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Smoke Essentials
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Getting Started
- 3. Timeline Editing
- 4. Timeline Effects
- 5. Timeline Compositing
- 6. Action Compositing
- 7. Project & Media
- 8. More Resources
- 9. Credits & Disclaimer
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Autodesk® 3ds Max®
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Autodesk® Maya®
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Autodesk® Softimage®
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| Timeline Assembly |
Published by: Autodesk Creative Finishing Training
Category: Editing
Skill: Beginner
Skill: Beginner
In this section you will manually assemble a timeline edit that you will use throughout Smoke Getting Started Tutorials. Tools used in this exercise: Clip Library, Timeline navigation, editing functions.
| Tutorial Steps | ||
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Final clip 1. Drag & drop clips to the timeline 2. Timeline navigation and editing operators 3. Save your timeline in the Library 4. BONUS: Add audio to the timeline | ||
Final clip |
Click on the video icon to see the final result created by Les Films Stupéfiants & Buzzimage Group.
Video: XBall final clip (0:30)
(click on image to open video player)
Build a timeline manually using the footage that you previously loaded to the EditDesk.
Refer to the Getting Started section if needed.
| Tip |
It is also possible to conform a timeline using XML files or other types of edit decision lists in Smoke.
1. Drag & drop clips to the timeline |
In this video:
Select the editing settings
Add a first clip
Drag & drop more clips
Video: Drag & drop clips to the timeline (02:36)
(click on image to open video player)
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Lesson in written form |
Another way would be to use hotkeys.
Choose the following settings in the Editing bar:
1. Enable Ripple End.
Ripple mode will fill any gaps left by deleted clips and make room for new clips.
2. Set the Snap mode to Snap Closest.
With this enabled, clips dropped in the timeline will snap to the edges of nearby clips or marks.
The first clip you put in the Record Area determines the final resolution and frame rate of the timeline.
Start by dragging a first clip to the Record Area:
1. Click on the view tab of the “Editing” reel to display its content in the Source Area.
2. Expand the “Editing” folder.
3. Select the clip “01_Entrance_Front”.
4. Choose the Src/Rec player under the Source Area Layout.
5. Make sure the clip is at the first frame in the source player on the left.
6. Hold down the C key to be in copy mode, and drag the clip from the Source folder to the Record Area.
7. From the Record Area Layout, choose the Record Timeline display.
8. This is your new timeline.
9. A new record clip appeared in the record folder as well as in the record player.
Drag more clips to the timeline:
1. Select the clip “02-Entrance_Flare” on the EditDesk.
2. Make sure the positioner is at the first frame of the shot.
The positioner determines the default in-point of a clip when dragged in the timeline.
3. C-drag the clip to the timeline, just after the first shot.
4. Press Home in the Timeline menu to frame the entire timeline.
5. Select “03-Sandals_Left” and C-drag the shot at the end of the timeline.
6. Press Home in the Timeline menu to frame the entire timeline.
Again, keep in mind that the positioner is your implicit in-point so make sure you are at frame 1 in the source player.
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| Tip |
How to fix timing: If you haven’t position the clip at the first frame when inserting it in the timeline, it can be fixed with trimming. This is covered in the next exercise Basic Editing.
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| Tip |
If you have created a user with a Smoke hotkey profile, the shortcut to copy is F-drag.
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| Tip |
Player Hotkeys: The hotkeys to switch between the players are listed in the Source Area Layout list. To access the Hotkey Editor press CTRL+ALT+F8.
2. Timeline navigation and editing operators |
In this video:
Navigate the timeline
Add clips using the Overwrite operator
Video: Navigate / Use the editing operators (02:34)
(click on image to open video player)
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Lesson in written form |
- To scroll the timeline, click and drag the positioner, which is the yellow bar on the timeline.
- To pan the timeline, click and drag the pan bar to the right or the left. The pan bar is just below the timeline.
- To zoom the timeline: drag the pan bar up or down.
- To reset the timeline view, click the Home button located in the lower-right corner.
- To navigate between shots, press the Up and Down Arrows or use the previous-next control in the player.
Add clips using the Overwrite operator:
Use the editing functions to finalize this timeline.
Note that the clips are numbered in the order they should appear.
1. The editing operators are displayed between the Source/Record players.
2. Select the clip, “04-Sandals_right” in the source folder.
3. Make sure the positioner is at the first frame in the source player.
4. Click on the right player to put the record clip into focus.
5. Navigate to the end of the timeline using the player controls.
A way to add the clip to the timeline is to use the overwrite operator.
6. Press the Overwrite button situated between the two players.
The clip is added at the end of the timeline.
7. Continue to add the remaining clips 05 to 10 in this manner.
Repeat the steps for each clip:
1. Select source clip.
2. Make sure it's at frame 1.
3. Make sure you are parked at the end of the timeline.
4. Press Overwrite.
Hotkey is F10.
Add them to the timeline in order, until they are all assembled on the Record Area.
Don’t worry about the timing of the clips for now. We’ll trim them to length in the next editing exercise.
3. Save your timeline in the Library |
In this video:
Save your timeline
Access the Library
Video: Save your timeline (01:22)
(click on image to open video player)
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Lesson in written form |
You should always save your work inside a Library to protect it.
You can save an entire EditDesk Library, the EditDesk, a Source Area or a Record Area.
During these tutorials, save the Record Area to the Library as you finish each of the exercise. This way you will save your timeline at every significant step of the way.
Save the timeline:
1. Rename the record clip (timeline):
Expand the red record folder in the EditDesk. Scroll if necessary.
2. Change the name of the record clip in the text box to "Tutorial_Timeline”.
By default the timeline name is the same than the first clip you used.
3. Make sure the Smoke_Footage Library is still selected in the Library Box.
To select a library click on the library box.
4. Select the record folder and press Save Selected.
Note that you can rename the folder as well.
The Record Area is saved in the library.
5. Click Open to access the library.
6. Have a look at the record folder (red) that contains your timeline.
7. Then press Exit Library to return to the EditDesk.
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| Tip |
If you want to play the clip inside the library, select the clip. Then swipe the cursor on the right side of the Library interface to display the player.
4. BONUS: Add audio to the timeline |
In this video:
Add audio tracks to the timeline
Video: BONUS: Add audio tracks to the timeline (1:18)
(click on image to open video player)
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Lesson in written form |
Here we add the final audio track for this project.
1. Expand the Audio folder on the EditDesk.
2. Hold C to be in copy mode and drag the audio file to the timeline.
3. Two audio tracks are added.
4. If you select an audio track, the available audio effects will be displayed on the left side of the timeline.
5. To display the waveforms, press the W+ button.
6. To add a new audio track, press Audio +.
7. To delete a layer, click on the track selector and drag it down.
8. We will not use the audio during these tutorials;
9. So you can delete these audio tracks.
10. If you want to keep them, lock the tracks by clicking on the padlock icon to prevent unwanted modifications.
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| Tip |
Audio settings: If you have additional audio cards, you may need to configure the device in the Smoke Setup utility available in the /Application/Autodesk/Smoke_version folder.
