Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide Media Central 2.3 UG V2 3 EN

User Manual: avid MediaCentral - 2.3 - User’s Guide Free User Guide for Avid MediaCentral Software, Manual

Open the PDF directly: View PDF .
Page Count: 562

Download
Open PDF In Browser	View PDF

Avid MediaCentral | UX
User’s Guide
Version 2.3

Legal Notices
Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc.
This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a software license agreement provided with the software. The product may
only be used in accordance with the license agreement.
This product may be protected by one or more U.S. and non-U.S patents. Details are available at www.avid.com/patents.
This document is protected under copyright law. An authorized licensee of MediaCentral may reproduce this publication for the
licensee’s own use in learning how to use the software. This document may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in part, for
commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this document or providing support or educational services to others. This document
is supplied as a guide for MediaCentral Reasonable care has been taken in preparing the information it contains. However, this
document may contain omissions, technical inaccuracies, or typographical errors. Avid Technology, Inc. does not accept
responsibility of any kind for customers’ losses due to the use of this document. Product specifications are subject to change without
notice.

Copyright © 2015 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The following disclaimer is required by Apple Computer, Inc.:
APPLE COMPUTER, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THIS
PRODUCT, INCLUDING WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES IS NOT PERMITTED BY SOME STATES. THE ABOVE EXCLUSION
MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY PROVIDES YOU WITH SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. THERE MAY BE OTHER
RIGHTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

The following disclaimer is required by Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics, Inc. for the use of their TIFF library:
Copyright © 1988–1997 Sam Leffler
Copyright © 1991–1997 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software [i.e., the TIFF library] and its documentation for any purpose is
hereby granted without fee, provided that (i) the above copyright notices and this permission notice appear in all copies of the
software and related documentation, and (ii) the names of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics may not be used in any advertising or
publicity relating to the software without the specific, prior written permission of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS-IS” AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL SAM LEFFLER OR SILICON GRAPHICS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR
PROFITS, WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE, AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

The following disclaimer is required by the Independent JPEG Group:
This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.

This Software may contain components licensed under the following conditions:
Copyright (c) 1989 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms are permitted provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are
duplicated in all such forms and that any documentation, advertising materials, and other materials related to such distribution and
use acknowledge that the software was developed by the University of California, Berkeley. The name of the University may not be
used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission. THIS SOFTWARE IS
PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 by Jef Poskanzer.
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby
granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice
appear in supporting documentation. This software is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.
Copyright 1995, Trinity College Computing Center. Written by David Chappell.
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby
granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice
appear in supporting documentation. This software is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Copyright 1996 Daniel Dardailler.
Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the
above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the name of Daniel Dardailler not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
without specific, written prior permission. Daniel Dardailler makes no representations about the suitability of this software for any
purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.
Modifications Copyright 1999 Matt Koss, under the same license as above.
Copyright (c) 1991 by AT&T.
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose without fee is hereby granted, provided that this entire
notice is included in all copies of any software which is or includes a copy or modification of this software and in all copies of the
supporting documentation for such software.
THIS SOFTWARE IS BEING PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY. IN PARTICULAR,
NEITHER THE AUTHOR NOR AT&T MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND CONCERNING THE
MERCHANTABILITY OF THIS SOFTWARE OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors.

The following disclaimer is required by Paradigm Matrix:
Portions of this software licensed from Paradigm Matrix.

The following disclaimer is required by Ray Sauers Associates, Inc.:
“Install-It” is licensed from Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. End-User is prohibited from taking any action to derive a source code
equivalent of “Install-It,” including by reverse assembly or reverse compilation, Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. shall in no event be liable
for any damages resulting from reseller’s failure to perform reseller’s obligation; or any damages arising from use or operation of
reseller’s products or the software; or any other damages, including but not limited to, incidental, direct, indirect, special or
consequential Damages including lost profits, or damages resulting from loss of use or inability to use reseller’s products or the
software for any reason including copyright or patent infringement, or lost data, even if Ray Sauers Associates has been advised,
knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages.

The following disclaimer is required by Videomedia, Inc.:
“Videomedia, Inc. makes no warranties whatsoever, either express or implied, regarding this product, including warranties with
respect to its merchantability or its fitness for any particular purpose.”
“This software contains V-LAN ver. 3.0 Command Protocols which communicate with V-LAN ver. 3.0 products developed by
Videomedia, Inc. and V-LAN ver. 3.0 compatible products developed by third parties under license from Videomedia, Inc. Use of this
software will allow “frame accurate” editing control of applicable videotape recorder decks, videodisc recorders/players and the like.”

The following disclaimer is required by Altura Software, Inc. for the use of its Mac2Win software and Sample Source
Code:
©1993–1998 Altura Software, Inc.

The following disclaimer is required by 3Prong.com Inc.:
Certain waveform and vector monitoring capabilities are provided under a license from 3Prong.com Inc.

The following disclaimer is required by Interplay Entertainment Corp.:
The “Interplay” name is used with the permission of Interplay Entertainment Corp., which bears no responsibility for Avid products.
This product includes portions of the Alloy Look & Feel software from Incors GmbH.
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).
© DevelopMentor

This product may include the JCifs library, for which the following notice applies:
JCifs © Copyright 2004, The JCIFS Project, is licensed under LGPL (http://jcifs.samba.org/). See the LGPL.txt file in the Third Party
Software directory on the installation CD.
Avid Interplay contains components licensed from LavanTech. These components may only be used as part of and in connection
with Avid Interplay.
This product includes FFmpeg, which is covered by the GNU Lesser General Public License.

This product includes software that is based in part of the work of the FreeType Team.
This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
This product includes libjpeg-turbo, which is covered by the wxWindows Library License, Version 3.1.
Portions copyright 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Funded under Grant
P41-RR02188 by the National Institutes of Health.
Portions copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Boutell.Com, Inc.
Portions relating to GD2 format copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Philip Warner.
Portions relating to PNG copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Greg Roelofs.
Portions relating to gdttf.c copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 John Ellson (ellson@lucent.com).
Portions relating to gdft.c copyright 2001, 2002 John Ellson (ellson@lucent.com).
Portions relating to JPEG and to color quantization copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, Doug Becker and copyright (C) 1994, 1995, 1996,
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, Thomas G. Lane. This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
See the file README-JPEG.TXT for more information. Portions relating to WBMP copyright 2000, 2001, 2002 Maurice Szmurlo and
Johan Van den Brande.
Permission has been granted to copy, distribute and modify gd in any context without fee, including a commercial application,
provided that this notice is present in user-accessible supporting documentation.
This does not affect your ownership of the derived work itself, and the intent is to assure proper credit for the authors of gd, not to
interfere with your productive use of gd. If you have questions, ask. "Derived works" includes all programs that utilize the library.
Credit must be given in user-accessible documentation.
This software is provided "AS IS." The copyright holders disclaim all warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to
implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to this code and accompanying
documentation.
Although their code does not appear in gd, the authors wish to thank David Koblas, David Rowley, and Hutchison Avenue Software
Corporation for their prior contributions.
This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/)
MediaCentral may use OpenLDAP. Copyright 1999-2003 The OpenLDAP Foundation, Redwood City, California, USA. All Rights
Reserved. OpenLDAP is a registered trademark of the OpenLDAP Foundation.
Media | Distribute enables its users to access certain YouTube functionality, as a result of Avid's licensed use of YouTube's API. The
charges levied by Avid for use of Media | Distribute are imposed by Avid, not YouTube. YouTube does not charge users for accessing
YouTube site functionality through the YouTube APIs.
Media | Distribute uses the bitly API, but is neither developed nor endorsed by bitly.
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.

Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend
U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or
“commercial computer software documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a
unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the
License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.

Trademarks
003, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, Adrenaline, AirSpeed, ALEX, Alienbrain, AME, AniMatte, Archive, Archive II, Assistant
Station, AudioPages, AudioStation, AutoLoop, AutoSync, Avid, Avid Active, Avid Advanced Response, Avid DNA, Avid DNxcel, Avid
DNxHD, Avid DS Assist Station, Avid Ignite, Avid Liquid, Avid Media Engine, Avid Media Processor, Avid MEDIArray, Avid Mojo, Avid
Remote Response, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid VideoRAID, AvidRAID, AvidShare, AVIDstripe, AVX, Beat Detective, Beauty
Without The Bandwidth, Beyond Reality, BF Essentials, Bomb Factory, Bruno, C|24, CaptureManager, ChromaCurve,
ChromaWheel, Cineractive Engine, Cineractive Player, Cineractive Viewer, Color Conductor, Command|24, Command|8,
Control|24, Cosmonaut Voice, CountDown, d2, d3, DAE, D-Command, D-Control, Deko, DekoCast, D-Fi, D-fx, Digi 002, Digi 003,
DigiBase, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Development Partners, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction,
Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiLink, DigiMeter, DigiPanner, DigiProNet, DigiRack, DigiSerial, DigiSnake, DigiSystem, Digital
Choreography, Digital Nonlinear Accelerator, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DigiWear, DINR, DNxchange, Do More, DPP-1, D-Show, DSP
Manager, DS-StorageCalc, DV Toolkit, DVD Complete, D-Verb, Eleven, EM, Euphonix, EUCON, EveryPhase, Expander,
ExpertRender, Fader Pack, Fairchild, FastBreak, Fast Track, Film Cutter, FilmScribe, Flexevent, FluidMotion, Frame Chase, FXDeko,
HD Core, HD Process, HDpack, Home-to-Hollywood, HYBRID, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, iKnowledge, Image
Independence, Impact, Improv, iNEWS, iNEWS Assign, iNEWS ControlAir, InGame, Instantwrite, Instinct, Intelligent Content
Management, Intelligent Digital Actor Technology, IntelliRender, Intelli-Sat, Intelli-sat Broadcasting Recording Manager, InterFX,
Interplay, inTONE, Intraframe, iS Expander, iS9, iS18, iS23, iS36, ISIS, IsoSync, LaunchPad, LeaderPlus, LFX, Lightning, Link &
Sync, ListSync, LKT-200, Lo-Fi, MachineControl, Magic Mask, Make Anything Hollywood, make manage move | media, Marquee,
MassivePack, Massive Pack Pro, Maxim, Mbox, Media Composer, MediaFlow, MediaLog, MediaMix, Media Reader, Media
Recorder, MEDIArray, MediaServer, MediaShare, MetaFuze, MetaSync, MIDI I/O, Mix Rack, Moviestar, MultiShell, NaturalMatch,
NewsCutter, NewsView, NewsVision, Nitris, NL3D, NLP, NSDOS, NSWIN, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, OnDVD, Open Media
Framework, Open Media Management, Painterly Effects, Palladium, Personal Q, PET, Podcast Factory, PowerSwap, PRE,
ProControl, ProEncode, Profiler, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Transfer, QuickPunch,
QuietDrive, Realtime Motion Synthesis, Recti-Fi, Reel Tape Delay, Reel Tape Flanger, Reel Tape Saturation, Reprise, Res Rocket
Surfer, Reso, RetroLoop, Reverb One, ReVibe, Revolution, rS9, rS18, RTAS, Salesview, Sci-Fi, Scorch, ScriptSync,
SecureProductionEnvironment, Serv|GT, Serv|LT, Shape-to-Shape, ShuttleCase, Sibelius, SimulPlay, SimulRecord, Slightly Rude
Compressor, Smack!, Soft SampleCell, Soft-Clip Limiter, SoundReplacer, SPACE, SPACEShift, SpectraGraph, SpectraMatte,
SteadyGlide, Streamfactory, Streamgenie, StreamRAID, SubCap, Sundance, Sundance Digital, SurroundScope, Symphony, SYNC
HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, SynchroScope, Syntax, TDM FlexCable, TechFlix, Tel-Ray, Thunder, TimeLiner, Titansync, Titan, TL
Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities,
tools for storytellers, Transit, TransJammer, Trillium Lane Labs, TruTouch, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video the Web Way, VideoRAID,
VideoSPACE, VTEM, Work-N-Play, Xdeck, X-Form, Xmon and XPAND! are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid
Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or
other countries. Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows
is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other
trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Footage
Hell’s Kitchen - Courtesy of Upper Ground Enterprises/Hell's Kitchen post team.

Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide • Created 6/25/15 • This document is distributed by Avid in online (electronic)
form only, and is not available for purchase in printed form.

Contents
Using This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Chapter 1

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
About MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Signing In to MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Understanding the Application Layouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Working with Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Working with Areas and Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Active Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Menu Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Launch Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Support for iNEWS Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 2

Working with Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
The Assets Pane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Navigating in the Assets Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Creating Shortcuts to Assets, Folders, and Queues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Working with News Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Identifying iNEWS Directories, Queues, Projects, and Facets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Navigating the iNEWS Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Working with Interplay | Production Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Identifying Interplay | Production Systems and Media Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Navigating the Interplay | Production Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Adding or Removing Property Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
6

Resizing Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Moving Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Moving or Copying Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Duplicating Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Renaming Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Creating a New Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Displaying or Hiding Referenced Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Viewing and Editing Interplay | Production Metadata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Viewing Interplay | Production Thumbnails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Working with Interplay | MAM Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Navigating the Interplay | MAM Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Identifying Interplay | MAM Media Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Creating a New Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Renaming a Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Moving a Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Deleting a Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Adding Assets to a Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Triggering the Rights Evaluation for a Basic Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Selecting Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Moving or Copying Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Renaming Asset References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Removing Asset References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Viewing and Editing Interplay | MAM Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Viewing Interplay | MAM Thumbnails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Chapter 3

Working with Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Opening Projects or Facets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
The Project/Story Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Associating Stories with Projects or Facets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Opening a Project or Facet Associated with a Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Chapter 4

Building a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
The Queue/Story Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
The Queue/Story Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
The Script Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
7

Creating a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Segmenting Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Writing Stories in Right-to-Left Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Using Annotation to Dictate a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Editing a Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Formatting a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Adding Production Cues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Adding Machine Control Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Adding a Primary Machine Control Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Deleting or Recovering a Deleted Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Grouping Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Ordering a Queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Copying Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Locking and Unlocking a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Floating Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Inserting Script Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Inserting MOS Placeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Adding Media to a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Associating a Sequence with a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Creating a Text-Only Story Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Copying and Sending iNEWS Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Recovering Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Chapter 5

Using the Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Displaying the Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
The Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Using the Sequence Zoom Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Viewing Sequence Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Creating a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Creating an Interplay | Production Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Rules for Creating a Script Sequence (Interplay | Production). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Sequences Associated with Stories in Instinct and NewsCutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
8

Audio-Only and Video-Only Advanced Sequences (Interplay | Production) . . . . . 128
Creating an Interplay | MAM Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Audio-Only Basic Sequences (Interplay | MAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Saving a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Saving a Version of a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Recovering Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Opening a Sequence Associated with a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Working with Story Segments and Timing Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Working with Timing Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Editing Media into Timing Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Extending a Segment into Another Timing Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Showing and Hiding Empty Timing Blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Manually Adjusting Timing Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Editing a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Locking a Basic Sequence (Interplay | MAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Performing an Insert Edit in a Basic Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Performing an Overwrite Edit in a Basic Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Position Indicator Placement After an Insert or Overwrite Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Performing a Replace Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Enabling an Audio Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Adding Media from a Saved Sequence to a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Undoing and Redoing an Action in the Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Moving or Deleting Segments in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Adding and Removing Audio Segments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Creating an Audio-Only NAT or SOT Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Snapping in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Trimming Segments in the Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Using L-Cuts in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Splitting a Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
9

