"plug-in-gap-storyboard-edit"

Storyboard Dialog

    Start from Menu:
      <Image>/Video/Storyboard  (has HelpMenu, no Button)


  A storyboard file is a textfile that can be used to
  assemble many videoclips, single images and frame sequences 
  to one resulting video.
  The file contains lists of references to both video and audio
  sourcefiles and is organized in tracks.
  (see STORYBOARD_FILE_DOC.txt for more information
  about storyboard file syntax and usage)
  
  
  The storyboard dialog is a visual tool that allows creation 
  and editing of simple storyboard files.
  
  the storyboard editor window is organized into 3 regions
  - cliplist
  - storyboard
  - playback preview
  
  Cliplist and storyboard have the same capabilities to edit
  storyboard files. The general idea is to have 2 files
  open at the same time, where the cliplist usually
  acts as collection of available clips,
  and the storyboard is the destination where the
  resulting video is assembled.
  
  Copy, cut and paste of Clips between cliplist and
  storyboard is supported. There are corresponding buttons
  and menu entries both for the storyboard and the cliplist.

  There are playback buttons in the  storyboard and the cliplist.
  Those buttons play the entire list in the playback motion preview.
  When the SHIFT key is pressed while those buttons are clicked, 
  the playback is restricted to the selected clips of the list.


Creating new storyboard file and clips:
  1.) Use the menu item "New" in the storyboard menu
      to create a new storyboard file.
  
      This opens the popup dialog window for the storyboard
      master properties, where you specify a filename,
      size in pixels and framerate settings.
      Decoder: here you can specify preferred decoder library
      (libavformat or libmeg3) for videofile read access.

      (you may change those properties later any time too,
      using storyboard menu "Properties")

  1b.) Creation of a storyboard file can also be done
      via drag&drop. Drag a clip (image, frames or videofile)
      from another application (e.g. a filemanager supporting Drag&Drop)
      and drop onto one the button row.
      (any of the buttons can act as drop destination in the same way)
      This will add the droped clips at end of an aready existing storyboard 
      (or cliplist) but also automatically create a new storyboard (or cliplist) in case if
      if the destination is NOT already existing.

    
  2.) Create a new clip.
      Use the storyboard menu "Create Clip" to add a new clip.
      This opens the "Clip Properties" popup dialog window,
      where you can specify a filename.
      The Clip Type is detected automatically (depending on the file) as:
      MOVIE
      FRAME-IMAGES
      SINGLE-IMAGE
      
      ## refere to description of the "Clip Properties" popup dialog window.
      ## (plug-in-gap-storyboard-clip-prop.txt) ##
      
      
      If you want to add clips that are parts of videos
      or frameranges that are already used in the storyboard
      you can select the clip (start and end frame) 
      in the playback motion preview and add it from there
      by pressing the buttons 'From Frame' or 'To Frame'
  
  2b.) Create a new clip via Drag&Drop.
      Select one or more frames, single images or videoclips in another
      application (e.g. a filemanager supporting Drag&Drop) and 
      drag them with the mouse onto a thumbnail
      of an existing clip in the storyboard or cliplist window
      and drop them via relesing the mousebutton.
      If the mouse pointer is within the left half of the destination
      thumbnail, the droped clips will be inserted before the destination
      thumbnail. If you drop them over the right half they are inserted
      after the destination thumbnail.
      
      


  Following functions on the thumbnails in the storyboard and cliplist
  can be activated via mouse clicks:

  Single Click on a clip thumbnail toggles selection state of the clip.
    All other clips are deselcted.
    With the modifier Keys CTRL and SHIFT you can keep and extend
    existing selections.
  
  Double click on a clip thumbnail
    starts the playback of this clip.
    
  Click with the right mousebutton on a clip thumbnail
    to open the properties popup dialog for this clip.


The Playback Preview
  This area of the window provides a motion preview
  for a single clip or for parts or the entire clip sequence
  of the storyboard. 
  The headline of the playback area
  shows
  
    "STB: <name of the storyboard file>" 
      to indicate storyboard playback, the Prefix changes to

    "VIDEO:" or
    "FRAMES:"
  
  when single clips are played. Depending on the type of the clip,
  that may be a sequence of frames or a selected range
  out of an already encoded videofile.

