Video Effects

Menu Command: Effect | Add Or Modify (with one video, image, caption, or overlay section selected)

VideoMeld contains many video effects. Effects may be added using the Video Effects Editor or by dragging and dropping effects from the Effect Bar to the section.

The function and settings of the effects (sorted alphabetically) are explained below. See Video Effects Editor for general information about changing effects settings.

Image coordinates are in the range of -0.5 to +0.5 with (0.0, 0.0) being the center of the image. This range gives an width and height of 1.0.


Aspect Ratio Correction

Changes the aspect ratio of the original image to match the aspect ratio of the project screen. This prevents images from looking wide and fat or narrow and skinny. The effect assumes that pixels are square. If the image contains non-square pixels, adjust the ratio as required.

Setting Function
Ratio Adjusts the ratio. A value greater than 1.0 makes the image wider. A value less than 1.0 makes the image taller. Normally 1.0 is the correct ratio to use.
Border Sets set lettering boxing or pillar mode to fill the unused areas that remain after the aspect ratio is adjusted. Transparent makes the areas transparent so that any background video will be visible in those areas. Black fills the areas with black, similar to the way movies are done for television. Select Black when using transitions.
Resolution When the aspect ratio is adjusted, the image may have to be scaled. By default the image is scaled down to the resolution of the final, rendered video. This resolution is determined by either the playback resolution or the resolution you select when melding to a file. If Original is selected, the resolution of the original image is used. This setting should be used when cropping or zooming is required. Otherwise using the rendered resolution gives a more pixelated image. Using Original with high resolution photographs significantly slows down processing and preview playback.

Bands

Adds vertical bands to the image.

Setting Function
Intensity Sets the brightness of the bands.
Density Sets the number of bands to draw.

Box Blur

Blurs the image using the box blur method.

Setting Function
Blur Sets the level of blurring.

See Also:
Directional Blur
Gaussian Blur
Radial Blur
Stacked Blur
Motion Blur


Brightness/Contrast

Changes the brightness and contrast of the image.

Setting Function
Brightness Scales the brightness. A value of 1.0 is unchanged. Values below 1.0 decrease the brightness. Values above 1.0 increase the brightness.
Contrast Scales the contrast. A value of 1.0 is unchanged. Values below 1.0 decrease the contrast. Values above 1.0 increase the contrast.

See Also:
Gamma
Colour Levels


Bounds

Sets the size and position of the image within the screen using left, top, right, and bottom values.

Setting Function
Area When selected the area appears on the preview screen as a rectangle. Click-and-drag the corner points to adjust the size. Click-and-drag inside the rectangle to move the whole rectangle.
Left Sets the position of the left side.
Top Sets the position of the top edge.
Right Sets the position of the right side.
Bottom Sets the position of the bottom edge.

Colour Levels

Changes the amount of red, green, and blue in the image.

Setting Function
Red Scales the red level. A value of 100 is unchanged. Values below 100 decrease the red. Values above 100 increase the red.
Green Scales the green level. A value of 100 is unchanged. Values below 100 decrease the green. Values above 100 increase the green.
Blue Scales the blue level. A value of 100 is unchanged. Values below 100 decrease the blue. Values above 100 increase the blue.

See Also:
Tint


Colour Filter

Finds all colours with a range of hues and processes them based on the settings. Use this effect to replace one colour with another, fade certain colours, make a range of hues transparent (green screen/chroma key), or keep only a narrow range of colours.

Setting Function
Hue From The start of the range of hues to process. Hues are a continuous cycle from 0.0 to 1.0 so this value may be larger than the Hue To value. The range wraps back to zero and up to Hue To. Click on the preview window to pick a colour from the image. Click-and-drag on the preview window to get the average colour of all the pixels touched. Select a colour from the popup that appears.
Hue To The end of the range of hues to process. Click on the preview window to pick a colour from the image. Click-and-drag on the preview window to get the average colour of all the pixels touched. Select a colour from the popup that appears.
Process Sets the kind of processing done on hues within the range.
  • Monochrome: Removes the hue, leaving monochrome.
  • HLS: Replaces the hue, saturation, and luminosity with the settings below.
  • LS: Retains the current hue, but replaces the saturation and luminosity with the settings below.
  • Transparent: The range becomes transparent.
Hue Sets the replacement hue if Process is set to HLS.
Saturation Sets the saturation (amount of colour) if Process is set to HLS or LS.
Luminosity Sets the luminosity (brightness) if Process is set to HLS or LS.