Adding Markers to a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Inserting Video Dissolves (Advanced Sequences Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Enabling Audio Scrubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Modifying the Start Timecode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Chapter 6

Working with Video Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
The Media Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Media Pane: Asset Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Media Pane Menu Options (Asset Mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Media Pane: Group Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Media Pane: Output Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Media Pane Menu Options (Output Mode). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Playing Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Using the J-K-L Keys for Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Stepping Through Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Playing Recently Viewed Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Selecting the Aspect Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Changing the Maximum Size of the Proxy Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Updating the Media Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Playback of Simple and Complex Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Selecting the Playback Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Adjusting for Playback Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Selecting Frame-Based Playback or File-Based Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Working with Remote Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Marking In and Out Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Working with Markers and Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Displaying Captions and Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Using the Timecode Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Entering Timecode to Cue a Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Working in the Media Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Using the Media Zoom Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Playing Back at the Highest Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Using Match Frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
10

Opening an Enclosing Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Transcoding Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Viewing and Editing a Clip During Ingest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Saving a Frame as an Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Exporting an MP4 File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Chapter 7

Using Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
The Audio Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
The Audio Pane for Asset Mode and Basic Sequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
The Audio Pane for Advanced Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Working with Audio Tracks in Basic Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Audio Monitoring for Assets and Basic Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Panning for Assets and Basic Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Soloing and Muting Tracks for Advanced Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Overriding the Default Audio Track Patching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Adjusting Audio Levels for Advanced Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Panning for Advanced Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Setting the Audio Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Setting the Reference Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Recording a Voice-over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Chapter 8

Working with Group Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Group Clips and Multicamera Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Working with Group Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Loading a Group Clip and Changing the Angle View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Working with Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Selecting the Active Angle in Asset Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Playing a Group Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Timecode and Group Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Selecting Audio Monitoring Preferences in Asset Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Markers and Restrictions for Group Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Using Match Frame for Group Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Creating a Basic Sequence with Group Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Adding an Active Angle of a Group Clip to an Advanced Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
11

Sending a Sequence with Group Clips to a Playback Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Chapter 9

Searching for Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Search and the Central Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Federated Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Media | Index and Indexed Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
The Search Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
The Search Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Conducting a Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Advanced Search Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Indexed Search Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Wild Card Characters and Operators Supported for Federated Searches in
Interplay | MAM Databases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
The Search Results List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Chapter 10

Logging Interplay | Production Assets and Creating Subclips . . . . . . . . 282
Workflows for Logging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Understanding Markers and Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
The Log Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
The Logging Pane for Interplay | Production Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Working with Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Understanding Restrictions in MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Adding, Saving, and Deleting Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Navigating by Markers in the Log Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Filtering the Markers List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Exporting Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Entering Marker Text in Right-to-Left Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Unicode Support for Marker Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Creating Subclips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

Chapter 11

Logging Interplay | MAM Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Understanding Strata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Logging Overview (Interplay | MAM Assets) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
12

Understanding Segmentation Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Locking a Stratum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Working with Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Creating Segments (Gaps Not Allowed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Creating Segment (Gaps Allowed). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Resizing Segments (Gaps Not Allowed Mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Resizing Segments (Gaps Allowed Mode). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Resizing Overlapping Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Splitting Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Merging Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Deleting Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Segmenting During Ingest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Navigating by Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Annotating Text Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Entering Segment Text in Right-to-Left Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Annotating Using Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Adding, Replacing, and Deleting Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Editing Integer or Floating Point Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Editing Timecode or Duration Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Selecting Boolean Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Editing Time Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Editing Date and Date/Time Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Assigning Values from Drop-Down Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Assigning a Master Data Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Assigning the Term of a Thesaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Defining Merge Rules for Annotated Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Exporting Strata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

Chapter 12

Working with Associations (Interplay | MAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Understanding Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
The Associations Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Working in the Associations Pane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Viewing Associated Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Opening Associated Assets in Other Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
13

Reusing Associated Assets in Other Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Switching Between Associated Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Creating Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Deleting Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

Chapter 13

Working with Closed Captions in MediaCentral | UX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Basics of Closed Captioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
How the CCCS Works with Closed-Caption Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Creating and Editing Closed Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
The Closed Captioning Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Importing and Exporting Closed-Caption Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Extracting and Repackaging Closed-Caption Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Creating Closed-Caption Segments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Editing the Text and Position of Closed Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Editing the Timing of Closed Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

Chapter 14

Sharing MediaCentral | UX Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
MediaCentral | UX Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Using the Messages Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Viewing Messages and Linked Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Sending Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Configuring E-Mail Forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Using E-Mail Forwarding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378

Chapter 15

iNEWS Messaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Sending Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Viewing and Replying to Received Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

Chapter 16

Sending to Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Specifying Send to Playback Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to a Playback Device . . . . . . . . . . 386
The Progress Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Interplay Services in the Media Services and Transfer Status Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

Chapter 17

Delivering Assets and Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Understanding MediaCentral Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
14

Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396

Chapter 18

Working with Interplay | MAM Processes and Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Understanding Processes, Tasks, and Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Creating Processes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Monitoring Processes in the Progress Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Working with Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
The Tasks Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Working in the Tasks Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Delegating User Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Applying Actions to User Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Displaying and Editing User Task Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Adding and Editing User Task Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411

Chapter 19

MediaCentral | UX Mobile Application for the iPhone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Connection Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
The iPhone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Gestures for the Mobile Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Starting MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
The Sidebar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Buttons of the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Changing Roles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Accessing the iNEWS Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Viewing Video Associated with a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Editing Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Ways of Saving Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Formatting a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Adding Production Cues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Adding Machine Control Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Working with Links in Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Approving Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Working with Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
15

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Caching Queues and Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Viewing Queues and Stories in Offline Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Viewing Media Assets with MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

Chapter 20

MediaCentral | UX Tablet Application for the iPad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Connection Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
The iPad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Gestures for the Tablet App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Tablet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
The Sidebar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Buttons of the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Changing Roles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Accessing the iNEWS Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Viewing Video Associated with a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Editing Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Ways of Saving Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Formatting a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464
Adding Production Cues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Adding Machine Control Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Working with Links in Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Approving Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Entering Presenter Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Working with Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Caching Queues and Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Viewing Queues and Stories in Offline Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Viewing Media Assets with MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475

Chapter 21

MediaCentral | UX for Android Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Connection Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
16

Android Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Gestures for the Mobile Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Installing MediaCentral | UX on Your Android Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Android Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
The Navigation Drawer and Directory Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482
Buttons of the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Accessing the iNEWS Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Viewing Video Associated with a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Working with Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
Ways of Saving Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Formatting a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Adding Production Cues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Adding Machine Control Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
Working with Links in Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
Viewing Media Assets with MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503

Appendix A

User Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506

Appendix B

Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Queue/Story Pane Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510
Assets Pane Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Media Pane Shortcuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Sequence Pane Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523
Closed Captioning Pane Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524

Appendix C

Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Pane Type Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Launch Pane Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Assets Pane Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Associations Pane Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Media Pane Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Logging Pane Icons (Interplay | Production Assets) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Logging Pane Icons (Interplay | MAM Assets) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Progress Pane Icons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Sequence Pane Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Tasks Pane Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535
Media | Distribute Icons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535

MediaCentral Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552

Using This Guide
This guide is intended for all users of an Avid MediaCentral | UX system (formerly
Interplay Central). This guide describes product features and basic user procedures, such as user
settings and story or asset creation.
For initial installation and configuration, see the Avid MediaCentral Platform Services
Installation and Configuration Guide. For administrative information, see the Avid
MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide.

Symbols and Conventions
Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action

A note provides important related information, reminders,
recommendations, and strong suggestions.

A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to
your computer or cause you to lose data.

w
>

A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm.
Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when
handling electrical equipment.
This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the
order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the
File menu and then select the Import command.
This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list
indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.

(Windows), (Windows
only), (Macintosh), or
(Macintosh only)

This text indicates that the information applies only to the specified
operating system, either Windows or Macintosh OS X.

Italic font

Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.

If You Need Help

Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
Monospace font

Monospace font identifies text that you view and type from the
operating system command line.

Ctrl+key or mouse action

Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the
mouse action. For example, Command+Option+C or Ctrl+drag.

| (pipe character)

The pipe character is used in some Avid product names, such as
Interplay | Production. In this document, the pipe is used in product
names when they are in headings or at their first use in text.

If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using your Avid product:
1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is
especially important to check each step of your workflow.
2. Check the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was
published. You should always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe
because the online version is updated whenever new information becomes available. To view
these online versions, select ReadMe from the Help menu, or visit the Knowledge Base at
www.avid.com/support.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/support. Online services are available 24
hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers, to view
error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read or join
online message-board discussions.

Avid Training Services
Avid makes lifelong learning, career advancement, and personal development easy and
convenient. Avid understands that the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself is always
changing, and Avid continually updates course content and offers new training delivery methods
that accommodate your pressured and competitive work environment.
For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books,
please visit www.avid.com/support and follow the Training links, or call Avid Sales at
800-949-AVID (800-949-2843).
20

1 Getting Started
The following main topics describe basic user tasks as well as various concepts and features you
might encounter when working with MediaCentral | UX.
•

About MediaCentral | UX

•

Signing In to MediaCentral | UX

•

Understanding the Application Layouts

•

Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration

•

Support for iNEWS Communities

•

Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help

About MediaCentral | UX
MediaCentral UX delivers workflow tools for media professionals through both Web and mobile
applications. With a customizable user interface, MediaCentral UX allows individuals in
different media production functions to access the tools they need to complete tasks with greater
visibility to assets, team collaboration, and workflow agility. Through MediaCentral UX, users
can access Avid iNEWS, Interplay Production, Interplay MAM, or all three.
Avid iNEWS

The Avid iNEWS newsroom computer system provides journalists, producers, directors, and
various technical personnel in the newsroom with an array of tools to make their job easier. It is
primarily made up of iNEWS Workstations, linked together via a local or wide area network, and
the iNEWS Server, which manages all the day-to-day activities of the newsroom.

Although referred to as a singular unit, the iNEWS Server typically consists of two or more
computers running the iNEWS Server software. Each one acts as a backup for the other to
protect the overall stability of the network. For redundancy, the iNEWS system mirrors its
database across these servers for redundancy.

Signing In to MediaCentral | UX

Interplay | Production

The Avid Interplay Production system combines an asset database with workflow management
software, both of which are integrated with Avid shared storage and Avid archive solutions.
Interplay Production provides tools that let journalists and producers add rich media to stories
and send the assembled video sequence to a playout server.
Interplay | MAM

The Avid Interplay MAM system helps to archive and manage media in a shared storage
environment. It integrates production islands, facilitates and streamlines workflows, and grants
access to media assets and associated metadata from any workstation. Interplay MAM provides
tools that let archivists, journalist, editors, and producers assign metadata to assets; search,
access, and preview assets; arrange assets in sequences and transfer them to the edit bay; and
overview and manage business processes.

Signing In to MediaCentral | UX
Use a supported browser to connect to and sign in to your MediaCentral server. See the Avid
MediaCentral ReadMe for a list of supported browsers.
MediaCentral UX lets you use a single user name and password to access all Avid systems for
which your account is configured. A journalist might have access to both an Avid iNEWS
database and an Interplay Production database, while a logger might have access only to an
Interplay Production database. MediaCentral UX credentials (user name and password) are
created by a MediaCentral UX administrator in the Users layout.
•

Interplay MAM users must sign in with MediaCentral UX credentials that match credentials
set in the Interplay MAM system.

•

iNEWS and Interplay Production users have the option of using MediaCentral UX
credentials that are different from their iNEWS and Interplay Production credentials.
The first time you sign in to MediaCentral UX, you must use MediaCentral UX credentials.
You are then given the option of using your MediaCentral UX credentials to sign in to
iNEWS and Interplay Production or to use different credentials. The credentials you use
depend on the user name and password that you can use to sign in directly to iNEWS or
Interplay Production. Supplying these credentials enable you to use only the
MediaCentral UX user name and password at future sign-ins.
Your iNEWS and Interplay Production credentials are set in the iNEWS or Interplay
Production sections of the User Settings dialog box, which you access from the Home menu.
You can change these credentials at any time.

After you supply your credentials for the first time, a dialog box asks you if you want to use
MOS plug-ins. See “Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration” on page 36.
22

Understanding the Application Layouts

To sign in to MediaCentral UX:

1. Open a supported browser and type the URL of your MediaCentral server.
The URL is the computer name of the server.
2. At the sign-in screen, type your user name and password.
3. Click Sign In, or press Enter or Return (Macintosh).
After a few moments, the MediaCentral UX application opens and displays the last layout
that you used.

When you sign in to MediaCentral UX, you are automatically signed in to your iNEWS
newsroom computer system, your Interplay MAM system, your Interplay Production system, or
all three. If, however, the credentials for one of these integrated systems is inaccurate, you see a
warning message that states that the application is unable to authorize the sign-in name or
password. If you receive this message, click the link provided and verify your security settings.
4. (Optional) If the layout you want is not displayed, select the one you want from the Layout
selector.

Left: Sign Out button. Right: Layout selector.

Each MediaCentral UX user is assigned one or more roles by the MediaCentral UX
administrator. Each role is associated with one or more layouts. For more information about
available layouts, see “Working with Layouts” on page 26. For more information about roles,
see the Avid MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide.
To sign out:

Click Sign Out in the menu bar.

Understanding the Application Layouts
A layout is a set of panes and other controls that is installed as part of the MediaCentral UX Web
application. The size and location of the panes are set by default in each layout. Not all available
panes are displayed in each layout, but users can customize which panes are displayed, their
sizes, and where they are located in the window. For a list of installed layouts, see “Working with
Layouts” on page 26.
The following table describes the main panes.

Understanding the Application Layouts

Icon Pane

Description

Refer to...

Assets

A pane that displays assets. These assets can
result from a search or from browsing. Assets
are displayed in a folder hierarchy, if
applicable to the assets displayed.

“The Assets Pane” on page 40

Associations

A pane that displays associations between
Interplay MAM assets.

“Working with Associations
(Interplay | MAM)” on
page 342

Audio

A pane that displays the controls for adjusting “Working with Audio Tracks in
the audio settings for media assets.
Advanced Sequences” on
page 228

Help

A pane that displays the help system.

Launch

A pane from which you navigate to various
“The Launch Pane” on page 35
locations. This pane displays remote file
systems, local file systems, and other locations
for assets.

Logging

A pane in which you can add metadata to
media. The functionality of the pane depends
on the type of asset loaded.

“The Logging Pane for
Interplay | Production Assets”
on page 288

•

For Interplay Production assets, you can
view and create markers (formerly called
the Markers pane)

“The Logging Pane (Interplay |
MAM)” on page 310“

•

For Interplay MAM assets, you can
annotate and segment strata.

“Viewing MediaCentral | UX
Help” on page 39

Media

A pane in which you can view and edit media
assets. The controls that are displayed depend
on the selected asset.

“The Media Pane” on page 181

Messages

A pane that allows you to send messages and
media links to other MediaCentral UX users.

“Sharing MediaCentral | UX
Messages” on page 371

Metadata

A pane that displays properties that are
“Viewing and Editing
associated with a selected asset in the Interplay Interplay | Production
Production database or Interplay MAM
Metadata” on page 51
database.
“Viewing and Editing
Interplay | MAM Metadata” on
page 65

Understanding the Application Layouts

Icon Pane

Description

Refer to...

Packages

A pane for Media Distribute users that you can Avid Media | Distribute User’s
use to review and approve packages submitted Guide.
for publication. The pane also displays a
history of packages ready for publication and
already published, which allows you to search
all submitted and published packages.

Progress

A pane in which you can monitor the progress “The Progress Pane” on
page 387
of background processes, such as send to
playback and sequence mixdowns.

