Edit Media Item menu

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Edit Media Item menu

Menu Locator: Media List Editor > Edit Media Item .

• Change Id - Changes the Identifier (Id) of the selected Media Item. A dialog is popped up so that you can enter the new Id. See the section on Ids before using this action. Turn on (check) Show Ids in the Report Options then run a Media List Report to see all current Ids.
• UnDo Cut - Restores a previously Cut or Deleted Media Item.
• New Media Item These menu items add a new Media Item to the Media List at the current selected position.
  • Blank Media Item - The new item will be populated with the Default Attributes values. Media Filename is blank.
  • Media Item From Weblink or Filename - A new Media Item is created (enter a Local File, Web Link, or Network link). Opens a File Entry Dialog to enter the filename (full folder path) as text or browse for the file. Pops up a file browse dialog to paste a Weblink (ie http or https link) or to browse the the harddrive to locate and select a media file. This allows you to access Internet based streaming content and Web located media files. This is equivalent to drag/drop a media file into the Media List. See the Streaming Media Limitations section for more detail on Weblinks. (Valid file types: video, audio, image, or text)
  • New Text Screen and Create New Text File - This will create a new text file for a Text Screen Media Item. Pops up a file browse dialog to select folder for the text file. You can change the randomly generated filename if desired.
  • New Background Screen - Adds a new Media Item into the Media List at the selected position. A Background Screen is a simple clear dot image (one transparent pixel) intended to use as a backdrop behind other Media Screens. The Media Item background is set to the default color gradient. You can then change background attributes as desired in the Screen Layout panel (ex. Set the background to an image, etc.). You can create as many Background Screens as you like for various purposes.
• Cut - Cuts selected Media Item from the list. Replaces the contents of the Video Mill edit clipboard. Saves the cut item on the Undo stack.
• Copy - Copies selected Media Item into the clipboard. All attributes of the item are copied including effects.
• Paste - Pastes a Media Item from the clipboard to the list at the selected position. The Pasted Media Item is renamed to indicate it is a COPY.
• Delete - Deletes the selected Media Item from the list. Does NOT replace the contents of the Video Mill edit clipboard. Saves the deleted item on the Undo stack. Delete does NOT remove the associated physical Media File from your computer.
• Copy Attributes from Media Item - Copies All attributes of the selected Media Item into the clipboard. (This uses a separate clipboard from the Copy above.)
• Paste Attributes into Media Item(s) - These Paste operations use the Attributes from the Copy Attributes (immediately above).
  
  USE CAREFULLY! These power editing Paste operations can make a lot of changes in just a few clicks and there is no Undo for the changes. However if you make a mistake, you could Close the Media List without saving it, then re-open it. Best practice is to Save the Media List BEFORE using these operations.
  • Paste ALL Attributes into Selected Media Item - Pastes ALL the attributes from the clipboard into the selected Media Item.
  • Paste ALL Attributes into Media Items Selection - Pastes ALL the attributes from the clipboard into multiple Media Items. You are prompted via pop-up dialog to select the target Media Items.
  • Paste Attributes Selection into Media Items Selection - First you select the attributes you want to paste into Media Items (via popup dialog). The Attributes groups (below) coorespond to the controls panels on the Media List Editor. Then, you are prompted to select the target Media Items (via popup dialog).
    • Media Screen Dimensions
    • Play Modifiers
    • Screen Layout
    • Video Geometry and Filters
    • Start-At/End-At, Fades
    • Volume, Balance
• Update Attributes
  • Set Streaming Media Indicator of Selected Item - This will prompt you to either Set or Clear the Streaming Media Indicator for the Media Item. Streaming media is treated somewhat differently from file based media. In most cases, the program will set this indicator automatically based on accessing the media. However, in some cases the streaming media may not expose the indicator. This gives you a method of setting it manually if needed.
  • Add Default Media File to Selected Item - Adds the Default Media File to the selected Media Item. The Default Media File is set in the Options -- Media Item tab.
  • Set Media Type of Selected Item - If the program cannot determine the correct Media Type, you can set it manually. Each Media Type has some special handling so it is important to have the correct type selected. Use the Reports feature to verify Media Types.
  • Set Image/Text Post-Delay to Background Video/Audio Length - Sets the selected Media Item's Post-Delay to Background Video/Audio Length (duration). This is only valid for Image or Text-Screen Media Items. The Post-Delay makes the Media Item's effective time duration match the Background Video/Audio Length. The Play Position scrubber bar operation (calculations) is dependent on the Media Item's effective time duration. Not setting this Post-Delay can cause unpredictable results when the Options > Link Background Video Position to Scrubber Bar and Go-Tos is checked.
• Media File Information
• View Info of Selected Item - Media Information displays attributes for the selected Media Item via pop-up dialog. You can select Detail level in the Reports Options > Media Item Attributes.
• Reacquire Info for Selected Item - Reacquires the Media File Information (see Media File Information below) for the selected Media Item. Media Item Dimensions Size is reset to the Natural Size. Useful if you have edited a video after you created the Media Item. Streaming media sources are NOT acquired until you Load/Play the Media Item. A stream Media Item is reset to Default Streaming Media Duration.
• Reacquire Info for Multiple Items - Same operation as above but you are prompted to selected a set of Media Items for the operation.
• Set Natural Media Size - In rare cases, the Natural Media Size may not get acquired when the Media Item is created. Playing the Media Item may acquire its size. If size still has not been acquired, you can try setting it manually with this menu item.
• Move Selected Item in List
  • Move Up - Moves selected Media Item up the list by one position.
  • Move Down - Moves selected Media Item down the list by one position.
  • Move to Top - Moves selected Media Item to the Top of the list.
  • Move to Middle - Moves selected Media Item to the Middle of the list.
  • Move to Bottom - Moves selected Media Item to the Bottom of the list.
• Focus List Items - Program cursor focus jumps to the listbox of Sound Items. Useful when in Play On Double-Click mode, when you want to move focus to the listbox. Also provides a way to operate in keyboard only mode (no mouse needed) for standup performances and presentations or as an accessibility productivity aid.
• Marquee of Selected Menu Item
• Edit Marquee - Opens the Marquee of the selected Media Item in the Marquee Editor . If no Marquee exists, one is created.
• View Marquee - Opens a popup dialog showing the properties of the selected Media Item's Marquee.
• Set Dimensions for Media Items Selection - These Menu Items will operate on a selection of Media Items.
  • Scale Dimensions of Media Items Selection - Scales the Dimensions of a selection of Media Items. See separate section on Scaling Dimensions for PPI Adjustment. You are prompted for the following:.
    • Scale Factor - Examples: 2.0 = 200%, doubles the Dimensions; 0.5 = 50%, halves the Dimensions.
    • Scale Scope - Pick from Scale Location Only, Scale Size Only, or Scale Location AND Size.
    • Media Items Selection - You are prompted to select the Media Items to operate on.