See Also:
Transparent Colour


Colour Shift

Shifts the red, green, and blue layers in the image.

Setting Function
Red Set the X and Y shift of the red colour layer.
Green Set the X and Y shift of the green colour layer.
Blue Set the X and Y shift of the blue colour layer.

See Also:
Tint
Scanline Shift
Colour Filter


Copy

Copies the selected area to an internal clipboard. Use Paste to paste copies of the image.

The clipboard exists only for the section the effect is in and only for a single frame. The clipboard cannot be copied from one section and pasted into another section or track. Use a sublayer to pass an image from one section/track to another.

Setting Function
Area Sets the area of the image to copy. When selected the area appears on the preview screen as a rectangle. Click-and-drag the corner points to adjust the size. Click-and-drag inside the rectangle to move the whole rectangle.
Left Sets the position of the left side.
Top Sets the position of the top edge.
Right Sets the position of the right side.
Bottom Sets the position of the bottom edge.
Layer Sets the layer to copy.
  • Top Layer: The current image for this section, with effects applied.
  • Back Layer: The background composited image from all rendered track up to this track.
  • Original: The current image for this section, with no effects applied.

See Also:
Cut
Paste
Swap


Crop/Pan/Zoom

Selects part of the image and trims the rest. The selected part may be stretched to fill the whole screen (zoomed) or centered in the screen depending on the mode used. If the area varies, then panning over the image occurs (Ken Burns effect). Use the simpler Pan/Zoom effect when the image dimensions must remain proportional to the original.

When setting crop positions, temporarily uncheck the effect in the Effects list so that the original image is previewed. Otherwise the cropped version of the image is previewed, making it more difficult to determine crop positions.

Use the settings presets to see examples of the types of effects possible.

Setting Function
Area The area appears on the preview screen as a rectangle. Click-and-drag the corner points to adjust the size. Click-and-drag inside the rectangle to move the whole rectangle.
Left Sets the left crop position.
Top Sets the top crop position.
Right Sets the right crop position.
Bottom Sets the bottom crop position.
Mode Sets the mode used for cropping.
  • Stretched: The cropped image is stretched to fill the entire screen.
  • Proportional: Stretches the image to fill the entire screen, but maintains the aspect ratio by using letter boxing or pillars.
  • Centered: The cropped image is centered in the screen at its original size.

Cut

Copies the selected area from the top layer to an internal clipboard and makes the area transparent.

Setting Function
Area Sets the area of the image to copy and make transparent. When selected the area appears on the preview screen as a rectangle. Click-and-drag the corner points to adjust the size. Click-and-drag inside the rectangle to move the whole rectangle.
Left Sets the position of the left side.
Top Sets the position of the top edge.
Right Sets the position of the right side.
Bottom Sets the position of the bottom edge.

See Also:
Copy
Paste
Swap


Difference

Compares the image to the selected layer and makes similar pixels transparent, essentially leaving a cut-out of the difference. This allows layers to be composited without the use of a green screen, provided the background is constant.

Twin example: Record a video of a room using a camera in a fixed position. Add that video to track 1. Add a Sublayer effect to put that video in the sublayer. Record another video with you walking left to right. Add that video to track 2. Add the Difference effect and select the Sublayer layer. Record a third video of you walking right to left. Add that video to track 3. Add the Difference effect and select the Sublayer layer. The final video should show you walking in both directions.

Setting Function
Delta Sets the amount of difference allowed in the compared pixels. A value of zero means the pixels must match exactly to be made transparent. A larger value allows slight a variation in the pixels.
Layer Selects the layer used for comparison.

See Also:
Transparent Colour
Sublayer


Directional Blur

Blurs the image in a given direction.

Setting Function
Blur Sets the level of blurring.
Angle Sets the direction of the blur in clockwise degrees. A value of 0 is to the right, 90 is down, 180 is left, and 270 is up.

See Also:
Box Blur
Gaussian Blur
Radial Blur
Stacked Blur
Motion Blur


Emboss

Replaces the image with an gray-scaled, embossed image, similar to an image on a coin or engraving.