Project/Story

A pane that displays the contents of a project,
its facets, and any associated stories. It can
only be opened from the Assets pane, and is
therefore not listed as part of the Panes menu.

“The Project/Story Pane” on
page 76

Queue/Story

A pane that displays the contents of a queue
with the contents of a selected story in the
queue, including the story form and any
production cues. It can only be opened from
the Assets pane, and is therefore not listed as
part of the Panes menu.

“The Queue/Story Pane” on
page 81

A pane from which you can conduct a search. “The Search Pane” on page 261
This pane functions similarly to the Search bar
but includes criteria for advanced searches.

Sequence

A pane that includes the Sequence Timeline
“The Sequence Pane” on
and other controls that let you create and edit a page 113
sequence.

Social
Messages

A pane for Media Distribute users that lets you Avid Media | Distribute User’s
create packages for publication to social media Guide.
sites.

Tasks

A pane in which you can view and edit user
tasks of MAM processes created by you or
user tasks that have been assigned to you by
other users.

“The Tasks Pane” on page 404

Thumbnails

A pane that displays small images of an asset
that is loaded in the Asset mode of the Media
pane.

“Viewing Interplay | Production
Thumbnails” on page 54

“Viewing Interplay | MAM
Thumbnails” on page 72

Understanding the Application Layouts

Icon Pane

Web Story

Description

Refer to...

A pane for Media Distribute that lets you
create packages for publication to Web
Content Management Systems (CMS).

Avid Media | Distribute User’s
Guide.

In addition to the panes, the application layouts also feature bars that offer additional
information, options, and functionality.

q
q
w
w

e
e
The following table describes these bars.
Bar

Description

Refer to...

A section of the application that provides
numerous menu options.

“The Menu Bar” on page 34

Message

A section of the application in which you can
send and receive messages.

“iNEWS Messaging” on
page 379

A section of the application from which you can
conduct a search. The results of a search can be
dragged from the bar and placed in an area as a
pane for better viewing.

“The Search Bar” on page 260

Working with Layouts
The MediaCentral UX Web application is installed with predefined layouts. Not all available
panes are included in each layout, but you can open additional panes when you need them.
You select a layout from the Layout selector, located near the upper right corner of the window.
The menu shows the name of the layout that is currently displayed. If you click the menu, it
shows the name of the role or roles for the signed-in user, along with the layouts that are
available for that role. You can select any layout that is displayed.

Understanding the Application Layouts

The following illustration shows the default layouts available to the Journalist role.

The following table lists the layouts and which users have access to them.
Layout

Description

Available To

Cut

Journalists, media loggers, and editors use this layout to
create sequences. By default the Sequence pane is
displayed horizontally.

All users, based on
role.

Media | Distribute

Advance Journalists and Media Distribute Producers use All users, based on
this layout to publish media packages to multiple delivery role, if Media
platforms and services. For more information, see the
Distribute is installed.
Avid Media | Distribute User’s Guide.

Log

Media loggers use this layout to add markers to clips and All users, based on
role
to create subclips. For more information, see “Logging
Interplay | Production Assets and Creating Subclips” on
page 282.

Research

Journalists use this layout to search and collect Interplay
MAM assets and edit basic sequences.

All users, based on
role

Rundown

Journalists use this layout to edit and create stories.

All users, based on
role

Story

Journalists use this layout to edit and create stories that
All users, based on
include video and audio. By default the Sequence pane is role
displayed vertically.
This layout is displayed the first time a user signs in. You
can switch to another layout at any time by selecting it
from the Layout selector.

System Settings

Administrators use this layout to specify various
configuration settings. For more information, see
“Configuring System Settings” in the Avid
MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide.

Administrators only

Understanding the Application Layouts

Layout

Description

Available To

Users

Administrators use this layout to import, create, and
manage MediaCentral UX users.

Administrators only

For more information, see “Avid MediaCentral | UX User
Management” in the Avid MediaCentral | UX
Administration Guide.
To change to a different predefined layout:

Choose the layout from the Layout selector.

Changes that you make to a predefined layout are saved when you change to a different layout or
when you sign out.
To close a pane:

Click the X on the pane’s tab.

To open additional panes:

1. Select the Panes menu.
2. Select the menu option corresponding to the pane you want to open.
The pane you select opens in the active area. For more information, see “Working with
Areas and Panes” on page 29.
To reset a layout to its original configuration:

Select Reset Layout from the Layout selector.

To reset all layouts to their original default configurations:

Select Reset All Layouts from the Layout selector.

Understanding the Application Layouts

Working with Areas and Panes
You can customize MediaCentral UX by adjusting a layout’s areas and panes. A single area can
contain one or more panes. When an area contains more than one pane, the panes are displayed
in a tabular format, with one pane on top of the others.
The following illustration shows a typical Story layout. This layout is composed of six different
areas and seven different panes. The area in the lower right contains two panes.

5
3

2
6

One way to customize this layout is to combine two or more panes into one area, thus reducing
the number of areas and allowing more space for the remaining areas. In the following
illustration, the layout is composed of four areas and seven panes. The area on the left contains
the Queue/Story pane, the Launch pane, and an Assets pane.

Understanding the Application Layouts

3
1

2
4

You can also move a pane to create a new area. In the following illustration, the Assets pane was
moved to the left to create a new area.

Understanding the Application Layouts

4
1

3
5

If the number of tabbed panes within an area exceeds the area’s space within the browser
window, Right and Left Arrow buttons appear next to the Pane Menu button, enabling you to
navigate through all of the panes.

You can move panes to save screen space and reconfigure panes in a way that best suits your
needs. The application saves the last arrangement and displays it the next time you sign in to the
application.
You move panes into what are called drop zones within an area. Each area has five drop zones:
center, top, bottom, left, and right.
To move a pane:

Click the pane’s tab and drag it to a drop zone.

Do not click the X in the pane’s tab unless you want to close the pane.

Understanding the Application Layouts

The drop zone is highlighted in orange to help you identify where the pane will be
positioned within the window when you release the mouse button.
The following illustrations demonstrate the process of dragging the Media pane to each drop
zone. In the illustrations, the Audio pane is already located in the area to which the Media
pane is being moved. If you drag the Media pane into the center drop zone, the two panes are
displayed as tabbed panes, with only one visible at a time. Dragging to the top or bottom
drop zones splits the area vertically. Dragging to the left or right drop zones splits the area
horizontally.
Drop
Zone

Position

Result

Center

Top

Understanding the Application Layouts

Drop
Zone

Position

Result

Bottom

Left

Right

Understanding the Application Layouts

Active Panes
An active pane (the pane with user focus) is outlined in orange.This feature helps you to know
which keyboard shortcuts are available, because some shortcuts are available only if a pane has
focus. For example, pressing the space bar controls playback only when the Media pane has
focus. The following illustration shows the Media pane outlined in orange to indicate focus.

Some panes have global shortcuts that work if another pane has focus. For example,
Ctrl+space bar controls playback when the Logging pane has focus. For more information, see
“Keyboard Shortcuts” on page 509.

The Menu Bar
The application’s menu bar includes the following menus:
•

Home
Option

Description

User Settings

Opens the Settings dialog box with configuration options available for
modification to non-administrative users. For more information, see
“User Settings” on page 506.

About

Opens a screen with information about the product

Understanding the Application Layouts

•

Panes
This menu lists the panes that you can open in the selected layout. For a list of these main
panes, see “Understanding the Application Layouts” on page 23. You are only permitted one
instance of some panes within the user interface; however, you can open multiple instances
of an Assets pane or Search pane. If a single-instance pane is already opened, the option
representing that pane will appear grayed out in the Panes menu.

•

Sign Out
Select Sign Out to leave the application and return to the sign-in screen.

The Launch Pane
The Launch pane lists the iNEWS system, Interplay MAM system, and Interplay Production
system that are available on the MediaCentral UX system. The Launch pane also includes any
iNEWS projects and iNEWS servers that are part of an iNEWS community. It also includes any
shortcuts you create. For information about creating shortcuts, see “Creating Shortcuts to Assets,
Folders, and Queues” on page 42.

Systems and projects are identified by the following icons.
Icon

Description

Connected Interplay Production system
Disconnected Interplay Production system

Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration

Icon

Description

Connected Interplay MAM system
Connected iNEWS system
Disconnected iNEWS system
Project in the iNEWS database
iNEWS Project (not started)
iNEWS Project (expired)

Opening a system, such as an iNEWS newsroom computer system, Interplay MAM system, or
Interplay Production system, lets you view the contents of that system’s database in the Assets
pane. Opening an iNEWS project from the Launch pane lets you view each project’s contents in
the Assets pane.
To open a system or project from the Launch pane, do one of the following:

Double-click the item you want to open.

Right-click the item and select “Open in New Assets Tab.”

For more information about assets and projects, see “Working with Assets” on page 40 and
“Working with Projects” on page 76. For more information about iNEWS communities, see
“Support for iNEWS Communities” on page 37.

Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration
MediaCentral UX provides support for MOS Active-X plug-ins. For example, Deko Select is a
plug-in for a newsroom computer system’s interface that allows a user, such as a reporter, to drag
and drop graphic templates directly into the story, as well as alter replaceable text or graphics in
the selected template. You can also use the Avid Deko Select plug-in to add graphics to the video
for a story sequence. Other plug-ins are available through third-party manufacturers.
These plug-ins are specific to iNEWS workflows.
The MediaCentral installation program installs only the container needed for Active X controls.
You need to install additional software for your browser as described in the Avid MediaCentral
Platform Installation and Configuration Guide.
36

Support for iNEWS Communities

Enabling MOS

To use plug-ins, you need to enable MOS in MediaCentral UX.
•

If you are using a Chrome browser, the first time you sign in to MediaCentral, a dialog box
asks if you want to use MOS plug-ins. Click Yes.

•

If you click No, you can later enable MOS through a user setting. Select Home > User
Settings > MOS and then select “MOS enabled.”

Installing Plug-Ins

For procedures on how to install plug-ins, see the documentation for the plug-in.
After installation and configuration, plug-ins are listed at the bottom of the Panes menu.

Support for iNEWS Communities
MediaCentral UX supports iNEWS communities. The iNEWS Community feature allows
customers with multiple iNEWS systems to share content and collaborate on stories. An iNEWS
user can work with content stored on any of the iNEWS systems in a community from a single
iNEWS Workstation. MediaCentral UX provides similar functionality.
MediaCentral UX requires you to supply credentials to sign in to one iNEWS system. This
system is considered your local system. If your local system is configured in an iNEWS
community, you are able to automatically sign in to other systems in the community. These
systems are considered your remote systems. In the Launch pane, your local iNEWS system is
listed first, followed by the remote systems. To connect to a remote system, double-click the
system name.
In the following illustration, MUCINEWS is the local system and KIEV-JEN and KIEV-MOB
are the remote systems.

Support for iNEWS Communities

Any projects listed are associated with your local system. You cannot show projects that are
associated with remote systems.
In MediaCentral UX, you can perform the following tasks on iNEWS remote systems:

•

Browse stories in the Assets pane.

•

Load queues in the Queue/Story pane.

•

Display stories in the Queue/Story pane.

•

Create and edit stories.

•

Copy production cues from a story on one iNEWS system to a story on another.

•

Search a selected remote system.

When searching an iNEWS database, you can simultaneously search multiple indexed queues.
However, you can only choose one non-indexed queue path at a time. Attempts to choose more
than one result in an invalid selection error message.
•

Display and play sequences associated with a story if the sequence is stored in the Interplay
Production database configured with the MediaCentral UX system you are signed in to.
In other words, if you load a story from a remote system that is associated with a sequence,
then click the Open Sequence button, the associated sequence will open if it is stored in the
Interplay Production database listed in the Launch pane. You can then edit and save the
sequence.
If you load a story from a remote system, but the associated sequence is stored in a different
Interplay Production database, you cannot view, play, or edit the sequence. If you click the
Open Sequence button, a message tells you that the “mob_id cannot be resolved.” (A mob
ID is a software object that identifies the sequence).

Do not edit a story after you receive the message that the mob ID cannot be resolved. There
is a risk of data loss if you remove or modify the existing attached mob ID information
•

Float stories so that they remain in the queue but do not appear in the rundown.

Limitation for MOS Placeholder and Project Bucket Features

MediaCentral UX checks if the iNEWS server supports the MOS placeholder and project bucket
features. These features were added in iNEWS 4.0.0, but the check only succeeds with iNEWS
server versions 4.0.3 and later. For this reason, MediaCentral UX only enables workflows using
MOS placeholders and project bucket features in iNEWS 4.0.3 and later.

Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help

Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help
The Help system for MediaCentral UX combines the contents of the following documents:
•

Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide

•

Avid MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide

•

Media | Distribute User’s Guide.

You can view help related to a specific pane. For example, if you want to know more about the
Media pane and the controls available within the pane, you can view that information by opening
that portion of the Help system through the Pane Menu button. You can also open the Help
system to the Contents page and use the Contents, Index, or Search to find specific information.
To access a Help topic related to a specific pane:

1. Click the Pane Menu button.
2. Select Help.
You can click the Contents, Index, or Search button to find other information.
To open the Help system to the Contents page:

Select Panes > Help.

2 Working with Assets
The following main topics describe the Assets pane and how you can work with various assets in
MediaCentral UX.
•

The Assets Pane

•

Working with News Assets

•

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

•

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

See also “Working with Remote Assets” on page 201.

The Assets Pane
Assets are items that are stored in a database, such as stories, scripts, video clips, and audio clips.
From the Assets pane, you can view assets for items that are contained in the Launch pane. For
example, if you double-click the name of an iNEWS system in the Launch pane, the Assets pane
displays the contents of the iNEWS database.
After you sign in to MediaCentral UX, an empty pane labeled Assets is displayed in one of the
application areas. After you open a system or project, the label of the Assets pane changes to
reflect your selection, and you can browse the database or work with the assets that are
displayed. You can also open multiple Assets panes, which appear as multiple tabbed panes
within an application area.
The options you have for working with assets depends on the type of asset you select.
The following topics describe working with different types of assets:
•

“Navigating in the Assets Pane” on page 41

•

“Creating Shortcuts to Assets, Folders, and Queues” on page 42

•

“Working with News Assets” on page 44

•

“Working with Interplay | Production Assets” on page 46

•

“Working with Interplay | MAM Assets” on page 56

The Assets Pane

To display assets in an Assets pane:

Double-click an item in the Launch pane.
The following illustration shows the Interplay Production database selected in the Launch
pane and its contents opened in the Assets pane below. The name of the highlighted system
appears in the Asset pane’s tab.

To open an additional Assets pane, do one of the following:

Select Panes > Assets.

Right-click an item in the Launch pane and select Open in New Assets Tab.
The new pane is displayed next to a previously opened Assets pane.
If you closed the last open Assets pane, the new pane is displayed in an existing area.

To close an Assets pane:

Click the Close button on the Asset pane’s tab.

To ensure the Assets pane has focus, click an item in the pane, not an empty area of the pane.