  Creating Clips via Playback
    Select the desired range of frame in the spinbutton widgets right 
    next to the "From Frame" and "To Frame" buttons in the Playback preview.
    Then press "From Frame:" button to add the selected range as new
    clip.
    Pressing the "To Frame:" button adds the clip with inverse range.
  
    new clips are added after the last clip in the cliplist.
    (if no cliplist is opened, or the storyboard is set as default
    clip target, the clip will be added to the storyboard)
  
    Restrctions: Creating Clips via Playback
          is not supported when playback is in storyboard mode.
          (STB: name of the storyboard file)


  For more details on the playback related widgets
  see the chapter 
  ##### refere to Player description (plug-in-gap-videoframes-player.txt) #####


Creating clips via automatic scene change detection.
  You may add the full range of a longer video as one single clip
  and then automatically split this long clip into more short clips.
  Therefore click on the thumbnail of the long clip to open
  the Clip Properties dialog.
  In the Clip Properties dialog you find the button "Auto Scene Split".
  This will scann the selected range, and create new clips on every significant
  scene change.

  ### refere to chapter Clip Properties dialog #######
  ## (plug-in-gap-storyboard-clip-prop.txt) ##


The Global Menu:

  - Properties
      Opens a popup dialog window where you can
      specify layout properties (e.g. thumbnailsize, rows and columns)
      of the storyboard editor main window.     
      
  - Videothumbnails
      Render videothumbnails when checked.
      Videothumbnails are built at runtime in memory
      for all frames that are startframes of clips from
      type Movie.
      Using Videoindexes is strongly recommanded for fast
      frame access.
      Thumbnails for frame images are not affected here.
  - Exit
      Close the storyboard edit window.
      This will close both storyboard and cliplist.
  
The Cliplist and Storyboard Menu
(Both Menus include the same features)
  
  - New
      Create a new storyboard file. This opens a popup dialog
      where you can enter filename and properties 
      of the new storyboard file.
  - Open
      Open an existing storyboard file.
  - Save
      Save the storyboard (or cliplist)
      as textfile to disc.an existing storyboard file.
  - Save As
      Save the storyboard (or cliplist)
      as new file.
  - Playback
      Playback motion preview of entire 
  - Properties
      Open the properties pop-up dialog window,
      where you can specify master properties 
      (e.g. master size and framerate)
      of the storyboard (cliplist)
  - Create Clip
      Create a new clip. This opens a popup dialog
      where you can enter the properties of the clip.
  - Toggle Unit
      Defines the small description text below the
      thumbnail of a clip.
      The toggle changes between the following settings:
      - Clip Number only
      - Clip Number + Framenumber
      - Clip Number + Timestamp (mm:ss:msec)
  - Add Audio Otone
      This feature generates an audiotrack in the storyboard.
      This audiotrack adds the audio original tone references 
      for all the videoclips of type MOVIE that are found
      in the storyboard.
      (except those clips that are played backwards, pingpong mode
       or at other stepsize than 1.0)
      
      A pop-up dialog is opened where you can specify:
      Input Audiotrack:
         This refers to the audiotrack number of (all used) inputvideoclips.
	 Most videofiles have just one track. 
	 DVD's typically store multiple language versions on
	 multiple audotracks in their .vob files.

      Output Audiotrack:
         This is the storyboard specific audiotrack number.
	 
      Replace Audiotrack
         This flag allows replace of the specified audiotrack
	 in the storyboard.

      Note:
         the generated audiotrack is just a list of references
	 to the audiopart of the used videoclips.
	 Processing of this list is done as audio preprocessing step
	 at encoding in the Master Videoencoder.
	 (see Master Videoencoder, Create Composite Audio for more
	 information)
	 
	 ### refere to chapter Master Videoencoder dialog #######



  - Encode
      Call the master videoencoder dialog for
      storyboard based encoding.
      (this menu entry is insensitive 
       if there are unsaved changes)
  - Close
      Close the storyboard (Cliplist).
  


Restrictions:  
  In GIMP-GAP release 2.4 the storyboard dialog
  does not support the full storyboard syntax.

  - audiotracks are not supported.

  Keep in mind that the backend processing can
  already handle all specifed storyboard features.
  If they are added via a text editor
  all features inclusive audio processing are supported
  for rendering the resulting video.