Setting Function
Emboss Sets the intensity of the embossed image.
Width Sets the width of the edges, which controls the separation between the highlighted and shadowed aspects of the effect.

Flip

Flips the image. Vertically inverts the image. Horizontally gives a mirror image.


Freeze Frame

Displays the first frame in the effect range. No other frames are shown. Adjust the Start and Finish effect range times to select the frame to freeze and the duration of the freeze.


Gamma

Changes the image's gamma value.

Setting Function
Gamma Sets the gamma level for the image

See Also:
Colour Levels
Brightness/Contrast


Gaussian Blur

Blurs the image using the gaussian blur method.

Setting Function
Blur Sets the level of blurring.

See Also:
Box Blur
Directional Blur
Radial Blur
Stacked Blur
Motion Blur


Glow

Adds a coloured glow to the non-transparent parts of the image around the outside. The image must have some transparent areas for the glow to be visible. Use the Transparent Colour effect to make areas transparent before using this effect. Use this effect to add a glow to the text in Caption sections.

Setting Function
Colour Sets the colour of the glow.
Opacity Sets the opacity of the glow. The opacity diminishes further away from the edges of the image based on the Softness setting.
Softness Sets how slowly the opacity diminishes from the edges.

See Also:
Inner Glow
Transparent Colour


Hue

Shifts the overall hue in the image.

Setting Function
Hue Sets the amount to shift the hue from -1 to +1. A value of 0.0 is unchanged.

Inner Glow

Adds a coloured glow to the non-transparent parts of the image around the inside. The image must have some transparent areas for the glow to be visible. Use the Transparent Colour effect to make areas transparent before using this effect.

Setting Function
Colour Sets the colour of the glow.
Opacity Sets the opacity of the glow. The opacity diminishes further away from the edges of the image based on the Softness setting.
Softness Sets how slowly the opacity diminishes from the edges.

See Also:
Glow
Transparent Colour


Invert Alpha

Makes all transparent pixels opaque and all opaque pixels transparent. Use this effect with transparent images to create a mask for the image.

See Also:
Mask.


Invert Colour

Inverts the colours/hue in the image.


Mask

Converts the colour intensity to transparency. Black is completely transparent. White is completely opaque. Shades of gray are semi-transparent based on their intensity. Other colours are semi-transparent based on their gray-scale intensity.

See Also:
Invert Alpha.


Math

Applies a mathematical operation to the bits/pixels in the image and the selected layer. Use this feature to create masks and other effects.

Setting Function
Operation Sets the mathematical operation to use:
  • Add: Adds the image to the selected layer.
  • Subtract: Subtracts the image from the selected layer.
  • Multiply: Multiplies the image with the selected layer.
  • And: Logical ANDs the image with the selected layer.
  • Or: Logical ORs the image with the selected layer.
  • Xor: Logical XORs the image with the selected layer.
  • Not: Logical NOTs the image, inverting colours.
  • Zero: Replaces all pixels with zero (transparent).
  • One: Replaces all pixel bits with one (solid white).
Layer Sets the layer to use for the second operand in the mathematical operation.
  • Top Layer: The current image for this section, with effects applied.
  • Back Layer: The background composited image from all rendered track up to this track.
  • Original: The current image for this section, with no effects applied.
  • Clipboard: The image in the internal clipboard. Use Copy to copy an image to the internal clipboard.

Monochrome

Removes all colour from the image, making it gray-scale (black and white).


Motion Blur

Mixes older frames of video with the current frame, simulating a simple motion blur effect. This effect requires movement in the image from one frame to the next, either from moving video or from other effects.

Setting Function
Opacity Sets the opacity level at which older frames are mixed. Higher values increase blurring.

See Also:
Box Blur
Directional Blur
Gaussian Blur
Radial Blur
Stacked Blur


Noise

Adds noise (static) to the image.

Setting Function
Minimium Sets the lower intensity level of noise. This controls how dark or transparent the noise is.
Maximum Sets the upper intensity level of noise. This controls how light or opaque the noise is.
Original Sets the opacity of the original image. Using a variable intensity from 100% to 0% makes the image fade to complete static.
Mode Sets the alpha noise mode.
  • No Alpha: The alpha channel is unchanged from the original
  • Alpha: Noise is added to the alpha channel
  • Only Alpha: Noise is added only to the alpha channel

See Also:
Fade Transition


Opacity

Sets the opacity of the image. Use this effect to make an image semi-transparent or fade in or out.