Navigating in the Assets Pane
As you browse through a database, the history of your navigation is retained in views, and you
can go backward and forward to display those views. The name that appears in the Assets pane’s
tab also changes to reflect your location within the database you are viewing.
The following table lists the navigation buttons in the Assets pane.
41

The Assets Pane

Button

Description

Back button toggles the current view to the previous view in the pane.
Forward button toggles the current view to the next view in the pane.
Refresh button refreshes the current view in the pane.
Close button closes the pane.
Pane Menu button opens a menu providing various options, including opening the
help content related to the pane.
To expand a folder within the current view, do one of the following:

Click the turn-down arrow to the left of a folder.

Press the right arrow key.

To collapse a folder within the current view, do one of the following:

Click the turn-down arrow to the left of a folder.

Press the left arrow key.

To open a folder in a new view in the existing Assets pane:

Double-click a folder.

To display a view you already displayed:

Click the Forward button or the Back button.

For a list of all keyboard shortcuts you can use in the Assets pane, see “Assets Pane Shortcuts”
on page 511.

Creating Shortcuts to Assets, Folders, and Queues
If you have specific assets, folders, or queues that you access often, you can create links for them
and display them in the Launch pane. Double-click the shortcut in the Launch pane and the item
is displayed in the Assets pane. You can create shortcuts for Interplay Production systems,
Interplay MAM systems, and iNEWS systems.
You can create shortcuts from the Assets pane or the Search results list. Right-click an asset,
folder, or queue and select Create Shortcut. In the Launch pane, right-click to rename or delete
the shortcut. You can reorder the shortcuts by dragging and dropping.
42

The Assets Pane

To create a shortcut to an asset, folder, or queue:

In the Assets pane or the Search results list, right-click an item and select Create Shortcut.
A link to the item is displayed in the Shortcuts section of the Launch pane.

To rename the shortcut, do one of the following:

Right-click the shortcut, select Rename Shortcut, type the new name, and press Enter.

Select the shortcut, press F2, type the new name, and press Enter.

Select the shortcut, click it again, type the new name, and press Enter.

To reorder shortcuts:

Click a shortcut, drag it to a new location, and release the mouse button.

To delete a shortcut, do one of the following:

Right-click the shortcut and select Delete Shortcut.

Select the shortcut, click the Pane menu, and select Delete Shortcut

Select the shortcut and press the Delete key.
A confirmation message asks if you want to delete the shortcut. Click Delete.

Working with News Assets

Working with News Assets
The following topics describe the iNEWS database as it is displayed in the Assets pane:
•

Identifying iNEWS Directories, Queues, Projects, and Facets

•

Navigating the iNEWS Database

Identifying iNEWS Directories, Queues, Projects, and Facets
The iNEWS database is a file structure that is organized by directories that contain subfolders or
queues, which in turn contain stories. Directories contained within other directories are known as
subfolders or subdirectories.
Projects are a way of categorizing stories by topic so that news teams working on a particular
topic can find everything related to it in a single place, without moving or copying original
source information within the database. Facets are sub-topics of projects that provide additional
granularity. Any stories associated to a facet are automatically associated to that facet’s parent
project.
You can view the contents of an iNEWS database by choosing the iNEWS system in the Launch
pane. Likewise, Projects can also be opened from the Launch pane. Projects and iNEWS systems
are identified by the following icons.
Icon

Description

Connected iNEWS system
Disconnected iNEWS system
Project in the iNEWS database
iNEWS Project (not started)
iNEWS Project (expired)

After you double-click a system in the Launch pane, the database file structure with its
directories and queues is displayed in the Assets pane. If you double-click a project, any facets of
the chosen project are displayed in the Assets pane.
Different icons are used to identify queues, directories and facets in the Assets pane, as listed in
the following table.

Working with News Assets

Icon

Description

Directory or subfolder in the iNEWS database
Indexed directory or subfolder
Queue
Indexed Queue
Locked Queue
Indexed and Locked Queue
Facet
Facet (not started)
Facet (expired)

In addition to facets, each project also contains the following queues in the Assets pane:
Icon

Description

ALL queue - shows all stories associated with the project and its facets. These
stories do not actually reside in the ALL queue. Instead, they retain their original
source queue location and permissions.
QUERY Search Queue - shows results of a search conducted with criteria
pre-defined for the project in iNEWS. Each project can have only one search
queue.
BUCKET queue - an indexed queue that acts as a repository for stories that do not
exist elsewhere in the iNEWS database. All stories that reside in a project’s
BUCKET queue will also appear in its ALL queue.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

Navigating the iNEWS Database
This topic provides procedures for viewing the database file structure by opening directories and
queues. For information about projects and facets, see “Working with Projects” on page 76.
The contents of directories are displayed in the Assets pane. The contents of queues are viewed
in the Queue/Story pane. For more information, see “The Queue/Story Pane” on page 81.
To open a directory:

Double-click the directory in the Assets pane.
This action opens the directory’s contents in the same pane. To return to the previous view of
the database file structure, click the Back button.

Click the turn-down arrow to the left of the directory in the Assets pane.
This action expands the directory to show its contents while still retaining a view of the rest
of the database file structure. To close the directory, click the turn-down arrow again.

To open a queue:

Double-click the queue in the Assets pane.
The queue’s contents open in the Queue/Story pane.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets
An Interplay Production database holds media assets such as clips, subclips, sequences, and
graphics. You can browse the database in the Assets pane and display a media asset in the Media
pane. You can rename assets but you cannot delete them.
The following topics describe working with media assets:
•

“Identifying Interplay | Production Systems and Media Assets” on page 47

•

“Navigating the Interplay | Production Database” on page 48

•

“Adding or Removing Property Columns” on page 48

•

“Resizing Columns” on page 49

•

“Moving Columns” on page 49

•

“Moving or Copying Assets” on page 50

•

“Renaming Assets” on page 50

•

“Displaying or Hiding Referenced Assets” on page 51

•

“Viewing and Editing Interplay | Production Metadata” on page 51

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

•

“Viewing Interplay | Production Thumbnails” on page 54

•

“Working with Remote Assets” on page 201

Identifying Interplay | Production Systems and Media Assets
Different icons are used to identify Interplay Production assets and indicate status in the Assets
pane.
Icon

Description

Column

Audio asset

Name

Video asset: master clip.

Name

Video asset: subclip

Name

Video asset: sequence

Name

Video asset: in-progress clip (Edit While Capture)

Name

Video asset: group clip

Name

Video asset: effect

Name

Remote asset: downward-pointing arrow for each asset type

Name

Supported

State

Reservation

State

Restriction

State

For information about remote assets, see “Working with Remote Assets” on page 201.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

Navigating the Interplay | Production Database
The contents of folders in an Interplay Production system are displayed in the Assets pane. You
can double-click an asset to open it in the Media pane.
To open an Interplay Production folder:

Double-click the folder in the Assets pane.
This action opens the folder's contents in the same pane. To return to the previous view of
the database file structure, click the Back button.

Click the turn-down arrow to the left of the folder in the Assets pane.
This action expands the directory to show its contents while still retaining a view of the rest
of the database file structure. To close the folder, click the turn-down arrow again.

To open an asset:

Double-click the asset.
The asset opens in the Media pane. If the asset is a sequence and the Sequence pane is open,
the asset is loaded in the Sequence Timeline. For more information, see “Working with
Video Media” on page 180 and “Using the Sequence Pane” on page 112.

Adding or Removing Property Columns
A set of property columns is shown when viewing media assets in the Assets pane. These
columns display metadata that is associated with assets in the Interplay Production database. You
can select other property columns to display. The columns that are available depend on the
columns that are available in a particular Interplay Production database.
To add or remove property columns:

1. Click the Pane Menu button in the top right corner of the Assets pane and select Add or
Remove Columns.
The Add Or Remove Columns window opens. The list is divided in System properties, User
(custom) properties, and Resolutions.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

Resizing Columns
You can adjust the column width of any column displayed in the Assets pane.
To resize a column:

1. Position your mouse pointer over the dividing line between two columns.
The pointer changes to a bi-directional arrow when it hovers over the correct location.
2. Click and drag it right or left to adjust column width.

Moving Columns
You can rearrange the order of columns displayed in the Assets pane.
To move a column:

1. Click the header of the column you want to move.
2. Drag it right or left and release the mouse button when it is repositioned where you want it.
An orange line appears as a guide during the drag-and-drop process.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

Moving or Copying Assets
You can move or copy assets in the Interplay Production database by using the Cut, Copy, and
Paste commands.
To move an asset to another folder:

1. Select one or more assets.
2. Right-click and select Cut.
3. Select the folder into which you want to move the asset, right-click, and select Paste.
To copy an asset to another folder:

1. Select one or more assets.
2. Right-click and select Copy.
3. Select the folder into which you want to move the asset, right-click, and select Paste.

Duplicating Assets
Duplicating an asset in the Interplay Production database creates a new asset, with new metadata
(MobID). You can duplicate master clips, subclips, audio-only clips, and sequences.
To duplicate an asset, do one of the following:

Right-click the asset you want to duplicate and select Duplicate.

Select the asset you want to duplicate, click the Pane Menu button, and select Duplicate.
A new asset is created in the same folder as the original asset, with the extension .duplicate.
The name is highlighted in edit mode so that you can easily rename it.

Renaming Assets
You can rename clips and other assets in the Interplay Production database.
To rename an asset, do one of the following:

Select the asset, click the name of the asset, and type the new name.

Select the asset, press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh), and type the new name.

Creating a New Folder
You can create a new folder in the Interplay Production database. Your ability to create a new
folder depends on Interplay Production rules. For example, the credentials you use to sign in to
the Interplay Production database must allow creation of folders.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

For more information, see the Interplay | Access User’s Guide or your Interplay Production
administrator.
To create a new folder in the Interplay Production database:

1. In the Assets tab, navigate into the folder in which you want to create the subfolder.

Selecting a folder does not create a subfolder in the folder.
2. Do one of the following to create the folder:
t

Click the Pane Menu button and select Create Folder.

Right-click an item and select Create Folder.

A new folder is created with the name New.Folder. If there is already a folder named
New.Folder, .01 is appended to the folder name, and incremented for each unnamed new
folder (New.Folder.02, and so on).
3. Do one of the following to rename the folder:
t

Select the folder, click the name of the folder, and type the new name.

Select the folder, press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh), and type the new name.

Displaying or Hiding Referenced Assets
Referenced assets are assets that are referenced by another asset in the same Interplay Production
folder, such as clips that are included in a sequence. You have the option of displaying or hiding
referenced assets through a user setting. The default is to hide referenced assets.
To display or hide referenced assets:

1. Select Home > User Settings.
2. Click Interplay Production.
3. In the Referenced Assets section, select “Show referenced assets” to display referenced
assets. Clear the check box to hide referenced assets.

Viewing and Editing Interplay | Production Metadata
The Metadata pane displays properties that are associated with a selected asset in the Interplay
Production database, such as Comments or Creation date. Some properties are created
automatically and others you can create or edit manually. In the Metadata pane, if a property is
editable, a text box or drop-down menu is displayed.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

q w
q
w

e
e

r
q
t
q

y
q

Refresh button

Editable text box

Save button

Non-editable field

Pane Menu button

Custom property drop-down menu

The properties that are displayed in the Metadata pane are determined by settings in the Property
Layout view in the Interplay Administrator application. An administrator can select both system
properties and custom properties as follows:
•

On the System Properties tab, select items in the Inspector Default column.

•

On the Custom Metadata tab, select items in the Inspector Default column.

A user must have write permission on an asset to add an identifier to an asset.
For information on system and custom properties, and assigning permissions, see the
Interplay | Engine and Interplay | Archive Engine Administration Guide.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

Note the following:
•

You can cut, copy, and paste text between the Metadata pane and other applications.

•

You can use the Tab key to move to the next editable text box or use Shift+Tab to move to
the previous text box.

•

Text is limited to 32,000 characters.

•

The following characters are not valid for text in the Metadata pane:
-

Interplay Production asset names: / \ | Enter

Interplay Production folder names: * ? : / \ " < > | Enter

If you try to save information that includes an invalid character, an error message is
displayed.

You can also display database properties in an Assets tab (see “Adding or Removing Property
Columns” on page 48). In an Assets tab, you can display any property from the database, but you
cannot edit a property.
To open the Metadata pane:

Select Metadata from the Panes menu.

To view properties of an asset:

Double-click an asset in the Assets pane.

To edit properties of an asset:

1. Click in a text box and enter text, or select an entry from a drop-down list.
If you select from a drop-down list and type a letter, MediaCentral UX filters the list to all
properties starting with that letter. As you continue to type, MediaCentral UX continues to
filter the list according to the letters you type.
If you misspell a word in a text field, a wavy red line marks the misspelled word. You can
right-click the word and open the browser’s spell-checker options. This feature is available
for both Chrome and Safari browsers.
You can insert line breaks in a text box, such as the Comments box. However, line breaks are
not supported when viewing metadata in Interplay Access or Media Composer. If the
property is saved in Interplay Access, it is saved as a single line and is shown as a single line
in MediaCentral UX.
2. Click the Save button, or click the Pane menu and select Save.
To discard your changes, click the Refresh button, load a different asset, or close the
Metadata pane.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

To update the information displayed:

Click the Refresh button.

Viewing Interplay | Production Thumbnails
The Thumbnails pane lets you display a series of small images of an asset (thumbnails). Viewing
and double-clicking thumbnails can help you navigate through source clips and markers more
quickly. You can view thumbnails in the following arrangements:
•

Time-based: Shows the first frame of the asset, the last frame of the asset, and a frame at the
frequency that you choose. Use the slider to select one of the following frequencies:
-

one frame every 10 seconds (default setting)

one frame every 1 minute

one frame every 5 minutes

one frame every 10 minutes

This setting persists from one session to another. The exact frame displayed depends on the
type of timecode (drop-frame, non-drop frame, 24 fps, and so on). Timecodes are displayed
beneath each thumbnail, reflecting the timecode display that is set in the Media pane:
Master, Absolute, or Remain.
•

Marker-based: Shows any frame with one or more markers. A frame with a marker is
indicated by a marker in the upper right corner of the thumbnail.

•

Both time-based and marker-based thumbnails.

The following illustrations show each of these arrangements: time-based, marker-based, and
both.

Working with Interplay | Production Assets

Note the following:

•

You can show thumbnails for master clips and subclips, and sequences when loaded in Asset
mode.

•

You can view thumbnails for video clips, clips with video and audio, and audio-only clips.

•

The size of the thumbnails depends on the aspect ratio selected in the Media pane. Changing
the aspect ratio changes the size of the thumbnails.

•

You can show thumbnails for group clips. The thumbnails reflect the grid selected in the
Media pane: 1x1, 2x2, or 3x3.

•

Currently, you cannot adjust the size of the thumbnails.

•

You can view thumbnails for a clip that is ingesting (edit-while-capture) after it is checked
into the Interplay Production database (approximately every two minutes). Click the Refresh
button to update the display.

Support for edit-while-capture (EWC) is qualified only for Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream and
AS5000 systems.
•

Click the Refresh button to update the display for changes to the asset, for example, if you
add or delete a marker.

To view thumbnails:

1. Select Panes > Thumbnails.
If an asset is already loaded in Asset mode in the Media pane, thumbnails are displayed in
the Thumbnails pane.
2. In the Assets pane, do one of the following:
t

Double-click a master clip or subclip.

Right-click a sequence and select Load in Asset Mode.

