
1.Select the 2D Glow row in the keyframe controller. When the 2D Glow row is selected, glow controls are 
displayed in the Track Motion dialog. 
Select the 
2D Glow check box to apply the glow so you can see the results of your shadow in the Video 
Preview window, or clear the check box to bypass the glow.
Cropped video
Shadow 
						

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2.Use the 2D Glow controls on the left side of the window to set the color and appearance of the glow:
Blur % — type a number in the box or click the  button to display a slider you can use to soften the 
edge of the glow effect. Set to 0 for a hard edge, or increase the setting to feather the edge of the glow.
Intensity — type a number in the box or click the  button to display a slider you can use to establish 
the transparency of the glow’s blurred edge. Decrease the setting for a translucent glow, or increase the 
setting for a more opaque glow.
Color — click the down arrow next to the color swatch to display a color picker. Use the sliders or edit 
boxes in the color picker to set the glow color, or use the eyedropper tool (
) to sample a color from 
your screen.
3.Adjust the size position of the glow by dragging the box in the workspace or using the Po s i t i o n, Orientation, 
and 
Rotation controls on the left side of the window. For more information about manipulating the 
selection box, see Controlling track motion on page 281. 
4.To animate the glow, click in the 2D Glow row of the Keyframe Controller to set the cursor to a later time 
and adjust the glow settings.
Creating a picture-in-picture effect
Picture-in-picture is an easy effect to reproduce using track motion. 
1.Insert the background video into a track.
2.Insert the overlay video into another track just above the background video track.
3.Click the Tr a c k  M o t i o n button () on the upper overlay track.
4.In the Track Motion window, position and resize the track area.
Cropped video
Glow 
						

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The illustration below shows some of the relevant parts of this procedure. Note the shadow cast by the 
overlay video. This is added by selecting the 
2D Shadow check box on the keyframe controller. The Video 
Preview window displays the results.
Tip: While overlay picture-in-picture windows are often 
completely opaque, you can fade them in and out using 
opacity envelopes. For more information, see Using opacity 
envelopes on page 177.
Animating the overlay
You can animate many aspects of an overlay using the keyframes at the bottom of the Track Motion window.
1.Insert a video event onto the timeline.
2.Click the Tr a c k  M o t i o n button () in the track list.
3.In the Track Motion window, resize the overlay by dragging the handles at the edges of the overlay.
4.Drag the middle of the overlay to position it. This will be the size and position for the start of the 
animation.
5.Click the timeline of the keyframe controller at a later time to move the cursor to that position.
Tip: With the Sync Cursor button () enabled, you can 
also navigate to a new position on the main timeline. The 
cursor is automatically moved on the keyframe controller to 
the same location.
6.Reposition the overlay. A new keyframe is automatically added to the keyframe controller at the new 
cursor position.
When you preview the video, the position of the overlay interpolates between the two keyframes with a 
smooth animation.