Setting Function
Opacity Sets the opacity in percent. 100% is completely opaque. 0% is completely transparent.

See Also:
Fade Transition


Pan/Zoom

Zooms in on part of the image. Use this effect to achieve a Ken Burns pan by adjusting the position and zoom over time.

To adjust the position point on the original image in the preview, temporarily uncheck the effect in the Effects list.

Use the settings presets to see examples of the types of effects possible.

Setting Function
Center Sets the center for the zoomed image.
Scale Sets the zoom factor. 1.0 shows the entire, original image. 2.0 shows half the image zoomed in. Larger values show less of the image but more zoomed in.

Paste

Pastes the image from the internal clipboard into the image.

Setting Function
Area Sets the area where the clipboard image will be placed. When selected the area appears on the preview screen as a rectangle. Click-and-drag the corner points to adjust the size. Click-and-drag inside the rectangle to move the whole rectangle.
Left Sets the position of the left side.
Top Sets the position of the top edge.
Right Sets the position of the right side.
Bottom Sets the position of the bottom edge.
Opacity Sets the opacity of the clipboard image.

See Also:
Copy
Cut
Swap


Perspective

Adjusts the corners of the image, creating a perspective effect. The image appears to be tilted into the screen, giving a sense of depth.

Setting Function
Top Left
Top Right
Bottom Left
Bottom Right
Sets the respective corner x and y coordinates.

Position

Sets the center position of the image within the screen.

Setting Function
Center The center appears on the preview screen as a white point. Click-and-drag the point to adjust the position.
X Sets the x coordinate for the center.
Y Sets the y coordinate for the center.

Radial Blur

Blurs the image from a center point outward. Blurring increases further away from the center.

Setting Function
Blur Sets the level of blurring.
Center The center point of the blur has the least amount of blurring. When selected the center appears on the preview screen as a white point. Click-and-drag the point to adjust the position.
X Sets the x coordinate of the center point.
Y Sets the y coordinate of the center point.

See Also:
Box Blur
Directional Blur
Gaussian Blur
Stacked Blur
Motion Blur


Rotate/Scale

Rotates and scales the image about a center point. Use this effect to correct a video that was recorded while holding the camera sideways (such as holding a iPhone vertically instead of horizontally).

Setting Function
Rotation Sets the rotation angle of the image in clockwise degrees from -180 to +180. The image is rotated clockwise for increasing values, counter-clockwise fo decreasing values.
Scale Sets the scale factor of the image. 1.0 is full size. Values below 1.0 make the image smaller. Values above 1.0 make it larger.
Scale Center When selected the center appears on the preview screen as a white point. Click-and-drag the point to adjust the position.
X Sets the x coordinate for the center.
Y Sets the y coordinate for the center.

Scanline Shift

Shift the horizontal scanlines in the image.

Setting Function
Amplitude Sets the amount of horizontal shifting.
Frequency Sets the number of oscillations or shifts spanning the height of the image.
Rate Sets the rate of change of the oscillations or shifts over time.
Mode Sets the function used to calculate the shifts from one scanline to the next.
  • Sine: shifts are calculated based on a sine wave
  • Square: shifts are calculated based on a square wave
  • Random: shifts are random

See Also:
Colour Shift
Noise


Shadow

Adds a coloured shadow to the the image. The image must have some transparent areas for the shadow to be visible. Use the Transparent Colour effect to make areas transparent before using this effect. Use this effect to add a shadow to the text in Caption sections.

Setting Function
Direction Sets the direction of the shadow in clockwise degrees. A value of 0 is to the right, 90 is below, 180 is to the left, and 270 is above.
Distance Sets the distance of the shadow from the image. A greater distance creates more depth.
Opacity Sets the opacity of the shadow. The shadow diminishes further away from the edges of the image based on the Softness setting.
Colour Sets the colour of the shadow.
Softness Sets how slowly the opacity diminishes from the edges of the image.

See Also:
Glow
Inner Glow
Transparent Colour


Silhouette

Replaces all colour with either the Above Colour or the Below Colour depending on the Threshold. Pixels with an intensity greater than or equal to the threshold are set to the Above Colour. Pixels with intensity lower than the threshold are set to the Below Colour.