The asset is loaded in the Media viewer and thumbnails are displayed in the Thumbnail
pane, with timecode for each thumbnail below it. If the asset contains markers, a thumbnail
is displayed for each marker.
3. To show only time-based thumbnails, click the Marker button so that it is inactive. To show
only marker-based thumbnails, click the Time button so that it is inactive. If you want to
show time-based thumbnails, use the slider to select the frequency at which frames are
displayed.
4. To navigate to a particular frame in the Media pane, double-click a thumbnail.
The position indicator in the Media Timeline jumps to the frame.
If the double-clicked thumbnail has a marker associated with it, the associated marker
information is highlighted in the Markers pane. If there is no marker associated with the
thumbnail, the nearest marker information is highlighted.
55

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets
An Interplay MAM database holds media assets such as video and audio assets, basic sequences,
and graphics. The Interplay MAM Workspace allows you to carry out many aspects of
day-to-day work with these assets by mapping tasks to a tree structure. The Workspace is
displayed as a set of folders that contain references to media assets in the MAM database. For
example, you save sequences or references to video assets to a folder. This allows you to access
the media assets directly at a later date — in other words, you do not need to search for them
again.
The Assets pane gives you access to the Workspace of any connected Interplay MAM system.
You can see all folders that are released to you and browse and edit the folder structure in the
Assets pane. You can add, rename, and delete asset references, view and edit asset metadata, and
create basic sequences and initiate processes for assets in the Assets pane.
The following topics describe working with MAM assets:
•

“Navigating the Interplay | MAM Workspace” on page 57

•

“Identifying Interplay | MAM Media Assets” on page 57

•

“Creating a New Folder” on page 59

•

“Moving a Folder” on page 60

•

“Renaming a Folder” on page 60

•

“Deleting a Folder” on page 61

•

“Adding Assets to a Folder” on page 61

•

“Triggering the Rights Evaluation for a Basic Sequence” on page 62

•

“Moving or Copying Assets” on page 63

•

“Renaming Asset References” on page 64

•

“Removing Asset References” on page 64

•

“Viewing and Editing Interplay | MAM Metadata” on page 65

•

“Viewing Interplay | MAM Thumbnails” on page 72

•

“Creating an Interplay | MAM Sequence” on page 128

•

“Working with Associations (Interplay | MAM)” on page 342

•

“Creating Processes” on page 399

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

Navigating the Interplay | MAM Workspace
The contents of released folders in an Interplay MAM Workspace are displayed in the Assets
pane. You can double-click an asset to open it in any pane that supports displaying aspects of that
asset.
To open an Interplay MAM folder:

Double-click the folder in the Assets pane.
This action opens the folder's contents in the same pane. To return to the previous view of
the Workspace file structure, click the Back button.

Click the turn-down arrow to the left of the folder in the Assets pane.
This action expands the directory to show its contents while still retaining a view of the rest
of the Workspace file structure. To close the folder, click the turn-down arrow again.

To open an asset:

Double-click the asset.
The asset opens in the Media pane. If the panes are open, the asset opens also in the
Logging, Metadata, and Thumbnails pane and its associations are shown in the Associations
pane. If the asset is a basic sequence and the Sequence pane is open, the asset is loaded in the
Sequence Timeline. For more information, see “Viewing and Editing Interplay | MAM
Metadata” on page 65, “Viewing Interplay | MAM Thumbnails” on page 72, “Working with
Video Media” on page 180, “Using the Sequence Pane” on page 112, “Logging
Interplay | MAM Assets” on page 307, and “Working with Associations (Interplay | MAM)”
on page 342.

Identifying Interplay | MAM Media Assets
A set of property columns are shown when viewing MAM assets in the Assets pane. These
columns display metadata that is associated with assets in the Interplay MAM database. The
following columns are available for MAM assets: Name, Thumbnail, Type, and Rights.
Different icons are used to identify Interplay MAM assets and indicate rights in the Assets pane.
Depending on the installed Interplay MAM package you might see additional icons.
Icon

Description

Column

Audio asset

Name

Commercial or Commercial Version asset

Name

Document asset

Name

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

Icon

Description

Column

Episode or Episode Version asset

Name

Feature or Feature Version asset

Name

File asset or Default placeholder icon

Name

Graphics asset

Name

Image asset

Name

Season asset

Name

Sequence asset (audio or video)

Name

Series asset

Name

Stock Footage asset

Name

Trailer asset

Name

Video or Rushes asset

Name

Audio asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific image Thumbnail
is assigned as a thumbnail.
Basic Sequence asset placeholder icon.

Thumbnail

Commercial or Commercial Version asset placeholder icon. Is Thumbnail
shown until a specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.
Document asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific
image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Episode or Episode Version asset placeholder icon. Is shown
until a specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Feature or Feature Version asset placeholder icon. Is shown
until a specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

File asset or Default placeholder icon. Is shown until a
specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

Icon

Description

Column

Graphics asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific
image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Image asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific image Thumbnail
is assigned as a thumbnail.
Season asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific image Thumbnail
is assigned as a thumbnail.
Series asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific image Thumbnail
is assigned as a thumbnail.
Stock Footage asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a
specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Trailer asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific image Thumbnail
is assigned as a thumbnail
Video or Rushes asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a
specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Usage right “Free for use”

Rights

Usage right “Not evaluated so far”

Rights

Usage right “Parts need to be licensed”

Rights

Usage right “Contains restricted parts”

Rights

Creating a New Folder
You can create new folders in the Interplay MAM Workspace. Your ability to create a new folder
depends on Interplay MAM rules. For example, the credentials you use to sign in to the Interplay
MAM database must allow creation of folders.
For more information, see the Interplay | MAM Desktop User’s Guide or Interplay | MAM User
Manager User’s Guide.
To create a new folder in the Interplay MAM Workspace:

1. In the Assets tab, select a folder.

The new folder is added as sibling or subfolder depending on the control you use.
59

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

2. Do one of the following:
t

To create a sibling of the selected folder, click the Pane Menu button and select Create
Folder.

To create a subfolder within the selected folder, right-click the folder and select Create
Folder.

Renaming a Folder
You can rename Interplay MAM Workspace folders in the Assets pane.
To rename a folder, do one of the following:

Select the folder, click the name of the folder, and type the new name.

Select the folder, press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh), and type the new name.

Moving a Folder
You can move folders with their contents in the Interplay MAM Workspace by using the Cut and
Paste commands or drag and drop. Note that you can move but cannot copy folders.
Your ability to move a folder depends on Interplay MAM rules: The folder permissions in
Interplay MAM Workspace must allow moving the selected folder and adding it to the target
folder.
To move a folder to another folder by using commands:

1. Select one or more folders.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Pane Menu button and select Cut.

Right-click and select Cut.

3. Select the folder into which you want to move the folder, right-click, and select Paste.
To move a folder by using drag and drop:

1. Select one or more folders.
2. Drag the selection to the folder into which you want to move the folder.
The folder expands to show its contents and a green icon indicates if dropping is possible.

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

3. Release the mouse button.

Deleting a Folder
You can delete folders from Interplay MAM Workspace in the Assets pane. If you delete a
folder, all the references to media assets that it contains will also be deleted. Check whether you
need the media asset references contained in a folder before you delete it.
Your ability to delete a folder depends on Interplay MAM rules: the folder permissions in
Interplay MAM Workspace must allow the deletion of the selected folder.
To delete folders:

1. Select one or more folders.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click and select Delete.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Delete.

A security prompt opens.
3. Click Yes.
If your credentials allow deleting folders the folders are deleted.
If you are not authorized to delete some of the selected folders or folders at all a message
opens. After closing the message the folders that are released for deletion are deleted.

Adding Assets to a Folder
You can add assets to a folder from the Search pane’s search results list after you have conducted
a search or from the Tasks pane’s attachments area. This action does not save or copy the asset to
the folder. You are creating and saving only a reference to the asset. Each folder can have only
one reference that points to the same asset. If you try to add a second reference to the same asset,
a message is displayed.
To add asset references to a folder:

1. Do one the following:
t

Open the Search pane and conduct a search for MAM assets. For more information, see
“Conducting a Search” on page 263.

Open the Tasks pane and select a task. For more information, see “Adding and Editing
User Task Attachments” on page 411.

2. Select one or more assets in the search results list or the task attachments area.
3. Drag the selection to the name or icon of the folder into which you want to paste the asset
references.
61

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

The folder expands to show its contents and a green icon indicates if dropping is possible.
4. Release the mouse button.
Valid asset references are pasted into the folder. References to assets that are not allowed as
contents of the folder are not pasted.
If there is already a reference to an asset with the same identifier in the folder, a message is
displayed, and the asset is not pasted.

Triggering the Rights Evaluation for a Basic Sequence
A set of property columns is shown when viewing MAM assets in the Assets pane. The Rights
column displays the value of the usage rights property — symbolized by a Rights Indicator icon
— that is associated with assets in the Interplay MAM database.
For basic sequences the usage rights information is not retrieved from the usage rights property
but evaluated dynamically based on the usage rights of the individual segments of assets it
contains. The usage right for the entire basic sequence is determined by the most restrictive
usage right for a segment.
Therefore the Rights column initially does not show a Rights Indicator icon for a basic sequence.
You have to trigger the rights evaluation once, as described in the following procedure. After
that, the Rights Indicator icon of the basic sequence is shown during your current user session.
You need to trigger the rights evaluation for each session.
To trigger the rights evaluation for a basic sequence:

Select the basic sequence in the Assets pane.

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

The rights evaluation starts. During this time a busy indicator is shown in the Rights column.
When the rights evaluation is finished the calculated usage right of the basic sequence is
indicated by the corresponding Rights Indicator icon. For more information, see “Identifying
Interplay | MAM Media Assets” on page 57.

Selecting Assets
Clicking an item (basic sequence, other asset, or folder) in a folder selects and highlights it.
Multiple items can be selected in different ways. Note that you can select items in different
folders at the same time.
To select several nonconsecutive items:

Ctrl+click the items you want to select, regardless of order or arrangement.
The items are selected and highlighted.

To select several consecutive items:

Click an item and then Shift+click the item that ends the series of hits you want to select.
The items in the series are selected and highlighted.

Shift+click an item above or below the highlighted selection.
The selection is expanded or narrowed.

To remove the selection:

Click the Refresh button of the Assets pane.
The selection is removed.

Moving or Copying Assets
You can move or copy basic sequences and other assets in the Interplay MAM Workspace by
using the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands, or drag and drop.
To move or copy an asset to another folder by using commands:

1. Select one or more assets.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Pane Menu button and select Cut, or right-click and select Cut.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Copy, or right-click and select Copy.

3. Select the folder into which you want to move or copy the asset, right-click, and select Paste.
Valid assets are pasted into the folder, and assets that are not allowed as contents of the
folder are not pasted. If there is already an asset with the same identifier in the folder, a
message is displayed, and the asset is not pasted.
63

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

To copy an asset to another folder by using drag and drop:

1. Select one or more assets.
2. Drag the selection to the name or icon of the folder into which you want to copy the assets.
The folder expands to show its contents and a green icon indicates if dropping is possible.
3. Release the mouse button.
Valid assets are pasted into the folder, and assets that are not allowed as contents of the
folder are not pasted. If there is already an asset with the same identifier in the folder, a
message is displayed, and the asset is not pasted. If your selection contained folders and
individual assets, the folders and their contents are moved but the individual assets are
copied.

Renaming Asset References
You can rename the reference of basic sequences and other assets in the Interplay MAM
Workspace. Note that this action renames only the display name in the folder but not the basic
sequence or the asset itself. To rename the asset or sequence, you must change its Title property
in the Metadata pane.
Note also that the Media pane always shows the Title of an asset. If you only rename the
reference of an asset in the Assets pane but not its Title property, you will see different names
displayed for the same asset in the Assets and Media pane.
To rename an asset reference, do one of the following:

Select the asset, click the name of the asset, and type the new name.

Select the asset, press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh), and type the new name.

Removing Asset References
You can remove basic sequences and other assets in the Interplay MAM Workspace. Note that
this action removes the reference in the folder but does not delete the basic sequence or the asset
itself.
To remove asset references from folders:

1. Select one or more assets.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click and select Delete.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Delete.

A security prompt is displayed.
3. Click Yes.
64

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

If your credentials allow deleting assets, the asset references are deleted.
If you are not authorized to delete some of the selected assets or any assets, a message is
displayed. After closing the message the folders that are released for deletion are deleted.

Viewing and Editing Interplay | MAM Metadata
The Metadata pane displays properties that are associated with a selected asset in the Interplay
MAM database, such as Comments or Creation date. Some properties are created automatically
and others you can create or edit manually. In the Metadata pane, if a property is editable, a text
box, drop-down menu, or other input control is displayed.

r t
r
t

qw
q
we
e
y
q
u

Refresh button

Pane Menu button

Lock button

Editable text box

Save button

Non-editable field

Metadata section selector

Examples for editable properties

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

The properties that are displayed in the Metadata pane are determined by the configuration of the
property and the metadata template of the corresponding asset type in the Interplay MAM
Datamodel Administrator application. An administrator can define the following:
•

Which properties are displayed

•

If a property is editable, read-only, read-only based on the values of another property, or
mandatory

•

If a property shows a default value

•

Limits for text input

A user must have write permission on assets to edit the metadata of an asset.
For information on properties and assigning permissions, see the Interplay | MAM Datamodel
Administrator User’s Guide and Interplay | MAM User Manager User’s Guide.
Property Types and Input Controls
The fields in the Metadata pane are linked to properties that describe an asset. Interplay MAM
and MediaCentral UX support different property types and input controls.
Property Types

In Interplay MAM, the following three property types are distinguished:
•

Single-value property: When you edit metadata that is allocated to a single-value property,
there is only one field available in which to enter data, so only one value can be entered for
this asset property. For more information, see “Editing Metadata” on page 69.

•

Multi-value property: When you edit metadata that is allocated a multi-value property, there
are several fields available in which you can enter data for this asset property as shown in the
following illustration. Existing values can be changed or deleted, and new values can be
added.

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

•

Compound property: When you edit metadata that is allocated a compound property, you
edit several properties that are combined into a single property. For each of these single
properties you have several fields in which to enter data, just as you do for multi-value
properties. The following illustration shows how three single properties (Broadcaster,
Broadcast Time, and Broadcast Date) are combined into the Broadcastings property.

Input Controls

Depending on the configuration of the metadata template in Interplay MAM, you might
encounter the following input fields when entering data:
Display

Field type

Description

Text

Text fields accept all characters. Input might be limited to a
certain number of characters by the property configuration in
Interplay MAM.

Date

Date fields are preformatted. The display format depends on
the locale of your account. You can enter the entire Date
value manually, or select it from a calendar tool.

Time

Time fields are preformatted. The display format depends on
the locale of your account.

Date/Time

Date/Time fields are preformatted. The display format
depends on the locale of your account. You can enter the
entire Date/Time values manually, or select the date value
from a calendar tool.

Timecode

Timecode and Duration fields are preformatted for different
timecode types (PAL, NTSC). They also support pasting
copied timecodes.

Duration

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

Display

Field type

Description

Integer

Integer fields require figures.

Floating-point Floating-point fields require figures and decimal points.
Boolean

Boolean check boxes differentiate between “applies” and
“does not apply.”

Legal list

Drop-down lists provide the available values of a property.
When you open a property of type legal list, the input control
initially shows a search box and all values of the property.

Master data

Master data, for example, data records about producers,
actors, and so on, consists of multiple distinct values. These
multiple values are represented by one master data value,
when used for annotation. When you open a property of type
master data, the input control initially shows an empty search
box.