    Caution! There is NO Un-Do for the Scale Dimensions operation. It is recommended that you Save a backup copy of the Media List before proceeding with File > Save-As . If you plan to continue developing the video design, you should keep one Media List for your development environment. And produce a new Media List scaled to your performance system display PPI on performance day.

  • Set to Basic Template Dimensions - All selected Media Items will have their Media Screen Dimensions reset based on the Basic Template Style (Location/Size) you pick ((Top Half of display, Bottom Half, Left Half , Right Half, etc) ). The Dimensions are calculated based on the Media Item's Target Display size. Target Display can be a Virtual Display.
• Set All Screen Locations to (0,0) - All Media Item's Screen Location is changed to primary display coordinates X=0,Y=0 (Upper left corner of the display). This can be useful to reposition all Screens onto the Primary display.
• Stretch Across Displays - This will setup the Media Item so that it will Stretch Across multiple Displays when played. See the separate Stretch Across Displays section for details.
• Open Folder of Selected Item - Opens the Folder of the selected Media Item in Windows Explorer.
• Media File Tasker - This shortcut will invoke the Media File Tasker program by passing the Media File Name of the selected Media Item. It is a productivity shortcut to quickly load the media file into a favorite program. Select a Tasker program in the Options > General tab.
• Open Media Item File with Associated App - Opens the media file linked to a Media Item with whatever App you have associated with its file type. The App may be an editor, viewer or player program. For example, you may want to edit the text file linked to a Text Screen.

When you create a new Media Item, or when you Reacquire its properites, the following Media File information is initialized. All info properites may not be available from the file system.

• Media Type - Video, audio, image or text.
• Media Time Duration - If the media duration (time length) is not available from the Windows file system, it will be acquired the first time you play the media.
• Title - From ID3 Tag (aka MP3 tags). When found, the Media Item Name is set to this value.
• Size - Width,Height - For video and image items.
• Date/Time Encoded - Date of recording or last edit/modified date.

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Edit Media Item toolbar

• Edit Media Item toolbar - Buttons (Figure 1, from left to right): Delete, Cut, Copy, Paste, New, Move Up, Move Down, Media Item Information, Media File Tasker.

Figure 1. Edit Media Item toolbar

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List Item Selection toolbar

Changes the current item selection in the list. This toolbar is useful when scaling up toolbar size for using the program as a touch screen interface.

• List Item Selection toolbar - Buttons (Figure 2, from left to right): Up One, Down One, Page Up, Page Down, Focus List Items.

Figure 2. List Item Selection toolbar

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November 13, 2023