Setting Function
Threshold Sets the intensity level pixels must have to be set to the Above colour.
Above Colour Sets the colour to use when intensity is above the threshold
Below Colour Sets the colour to use when intensity is below the threshold

Size

Adjusts the width and height of the image.

Setting Function
Width Sets the image width.
Height Sets the image height.

Stacked Blur

Blurs the image using a stacked blur method, similar to the Gaussian Blur.

Setting Function
Blur Sets the level of blurring.

See Also:
Box Blur
Directional Blur
Gaussian Blur
Radial Blur
Motion Blur


Strobe

Simulates a strobe light effect. Single frames are shown for an extended period of time and optionally faded in or out.

Setting Function
Pulse Rate Sets the number of times the strobe flashes per minute. A value of 60 strobes once per second, which means a single frame is shown once per second, similar to taking one picture per second with a camera.
On Sets the percentage of time the frame remains visible. A value of 50% show the frame for half of the Pulse Rate. So the frame would be visible for half a second if the Pulse Rate is 60 BPM and black or transparent for the remainder of the time.
Fade In Sets the percentage of the On time it takes for the frame to fade in. A value of 25% fades in the frame one quarter of the On time, which would be 0.125 seconds with a Pulse Rate of 60 BPM and an On time of 50%.
Fade Out Sets the percentage of the On time it takes for the frame to fade out. A value of 25% fades the frame to black/transparent in one quarter of the On time, which would be 0.125 seconds with a Pulse Rate of 60 BPM and an On time of 50%.

See Also:
Freeze


Sublayer

Places a copy of the image into a sublayer, which is a non-visible layer that may be used for more complex compositing. Unlike the
Copy effect, which is limited to one section, all tracks and sections can access the sublayer, providing a way of passing an image from one track layer to another. The sublayer is shared by all tracks and sections. See the Difference effect for an example.

See Also:
Copy
Cut
Difference
Paste
Superlayer


Superlayer

Replaces the image with the sublayer image. A section in a lower track must use Sublayer to place an image in the sublayer first.

See Also:
Copy
Cut
Difference
Paste
Sublayer


Swap

Exchanges the image in the internal clipboard with the current image. The current image is copied to the clipboard and is then replaced with the clipboard image.

See Also:
Copy
Cut
Paste


Thermal

Replaces the brightness/intensity of the image with a colour gradient. Two Thermal effects (one Rainbow and one Hot) creates a more pronounced effect.

Setting Function
Gradient Sets the colour gradient for replacing the intensity.
  • Rainbow: all colours of the rainbow.
  • Hot: red base colour.

Tint

Adds a tint to the image. Use with the Monochrome effect to create a Sepia effect.

Setting Function
Tint Sets the colour of the tint. Adjust the transparency setting to control the saturation of the tint.

See Also:
Colour Levels


Toon

Reduces the colour levels of the image, giving a cartoon style of colour.

Also known as: Colour Reduction, Colour Quantization, Colour Depth

Setting Function
Colour Levels Sets the number of colour levels allowed for each primary colour. A value of 3 gives three levels each of of red, green, and blue.

Transparent Colour

Makes a range of colours in the image transparent. Use this feature to replace a solid background colour, such as green or blue, with a different image or video. Also known as: Chroma Key, Green Screen, Blue Screen

Setting Function
Colour Sets the base colour to make transparent. Click on the preview window to pick a colour from the image. Click-and-drag on the preview window to get the average colour of all the pixels touched. Select a colour from the popup that appears.
Tolerance Sets the range from the base colour to make transparent. The larger the value, the more variations in the base colour are transparent.

See Also:
Colour Filter
Difference


Viewport

Confines all further processing to the selected area. All effects and modifications occur only within the viewport. Normally effects are applied to the entire image. Use Viewport to apply an effect to only part of the image.

The background layer is replaced with the area in the top layer image that is covered by the viewport.

Setting Function
Area When selected the area appears on the preview screen as a rectangle. Click-and-drag the corner points to adjust the size. Click-and-drag inside the rectangle to move the whole rectangle.
Center X Sets the viewport center x coordinate.
Center Y Sets the viewport center y coordinate.
Width Sets the viewport width.
Height Sets the viewport height.
Layer Selects the video layer to appear in the viewport.