Thesaurus

Thesauri are mostly used to provide larger sets of invariant
terms that can be assigned as values to a property. When you
open a property of type thesaurus, the input control shows a
search box and the name of the thesaurus to search in.

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

Editing Metadata
In the Metadata pane, if a property is editable, a text box, drop-down menu, or other input control
is displayed. Depending on the configuration of the asset template in Interplay MAM, the
metadata might be distributed in several sections on the Metadata pane.
Note the following:
•

If you are editing an Interplay MAM asset, metadata is locked to prevent other users from
editing the metadata at the same time. The lock is automatically set when you begin editing
a metadata field. The lock is released when you end editing, load another asset, or close the
Metadata pane. If another user opens the asset while it is locked, and clicks the Lock button
or tries to edit the metadata, the tool tip for the Lock button reads “This metadata is locked
by user .”

•

You can cut, copy, and paste text between the Metadata pane and other applications.

•

You can use the Tab key to move to the next editable text box or use Shift+Tab to move to
the previous text box.

•

If you select from a drop-down list and type a letter, MediaCentral UX filters the list to all
values starting with that letter. As you continue to type, MediaCentral UX continues to filter
the list according to the letters you type.

To open the Metadata pane:

Select Metadata from the Panes menu.

To view properties of an asset:

Double-click an asset in the Assets or Search pane.

To manually lock metadata:

Click the Lock button.

When the metadata is locked, the Lock button turns orange.

The metadata remains locked until you end editing, load another asset, or close the Metadata
pane. You can manually unlock the metadata by clicking the Lock button. If you make an
edit, the lock is automatically set again.
69

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

To edit single-value properties of an asset:

1. (Option) If the metadata is grouped in different metadata sections, select the desired section
from the Select View menu.
2. Click in a text box and enter text.
3. To edit a legal list property, click in the field and do one of the following:
t

Double-click the value or check its check box.

Navigate down the list using the Down Arrow key until you reach the desired value and
press Enter.

Start typing the name of the value in the search box to filter the list, select the value, and
press Enter.

4. To edit a thesaurus property, click in the field and do one of the following:
t

Navigate down the thesaurus using the Down Arrow key until you reach the desired
term and press Enter.

Start typing the name of the term in the search box to filter the list, select the term, and
press Enter.

5. To edit a master data property, click in the field, start typing the name of the value in the
search box to filter the list, select the value, and press Enter.
6. To edit a date, time, or date-time property:
t

Highlight the figures you want to change and type in the new figures.

Click the field’s Down Arrow button and select the date from the calendar that opens.

7. To edit a timecode or duration property, click in the field and do one of the following:
t

Type in the figures, including “0”, from right to left.

Highlight the timecode and press Ctrl+V to paste a copied timecode.

8. To edit an integer or float property:
t

Type the figures, and if necessary, the decimal point.

Press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key to increase or decrease the figures.

9. To edit a boolean property:
t

Check the check box to set the property to “true.”

Uncheck the check box to set the property value to “false.”

10. To save your changes, do one of the following:
t

Click the Save button, or click the Pane Menu button and select Save.

Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Macintosh).

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

To discard your changes, click the Refresh button, load a different asset, or close the
Metadata pane.
To edit multi-value properties of an asset:

1. To add a new value to a multi-value property, click the Plus button.

A new value is added at the bottom of the list.
2. Edit the value for each individual field inside a multi-value property as you would for a
single-value property.
3. Press the Tab key to move to the next property within the compound property or use
Shift+Tab to move to the previous property.
4. To change the position of a value, click the drag icon to the right of the value, drag it and
drop it between other values or at the beginning or end of the property’s value list.

5. To remove a property, click the Minus button to the right of the value.
6. Click the Save button, or click the Pane menu and select Save.
To discard your changes, click the Refresh button, load a different asset, or close the
Metadata pane.
To edit compound properties of an asset:

1. To add a new row to a compound property, do one of the following:
t

To add a new row below the last row, click the plus button.

To add a new row above a row, select the row and click the Plus button.

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

2. Edit every field as you would for a single-value property.
3. Press the Tab key to move to the next property within the compound property or use
Shift+Tab to move to the previous property.
4. To change the position of a row, click the drag icon to the left of the row, drag it and drop it
between other rows or at the beginning or end of the property’s table.

5. To remove a row, select the row and click the Minus button.
6. Click the Save button, or click the Pane menu and select Save.
To discard your changes, click the Refresh button, load a different asset, or close the
Metadata pane.
To update the information displayed:

Click the Refresh button.

Viewing Interplay | MAM Thumbnails
The Thumbnails pane lets you display a series of small images of an asset. In an Interplay MAM
context, these are referred to as “keyframes” that are displayed in Interplay MAM Desktop’s
Lighttable view. In MediaCentral UX they are referred to as “thumbnails.” Viewing and
double-clicking thumbnails can help you navigate through video assets more quickly. You can
view thumbnails in the following arrangements:
•

Time-based: Shows the first frame of the asset, the last frame of the asset, and a frame at the
frequency that you choose. The exact frame displayed depends on the type of timecode
(drop-frame, non-drop frame, 24 fps, and so on). Timecodes are displayed beneath each
thumbnail, reflecting the timecode display that is set in the Media pane: Master, Absolute, or
Remain.

•

Marker-based: Shows any thumbnail that is extracted by the Interplay MAM Video Analysis
or a user in Interplay MAM Cataloger. You can adjust the quantity by applying a
marker-based filter.

•

Both time-based and marker-based thumbnails.

The following illustrations show each of these arrangements: time-based, marker-based, and
both.

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

Note the following:
•

You can show thumbnails for video assets.

•

The size of the thumbnails depends on the aspect ratio selected in the Media pane. Changing
the aspect ratio changes the size of the thumbnails.

•

Currently, you cannot adjust the size of the thumbnails.

•

Click the Refresh button to update the display for changes to the asset, for example, if a user
has extracted new thumbnails in Interplay MAM Cataloger.

•

If the entire keyframes set is deleted in Interplay MAM Desktop, you can only show
time-based thumbnails in the Thumbnails pane.

To view thumbnails:

1. Select Panes > Thumbnails.
If an asset is already loaded in Asset mode in the Media pane, thumbnails are displayed in
the Thumbnails pane.
2. In the Assets pane, double-click a video asset.
The asset is loaded in the Media viewer and thumbnails are displayed in the Thumbnail
pane, with timecode for each thumbnail below it.
3. To show only time-based thumbnails, click the Marker button so that it is inactive. To show
only marker-based thumbnails, click the Time button so that it is inactive.
4. To navigate to a particular frame in the Media pane, double-click a thumbnail.
The position indicator in the Media Timeline jumps to the frame.

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

To apply a time-based filter:

1. To show only time-based thumbnails, click the Marker button so that it is inactive.
2. Use the slider to select one of the following frequencies:
-

one frame every 10 seconds (default setting)

one frame every 1 minute

one frame every 5 minutes

one frame every 10 minutes

The Thumbnails pane shows the thumbnails that match the selected frequency. This setting
persists from one session to another.
To apply a marker-based filter:

1. To show only marker-based thumbnails, click the Time button so that it is inactive.
2. Click the arrow in the upper right corner of the Marker button.

The Add or Remove window opens.

3. Select the filter you want to apply or deselect the filter you want to cancel:
-

All: Shows all marker-based thumbnails. Includes all other filter criteria.

User: Shows the thumbnails that are extracted by a user in Interplay MAM Cataloger.

Shot Boundaries: Shows the thumbnails that are extracted by the Video Analysis for
shot boundaries.

Low: Shows the thumbnails that are extracted by the Video Analysis already for small
changes in image content.

Medium Shows the thumbnails that are extracted by the Video Analysis during medium
alteration in image content.
74

Working with Interplay | MAM Assets

High: Shows the thumbnails that are extracted by the Video Analysis only when the
image content changed significantly.

4. Click the Close box or click anywhere outside the window to save your settings.
The Thumbnails pane shows the thumbnails matching the selected filter. This setting persists
from one session to another.

3 Working with Projects
The following main topics describe the Project/Story pane and how to use projects and facets in
news production:
•

Opening Projects or Facets

•

The Project/Story Pane

•

Associating Stories with Projects or Facets

•

Opening a Project or Facet Associated with a Story

Opening Projects or Facets
Using projects is a feature of the iNEWS newsroom computer system that provides a way of
categorizing stories by topic so that news teams working on a particular topic can find everything
related to it in a single place, without moving or copying the original source information from its
current location in the iNEWS database. Facets are sub-topics, providing additional granularity
to projects.
In MediaCentral UX, iNEWS projects are listed in the Launch pane. Open a project from the
Launch pane to view each project’s contents in the Assets pane. You open facets and the project’s
queues from the Assets pane.
To open a project:

Double-click the project in the Launch pane.
The project’s contents open in the Assets pane.

To open a facet:

Double-click the facet in the Assets pane.
The facet’s contents open in the Project/Story pane.

The Project/Story Pane
The contents of a project include an ALL queue, a QUERY queue, a BUCKET queue, and any
sub-topics, known as facets. For example, the following illustration shows the Hurricane Earl
project has facets for topics like Damage and Evacuation.

The Project/Story Pane

Every project has an ALL queue that displays in the Queue panel all stories associated with the
project and its facets. Any indexed story can be associated with a project or facet.
Stories associated with a project retain their original source queue location in the iNEWS
database; they do not actually reside in the ALL queue. Stories associated with a project also
retain their original source permissions. For example, a user without read access to a story’s
source queue will not be able to see that story in a project to which its associated, even if the user
has read access to the project.
Every project has a QUERY queue, identified by the magnifying glass icon, which is the search
queue that runs the project’s query. For more information on the icons used to identify projects
and facets, see “Identifying iNEWS Directories, Queues, Projects, and Facets” on page 44.
Every project has a BUCKET queue, which is an indexed queue that acts as the repository for
stories that don’t exist anywhere else in the iNEWS database. A user can copy, create, and delete
stories in the BUCKET queue. All stories in the BUCKET will show up in the ALL queue.

The BUCKET queue was first introduced in version 4.0 of iNEWS. When an iNEWS database is
upgraded to v4.0 from an earlier version, current projects get BUCKET queues; however, these
queues are not yet indexed, which is required for all stories associated with projects and/or
facets. For more information, see the “iNEWS Projects” chapter of the Avid iNEWS Setup and
Configuration Guide.

The Project/Story Pane

The Project/Story pane functions similarly to the Queue/Story pane. It can display either a
project’s facet or a news story associated with that project’s facet. It can also display both at the
same time, as shown in the following illustration:

The title that appears on the pane’s tab changes based on what is selected in the Project/Story
pane.
Two buttons, Project and Story, are located at the top of the pane. Use these buttons to toggle on
or off the display of the project or a story. When toggled on the buttons appear orange.
For example, while viewing a project’s contents, clicking the Story button splits the pane’s
display space to show the project’s contents on the top half and the selected story associated with
that project or facet on the bottom half of the pane. Clicking the Story button again hides the
story and displays only the project’s facet or queue once more.

You cannot have both the Project and Story buttons toggled off simultaneously. When only one is
on and the you click that button, the system automatically toggles it off and toggles the other
button on.
The name on the tab of a Project/Story pane changes based on the story you have selected in the
pane. You can move the mouse pointer over the tab to view the entire path name.
78

Associating Stories with Projects or Facets

When only the facet or one of the project’s queues (ALL, QUERY, or BUCKET) is shown, the
display is called a grid view. When only the story is shown in the pane, the display is called a
story view. And when both are visible, the display is called a split view.
You can use the horizontal dividing line between the grid and story sections of the pane to adjust
the ratio of the split view display within the pane. When you position your mouse pointer over
the dividing line, the pointer changes to a double arrow, letting you click and drag it up or down
to adjust the space allocated to each section of the pane. However, it is not recommended to use
this technique to hide one section of the pane or the other.
The ratio you set is retained when you sign out.

Associating Stories with Projects or Facets
Any indexed story can be associated with a project or facet.
To associate an indexed story with a project or facet.

1. Navigate to and open the indexed queue in which the story resides.
2. Right-click the story in the Queue/Story pane and select Associate Story to Project.
3. In the dialog box, select the projects or facets to which you want the story associated.
4. Click Apply.

Opening a Project or Facet Associated with a Story
In the Project/Story pane, you can open a project that is associated with a story or facet.
To open a project associated with a story:

1. Select a story in the queue section of the Project/Story pane.
2. Click the Pane Menu button and select Projects and the project or facet you want to open.
The project opens in a new Project/Story pane.

4 Building a Script
The following main topics describe the Queue/Story pane and basic techniques of script
building.
•

The Queue/Story Pane

•

Creating a Story

•

Segmenting Stories

•

Writing Stories in Right-to-Left Languages

•

Using Annotation to Dictate a Story

•

Editing a Story

•

Deleting or Recovering a Deleted Story

•

Grouping Stories

•

Ordering a Queue

•

Locking and Unlocking a Story

•

Floating Stories

•

Inserting Script Templates

•

Inserting MOS Placeholders

•

Adding Media to a Story

•

Associating a Sequence with a Story

•

Creating a Text-Only Story Segment

•

Copying and Sending iNEWS Links

•

Recovering Stories

The Queue/Story Pane

The Queue/Story Pane
In MediaCentral UX, you can create iNEWS stories, edit them in the Queue/Story pane, and save
them on an iNEWS server.
The Queue/Story pane can display either an iNEWS queue, such as a show's rundown, or a story
in that queue. The Queue/Story pane can also display both a queue and a story in that queue, as
shown in the following illustration:

q
q

w
w

The Queue section

The Story section, also called the Script Editor

The name on the tab of a Queue/Story pane changes based on the story you select in the pane.
You can move the mouse pointer over the tab to view the entire path name.
81

The Queue/Story Pane

When only the queue is displayed in the pane, the display is called a grid view. When only the
story is shown in the pane, the display is called a story view. When both are visible, the display is
called a split view.
You can use the horizontal dividing line between the queue and story sections of the pane to
adjust the ratio of the split view within the pane. When you position your mouse pointer over the
dividing line, the mouse pointer changes to a double arrow. You can then click and drag the
dividing line up or down to adjust the space allocated to each section of the pane. However, it is
not recommended to use this technique to hide one section of the pane or the other.
The ratio you set is retained when you sign out.

n
n

You cannot enter data in the Queue section.
If you change queue attributes in iNEWS while you are working in MediaCentral UX, you need
to sign out of MediaCentral UX and sign in again to view your changes.”

The Queue/Story Toolbar
The Queue/Story pane includes a toolbar that has buttons that toggle the display within the pane
and provide functions for editing your story.

q
q

w
q

e q
q
r q
t q
y q
uq
i q
oq
1) q
1! q
1@ q
1# g
g
q

Display or Control

Description

Queue

Toggles display of the queue on or off. When toggled on the button is
colored orange.

Story

Toggles display of the Story editor on or off. When toggled on the
button is colored orange.

You cannot have both the Queue and Story buttons
simultaneously toggled off. When only one is on and you click
that button, the system automatically toggles that display off
and the other display on.

Bold

Marks text as bold. See “Editing a Story” on page 90.

Italic

Marks text as italic.

Underline

Marks text as underline.

The Queue/Story Pane

Display or Control

Description

Normal

Sets text as normal. See “Formatting a Script” on page 91

Presenter

Sets text as presenter instructions.

Closed Caption

Sets text as closed-captioning.

Template

Inserts an iNEWS script template. See “Inserting Script Templates” on
page 101

10 Open Sequence

Opens the associated sequence. Use this button to create a new script
sequence or to open one previously created. See “Adding Media to a
Story” on page 102.

11 Refresh

Refreshes the queue.

12 Lock

Locks the story. See “Locking and Unlocking a Story” on page 98

13 Annotation

Dictate text. See “Using Annotation to Dictate a Story” on page 89.

Although the toolbar always appears at the top of the pane, even when only the queue is shown in
the grid view, most of the buttons are used for editing stories, not for modifying the queue.

The Queue/Story Pane

The Script Editor
The section of the pane in which the story appears is called the Script Editor. There are three
sections of the Script Editor: Story Form, Cue List, and Story. The following illustration
identifies these areas.

q
q
r
e

w
w

e
e
1

Story Form

Story (text area)

Cue List

Timing display

At the top of every story is the Story Form, which provides story information in fields that are
predetermined by the iNEWSsystem administrator for each queue in the database. For example,
a form can contain the story’s title (slug), page number, and status. Wire queues usually show
different fields than rundown queues. You can edit fields in the Story Form, depending how they
are configured by the iNEWS system administrator.
You can use the horizontal dividing line between the Story Form and the rest of the sections to
adjust the ratio of the Script Editor display within the pane. You can also choose to hide the Story
Form while still viewing the other sections of the Script Editor.
To hide the Story Form, do one of the following:

Click the Pane Menu button located at the top right corner of the Queue/Story pane and
select Hide Story Form.

Right-click in the Story Form and select Hide Story Form.
84

Creating a Story

To show the Story Form:

Click the Pane Menu button located at the top right corner of the Queue/Story pane and
select Show Story Form.

The Story is the section of the Script Editor in which you write your story or view the text of an
existing story. As you type, your text automatically wraps to the next line when you reach the
end of the current line. A scroll bar at the right side of this area appears when text extends
beyond the bounds of the text area.
The timing display on the right side of the story segment header shows the duration of the text in
the story segment. The duration of the text is based on the read rate that is set in Avid iNEWS.
This number is useful if you create a sequence to accompany your story. See “Editing a
Sequence Associated with a Story” on page 135.
The Cue List is the section of the Script Editor in which you edit production cues and machine
control events, such as those for a character generator (CG). Each cue is numbered within a story,
beginning with one (1). If cues are rearranged in the story, the system renumbers the cues
automatically. The following illustration shows an example of a cue containing a CG event.

Creating a Story
You can create a story in MediaCentral UX or edit a story previously created in
MediaCentral UX or iNEWS. For more information on how to edit existing stories, see “Editing
a Story” on page 90.
When connected to an iNEWS server version 4.0 or higher, you can create a new story in a queue
or a facet. When you create a story in a facet, the story will be associated with that facet and will
live in a special “project bucket.”
You can add an external link to a story, such as a Web URL.

Segmenting Stories

To create a new story:

1. Navigate to the row in which you want the new story to be inserted in the queue.
2. Click the Pane Menu button located at the top right corner of the Queue/Story pane.
3. Select Create Story.
The existing row is pushed down, and a new row is inserted in the queue at that location.
If you are in split view, you can begin writing your story; if not, open the new story by
double-clicking on the new row.
4. Enter the name of your story in the Title field of the Story Form.
5. Enter the text of your story in the first available segment.
6. Click the Pane Menu button located at the top right corner of the Queue/Story pane.
7. Select Save Story to save your changes.

Navigating away from a story in the queue automatically saves any changes made to the story, as
does closing the tab or pane.

Saving a story does not save a sequence associated with a story. You must save the sequence in
the Sequence pane. See “Saving a Sequence” on page 130.
To view an existing story:

Select the story in the queue you want to view and click the Story button to display the story
in the bottom half of the Queue/Story pane.

To open an existing story to story view:

Double-click a story in the queue.

Select the story in the queue and click the Queue button.
This toggles off the display of the queue in the Queue/Story pane and displays the story
within the entire pane’s space.

Segmenting Stories
You can write a story in a single segment or divide it into multiple segments. The following
illustration shows a story in a single segment.

Segmenting Stories

You can use segments to time the text and integrate it with video, audio, and production cues.
See “Adding Media to a Story” on page 102. Multiple timed segments are combined to form the
overall story. The following illustration shows the same story as the one in the previous example,
but written as a segmented story.

You can add or delete segments, split a segment in two, and rearrange segments within a story.

Writing Stories in Right-to-Left Languages

To add a segment to a story:

Click in the segment marked NEW located at the bottom of the story and begin typing. See
the previous illustration for an example.

To split a segment in two:

1. Position the cursor in the story where you want to split the text into two segments.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click and select Split Segment.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Split Segment.

Press Ctrl+] (Windows) or Command+] (Macintosh).

To rearrange segments in a story:

Click the header bar of the segment you want to move and drag it up or down into its new
location.

When you rearrange segments, any production cues or machine control events in those segments
are also moved and renumbered as needed.
To delete a segment and the text in the segment:

1. Select the segment.
2. Click the Pane Menu button located at the top right corner of the Queue/Story pane.
3. Select Delete Segment.

Deleting the segment also deletes the text in the segment.

Writing Stories in Right-to-Left Languages
The script editor lets you write stories in right-to-left languages (for example, Arabic and
Hebrew). Alignment of the text changes based on the following rules:
•

Automatic switching to right-to-left alignment:
-

Story segments switch to right-to-left if more than 50 percent of the text consists of
right-to-left characters. To apply the new alignment to a segment, reload the story.

Production cues switch to right-to-left if more than 50 percent of the text in the
production cue body consists of right-to-left characters.

Using Annotation to Dictate a Story

•

Queue grid cells switch to right-to-left and right-aligned if the first character in the cell
is a right-to-left character. If the cell is center-aligned by default, it will remain
center-aligned regardless of cell content.

Manual switching
-

If focus is in any segment, alignment of all segments will be switched. Reloading the
story will return the segment alignment to the default.

If focus is in the production cue body, only the current cue body alignment will be
switched. Reopening the production cue returns cue body alignment to the default.

If focus is in a story form field, only the current story form field alignment will be
switched. Reloading the same story form keeps the current field alignment. Reloading a
different story form returns the field to the default.

To manually switch alignment of the segment that has focus, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+Shift.

Select “Switch to RTL” from the Queue/Story Pane menu. If the story is RTL, select “Switch
to LTR.”

Right-click and select “Switch to RTL.” If the story is RTL, select “Switch to LTR.”

Using Annotation to Dictate a Story
The Annotation feature allows users to dictate their stories, using the Chrome browser's
Speech-to-Text technology.

This feature requires a connection to the Internet, and it is only available on Windows-based
computers with Google Chrome, not Apple computers with the Safari browser.
To use the Annotation feature to write stories:

1. Open a blank story and place your cursor in a segment.
2. Click the Annotate button.

A speech bubble appears below the button, instructing you to begin speaking. The speech
bubble also displays an audio level bar and a Cancel button.

Editing a Story

3. Speak clearly.
If you want sentence punctuation in your text, you can type it in later, or you can say what
punctuation is needed as you speak. For example, if you want the text to be Hello, I’m
Jane Doe., then you would need to say, “Hello comma I’m Jane Doe period.” The system
punctuates contractions for you.
For best results, conduct your dictation in a location without much background noise. When
you finish talking, the system transfers your speech into text starting at your cursor position.

A pause in your speech can stop the annotation. To continue, click to position your cursor and
click the Annotate button.
4. After your text is displayed in the Script Editor, you can edit the text as needed.

Editing a Story
When you modify a story, changes you make in MediaCentral UX are automatically updated in
the iNEWS newsroom computer system. The reverse is also true: changes made to a story at an
iNEWSworkstation are automatically updated if you open the story in MediaCentral UX.
The standard editing features found in MediaCentral UX are the same as those for most word
processing software applications. You can cut, copy, or paste text as you work on a story. When
cutting or copying text, the system stores the text in a temporary storage spot known as a
clipboard; only one block of text can be stored at a time, so whenever you cut or copy something
new, it replaces whatever was previously stored on the clipboard.
You can use cut, copy, and paste to move text within a single story or from one story to another.

Production cues cannot be copied and pasted from one story to another.
You can also change text to a bold or italicized font, and underline selected text within a story,
using keystroke combinations or the toolbar buttons circled in red in the following illustration.

To cut text:

Select the text and press Ctrl+X (Windows) or Command+X (Macintosh).

To copy text:

Select the text and press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Macintosh).

Editing a Story

To paste text:

Select the text and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Macintosh).

To immediately undo the previous editing change, press Ctrl+Z. On a Macintosh, press
Command+Z.
To undo the previous edit, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Macintosh).

Right-click and select Undo.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Undo.

To redo the previous edit, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+Y (Windows) or Command+Y (Macintosh).

Right-click and select Redo.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Undo.

To set text to bold, do one of the following:

Select the text and click the B button.

Select the text and press Ctrl+B (Windows) or Command+B (Macintosh).

To italicize text, do one of the following:

Select the text and click the I button.

Select the text and press Ctrl+I (Windows) or Command+I (Macintosh).

To underline text, do one of the following:

Select the text and click the U button.

Select the text and press Ctrl+U (Windows) or Command+U (Macintosh).

Formatting a Script
When you write a story, the text appears in the normal, the default text style. When you format a
story as a script for a news broadcast, you might need to mark certain text, such as instructions
for presenters or closed captioning.
Presenter instructions are most often used as brief instructions to news presenters (also called
news anchors). The text for presenter instructions appears red in the script, in reverse video on
the teleprompter, and is not included in the text used by the system to calculate the read time.

Editing a Story

Closed captioning is most often used for “sound-bite verbatims.” The text for closed captioning
appears green in the script and is sent to a closed caption encoder if your station uses such a
device to broadcast scripts for the hearing-impaired. Closed captioning text does not appear in
the teleprompter, and it is not included in the calculations of a script’s read time.

The default normal text style is sent to both the teleprompter and to any closed caption encoder
used at the station.
The following procedures use the toolbar buttons circled in red in the following illustration.

To mark text as a normal text:

Select the text and click the N button or press Ctrl+Alt+N (Windows).

To mark text as a presenter instruction:

Select the text and click the P button or press Ctrl+Alt+P (Windows).

To mark text as a closed captioning text:

Select the text and click the CC button or press Ctrl+Alt+C (Windows).

You can click the N, P, or CC buttons before typing your text as well. Any new text you type will
appear in the format you selected. To change the format of the text you type at any time, select
another format.

Adding Production Cues
When you format a story as a script for a news broadcast, you might need to add production cues.
Production cues provide important information to technical staff as well as machine control
commands for devices, such as character generators.
Production cues are added to scripts from the Story area and edited in the Cue List area of the
Script Editor. Each production cue you add is given a numerical value. This number appears in a
black box as a production cue marker in the script, which corresponds to the insertion location of
that production cue’s text box in the Cue List.

Editing a Story

When selected, the production cue marker is colored orange, and the information in the
production cue is visible in the Cue List.
You can copy one or more production cues from one story to another.
To insert a production cue in a script:

1. Position your cursor in the story where you want to insert the production cue marker.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click and select Insert Production Cue.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Insert Production Cue.

Press Alt+Insert (Windows).

3. Enter the production cue information, such as Take VO, On Camera, Take SOT, or Take
Live. The information is automatically saved when you click someplace else in the story.
To move a production cue in a script:

Click the production cue’s marker and drag it to another location within the script.

When production cues are rearranged in a script, the system automatically renumbers them,
beginning with one (1). The same renumbering occurs if new production cues are added or
existing ones are deleted.
To delete a production cue from a script:

Select the production cue and press the Delete key.

Editing a Story

To copy one or more production cues to another story:

1. Open two stories.
2. Click and hold the mouse and select the production cue or cues, or text that includes the
production cues.
3. Press Ctrl+C.
4. Position the insert cursor where you want to insert the production cue or cues.
5. Press Ctrl+V.
If necessary, the production cues are renumbered to fit sequentially into the target story.
You can also drag and drop the production cues from one story to another.

Adding Machine Control Instructions
If your station integrates with a broadcast control system, such as iNEWS Command, the
production cues might include machine control instructions.
These instructions must be preceded by an asterisk (*) and written in a special format, beginning
with a command for the type of device the instruction is for, such as CG for a character
generator. After the command the format specifies a particular item or template, such as 2line for
a template that contains two lines for fulfillment data. If additional comments or information is
required it would follow on succeeding lines in the same production cue text box.
In the following procedure, a machine control instruction for a 2-line character generator graphic
is used as an example.
To add machine control instructions for a CG event:

1. Insert a production cue in the script.
2. In the production cue text box (in the Cue List), type *CG 2line and press Enter.
3. Type the first line of text that should appear on the 2-line CG graphic, such as Mayor Joe
Smith. Press Enter.
4. Type the second line of text that should appear on the 2-line CG graphic, such as
Pleasantville.
Your CG machine control instruction will appear in blue font.

Deleting or Recovering a Deleted Story

Adding a Primary Machine Control Instruction
The machine control event associated with the Story Form, by default, takes precedence over
other machine control commands put into a script, when the event list is generated by the
iNEWS monitor server. If you want the machine control event associated with the Story Form to
appear in a position other than first in the event list, you can insert a placeholder in the Story. The
system then inserts the Story Form machine control event at that location in the event list. You
can insert one primary machine control instruction cue. Only one is allowed in any given story.
Like other machine control instructions, the instructions you type must be preceded by an
asterisk (*) and written in a special format, beginning with a command for the type of device the
instruction is for, such as CG for a character generator.
To insert a primary production cue:

1. Position your cursor in the story where you want to insert the production cue marker.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click and select Insert Primary Cue.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Insert Primary Cue.

A production cue labeled *Primary is created.

Deleting or Recovering a Deleted Story
When an iNEWSstory is deleted, it is sent to a folder labeled Dead (the Dead queue), from which
an administrator can retrieve it for a limited amount of time. This time frame is pre-determined
based on a purge interval set for that queue by each site’s system administrator.
To delete a story:

1. Select the story.
2. Click the Pane Menu button located at the top right corner of the Queue/Story pane.
3. Select Delete Story.

Grouping Stories

Grouping Stories
You can group stories within a queue to link them together. For example, a producer might want
to link a presenter’s intro and tag before and after a reporter’s package as a story group within a
rundown. When stories in a queue can be grouped, a Story Group column appears as the second
column in the Queue panel located next to first column of selector buttons.

You can only create groups from contiguous stories.
The following illustration shows two story groups: the first with three stories about a gun ban,
and the second with two stories about education.

After you create a group, you can move the group together within a queue. You can also create
stories within an existing group or remove them from a story group.
To create a group from existing stories:

1. In the Queue/Story pane, shift+click to select two or more consecutive stories.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click and select Create Story Group.

Click the Pane Menu button, and select Create Story Group.

Press Ctrl+Alt+G.

To add a story or stories to an existing group, do one of the following:

Position your cursor within the group and create a new story. Creating a new story between
rows of a group adds the new story to that group.

Drag a story or a selection of stories and drop them between the rows of a group.

Ordering a Queue

If the story you want to add is located in the row directly above or below the group to which
you want to add it, select it along with the story group, then right-click and select Create
Story Group.

To remove a story from a story group, do the following:

Select the story, and then drag it to a new location in the queue.

To move a story group:

1. In the Queue/Story panel, click any square within the Story Group column to select the
group.
2. Drag and drop the group into its new location within the queue.
You can drag and drop a story group anywhere within a single queue or from one queue to
another in a different workspace and group associations are retained.
To ungroup a group of stories, do one of the following:

In the Queue/Story panel, right-click any story within the group and select Dissolve Story
Group.

Click the Pane Menu button, and select Dissolve Story Group.

Press Ctrl+Alt+V.

Ordering a Queue
As the stories in a rundown queue develop, the order in which they are presented in the newscast
can change. Only individuals with the proper permissions to order queues (usually a member of
the production staff) can do so.
Users with ordering privileges can select and move stories to change their sequence within a
queue. You can select one or multiple stories, and you can reorder the rundown by dragging the
stories to a new position and dropping them in the new location. An ordered queue can also be
locked to prevent changes to the story sequence.
You can also hold the Ctrl key down as you drag a story to copy it from one location to another or
from one queue to another. For more information, see “Copying Stories” on page 98.
To order a queue:

1. Open the queue you want to order.
For more information, see “Navigating the iNEWS Database” on page 46.
2. Select the story you want to order. Ctrl+click to select multiple stories, or Shift+click to
select a range of stories.
3. With the stories selected, drag the stories and drop them at the new location.
97

Copying Stories

A line indicator shows the intended new order, and the repositioned stories appear in their
new place within the queue when you release the mouse pointer.

Copying Stories
You can copy stories from one location in a queue to another or from one queue to a second
queue, including different queues within an iNEWS Community configuration. If you run a
search of iNEWS stories, you can copy stories from the search results to an open queue.
To copy a story from one location to another, do one of the following:

Select the story you want to copy and press the Ctrl key as you drag it to another location in
the queue.

Open two queues in separate tabs, then select the story you want to copy from the first queue
and press the Ctrl key as you drag it to the second tab and another location in the second
queue.
A copied story appears in the new place in the queue or in a new queue.

Select a story from the search results in the Search pane, and press the Ctrl key as you drag it
to another location in an open queue.

Locking and Unlocking a Story
The iNEWS newsroom computer system has multiple types of locks, such as edit locks,
segmented edit locks, easy locks and key locks. Locking a story makes it impossible for another
unauthorized person to change a story while you are working in it. If a story is edit locked by

Locking and Unlocking a Story

another user, you can still navigate to that story and view it, but a warning message appears if
you attempt to edit the story. The warning message states: Unable to obtain edit lock.
Story is currently locked by another user.

Segmented edit locking allows for one user to change Story Form data while another user has a
lock on the story’s text and cue list. This is beneficial for producers who might need to make
modifications in the Story Form section of the Script Editor while a reporter is still working on
the body of the story itself.
Easy locks and key locks can only be applied to a story from an iNEWSworkstation, but the
security measures are honored within MediaCentral UX. With easy lock, an iNEWSuser locks
the story to his or her user name, so that only that user or an iNEWSsystem administrator can
access it. If any other user attempts to open an easy-locked story from MediaCentral UX, they
will be denied viewing or editing access to the story. Likewise, an iNEWSuser key locks a story
by applying a password so that only those who know the password can view or edit the story. If a
MediaCentral UX user attempts to open a key-locked story, the system will prompt that user for
the password.

System administrators cannot supersede the edit lock of another user from
MediaCentral UX. However, neither the easy locking feature nor the key locking feature
apply to iNEWSsystem administrators. They can access any easy- or key-locked story in
the iNEWSdatabase at any time.
To lock a story, do one of the following:

Begin typing in the body of the story. An edit lock is automatically applied to the story body.

Click the Lock/Unlock button in the toolbar. An edit lock is manually applied to the story
body.
When you have a story locked, the Lock/Unlock button is colored orange.

To lock the Story Form, do the following:

Begin typing in any field in the Story Form of a story. The segmented edit lock is
automatically applied.

To unlock a story, do one of the following:

Navigate to another story in the queue. The story you edited is automatically saved and
unlocked.

Click the Lock/Unlock button.

Floating Stories

If you click the Unlock button, a confirmation dialog box appears stating the following:
Story has been modified. Do you want to save it before unlocking?

Choose Yes to save it and then unlock the story, No to unlock the story without saving
modifications, or Cancel to return to the story with the edit lock still in place.
Navigating between the Story Form section of the Script Editor to the Story or Cue List
sections releases any segmented edit lock you have on the Story Form. The reverse does the
same for any edit lock you might have on the story body. All changes you made while
having either lock are saved by the system before the locks are released.

Floating Stories
When you are unsure where in a rundown you want to place a story or whether you want to keep
it in the rundown at all, you can float the story. Floating a story keeps it in the queue but removes
the story’s time from the show timing, causing it to be ignored by machine control and the
network prompters.
To float a story:

1. Open the queue containing the story with which you want to work.
For more information, see “Editing a Story” on page 90.
2. Click a story to select it. Ctrl+click to select multiple stories, or Shift+click to select a range
of stories.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Float button in the toolbar.

Right+click and select Float.

Press Alt+F.

Click the Pane menu and select Float.

The story you chose is now floating, or removed from the show’s timing. The Float button is
highlighted, and the floated story displays blue text in the queue.

100

Inserting Script Templates

4. To add the story time back to the rundown, click the Float button again or right+click and
select Unfloat.

Inserting Script Templates
Script templates are templates created by an administrator for you to use to quickly insert
predefined text and segments into stories. For example, if a daily weather story in a show has a
standard set of production cues and presenter instructions that are always the same, an
administrator can create a script template that contains this information. The template can then
be made available to MediaCentral UX users to insert within new stories they write for
subsequent shows.
Script templates are inserted at the current cursor position of an opened story.
To insert a script template:

1. Position your cursor in the story body where you want to insert the template information.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Template button in the toolbar.

Right-click and select Insert Script Template.

Press Ctrl+Shift+I.

3. Select the template you want to use from the list by double-clicking on it.

If you already know the name of the template you want, you can also type it in the Search field
and press Enter.

101

Inserting MOS Placeholders

Inserting MOS Placeholders
You can create a placeholder item for a third-party MOS device in an iNEWS story, in either the
story form or as a story’s production cue. To add it to the story form, the story form must be
capable of including MOS information.

The iNEWS server must be running iNEWS v4.0.3 or later.
To insert a MOS object placeholder:

1. Position your cursor in one of the following places:
-

In a segment in the Story editor.

In any field in the Story form.

2. Click the Pane Menu button and select Insert Placeholder.
The Create MOS Object Placeholder dialog box opens.
3. Select a device name and enter a title. Optionally, enter a description.
4. Press OK.
The new MOS object placeholder appears as a production cue in the Story editor and the
Cue List, or in the MOS-Title field.
The MOS device user can later update the placeholder with a real ID and object by turning
on or loading the monitor server. The MOS Gateway will then return data back to iNEWS
and MediaCentral UX in the production cue.

Adding Media to a Story
If you want to add media to your story, you need to create a video sequence that is associated
with the story. To create a sequence, click the Open Sequence button in the Queue/Story pane
toolbar. You also use this button to open a sequence that you already associated with a story. You
then edit the sequence in the Sequence pane. For more information, see “Using the Sequence
Pane” on page 112 and “Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story” on page 135.
You can set an option to automatically load a sequence associated with a story. Select Home >
User Settings > iNEWS > Autoload Sequence.
The following illustration shows the Open Sequence button and a sequence that is associated
with a story.

102

Associating a Sequence with a Story

Saving a story does not save a sequence associated with a story. You must save the sequence in
the Sequence pane. See “Saving a Sequence” on page 130

Associating a Sequence with a Story
In addition to using MediaCentral UX to create a new sequence for a story (see “Creating an
Interplay | Production Sequence” on page 124), you can associate an existing sequence with an
iNEWS story. This lets you create a video sequence in MediaCentral UX or in Media Composer,
and then later associate it with a story in the iNEWS database. You can associate only one
sequence with a story, which then transfers metadata — such as the information in the fields of
the iNEWS story form — from the story to the existing sequence. For example, when you
associate a sequence with a story, you can transfer the data from the Video ID field for the story
to the Tape ID column for the sequence. When you then send the sequence to playback,
MediaCentral UX automatically sends the correct ID information to the playback device.

If the story does not have a story (slug) name, the sequence name is used as the story name.
You can associate a sequences with only one story. If you try to associate a sequence with a story
that is already associated with another story, a dialog box asks you if you want to duplicate the
sequence. If you duplicate the sequence, a second sequence is created with a new sequence
name: [sequence_name].duplicate. You can move the new sequence to another folder, and the
sequence maintains its association.
103

Associating a Sequence with a Story

If you associate a sequence with a story that already has a sequence associated with it, you can
overwrite the existing association with the new sequence.
You can update the timing field for a story when you associate a sequence with it so that the
duration of a story matches the duration of the sequence. If you unassociate a sequence from a
story, the duration of the story returns to its original value. The following table illustrates the
effect associating a sequence with a story has on the story timing.
Story Duration Value

Sequence Duration Value

Selected Timing Field Result

1 minute

2 minutes

1 minute

You can also use the Tape-ID of a sequence to update an iNEWS frame field, or use an iNEWS
frame field to supply the value of a sequence Tape-ID if none exists. You set these options in the
iNEWS group of the System Settings.
The following table provides an example of how this setting affects the metadata for associated
sequences.
Sequence TapeID
Value

Associated iNEWS
field Value

Sequence TapeID
Result

Associated iNEWS
field Result

empty

ID-456

ID-123

empty

ID-123

ID-456

ID-123

You cannot associate a sequence with a locked story, and you must have write permissions to the
story in order to associate a sequence.
To set options for associating sequences with stories:

1. Sign in to MediaCentral UX as an administrator.
2. Select System Settings from the Layout selector.
The System Settings layout opens.
3. In the Settings pane select iNEWS.
The Details pane displays the iNEWS settings.

104

Associating a Sequence with a Story

4. To specify how the timing field is updated, click the Timing field menu in the Details pane
and select one of the following:
AUDIO-TIME

This field displays the estimated read time for a story. Unless specified
manually, the estimated time is based on the length of the story and
presenter’s read rate. If there is also a TAPE-TIME field in the story form, the
system adds the TAPE-TIME to the AUDIO-TIME to calculate the story’s
total time.

TAPE-TIME

If there is an AUDIO-TIME field, the system adds tape time to audio time to
calculate the story’s total time.

MOS-DURATION

This field is required to allow duration information from MOS or CAP events
to be included in calculations for CUME-TIME, BACK-TIME or
TOTAL-TIME fields. The contents of MOS-DURATION field are only used
if a RUNS-TIME field is present in the story.

DURATION

This field can be used to store manually entered, suggested duration. The
value is not used for time calculation in any other fields.

For more information on these options, see “Form Field Types and Definitions” in the Avid
iNEWS Setup and Configuration Guide.
5. To specify which iNEWS field you want to use to update the sequence Tape-ID metadata
field, type the appropriate field name in the Tape-ID text box.
6. Click Apply to save your new settings or click Revert to replace changed information with
the previously saved settings.

105

Associating a Sequence with a Story

To associate a sequence with a story:

You cannot undo this action. If you want to associate a different sequence with your story, select
a new sequence and repeat the procedure.
The new sequence becomes an associated sequence.
To associate a sequence with more than one story:

1. Open your story in the Queue/Story pane.
2. Open the sequence in the Interplay database that you want to associate with your story.
3. Drag the sequence from the Media pane, the Asset pane, or the results list in the Search
pane, and then drop it on your iNEWS story.
A dialog box opens and asks if you want to create a duplicate sequence.
4. Click Yes to create a duplicate sequence.
A duplicated sequence is created in the same folder as the original sequence, and it becomes
an associated sequence.
To associate a different sequence with a story:

1. Open your story in the Queue/Story pane.
2. Open the new sequence in the Interplay database that you want to associate with your story.

106

Creating a Text-Only Story Segment

3. Drag the sequence from the Media pane, the Asset pane, or the results list in the Search
pane, and then drop it on your iNEWS story.
A dialog box opens and asks if you want to override the existing associated sequence with
the new one.
4. Click Yes.
The new sequence replaces the old associated sequence.
To remove the associated sequence from a story, do one of the following:

Right-click the story in the queue, and then select Unassociate Sequence.

Select the story in the queue, click the Pane Menu button, and select Unassociate Sequence.

Creating a Text-Only Story Segment
For some news stories, you might need to create a story segment that is not associated with video
in the story. For example, a story might include presenter text before the video starts.
MediaCentral UX v2.1.2 and later lets you create a story segment that does not display a
corresponding timing block in the sequence.
You can create more than one text-only story segment in a sequence.

You cannot disconnect a story segment if the corresponding timing block contains video. The
menu option is grayed out.
To create a text-only story segment:

1. Create a story segment. You can place it anywhere in the story. You can include the text now
or later.
A corresponding timing block is created in the sequence.
2. In the Sequence pane, right-click the header of the new timing block and select “Disconnect
Story Segment.”

107

Creating a Text-Only Story Segment

The timing block is removed from the sequence.
If you extend a video or audio segment into a timing block that was removed, the timing
block is displayed.
To reconnect text-only story segments:

Click the Sequence Pane menu button and select “Reconnect Story Segments.”
This action displays any timing blocks that were previously removed.

Any changes you make to the sequence are saved with the sequence. If you disconnect a story
segment and save the sequence, the next time you open the sequence the story segment will still
be disconnected.

108

Copying and Sending iNEWS Links

Copying and Sending iNEWS Links
You can copy and send links to stories, queues, iNEWS folders, iNEWS facets, and iNEWS
projects. These links are in URL format and can be shared through e-mail, wikis, documents, or
chat messages. The links are valid as long as the item exists in the iNEWS database.
When you click an iNEWS link or paste it into the address bar of a supported browser,
MediaCentral UX opens with the correct layout and asset selection. If you are not signed in, the
sign-in screen is displayed. After signing in, the link target is displayed.
You can select Copy Link or Copy Container Link. Copy Link creates a link to the selected item,
and Copy Container Link creates a link to the item that holds the selected item.
To create a URL for an iNEWS link from the Asset pane, do one of the following:

In an iNEWS list, right-click an item and select Copy Link.

In an iNEWS list, select an item, click the Pane Menu button, and select Copy Link or Copy
Container Link.

To create a URL for an iNEWS link from the Queue/Story pane or the Project/Story pane,
do one of the following:

Right-click an item and select Copy Link.

Select an item, click the Pane Menu button, and select Copy Link or Copy Container Link.

To create a URL for an iNEWS project link from the Launch pane, do one of the following:

Right-click an item and select Copy Link.

Select an item, click the Pane Menu button, and select Copy Link.

In all cases, a popup dialog box opens with a URL that is already selected for copying. Press
Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Macintosh) to copy the link, then use Ctrl+V (Windows) or
Command+V (Macintosh) to paste the link.

109

Recovering Stories

Recovering Stories
When you work in MediaCentral UX, the state of your story is stored on your local Windows or
Macintosh system every 10 seconds. This feature is helpful in case of a disconnection or service
failure, or if you close a browser session without saving your work. This feature is also helpful if
your administrator sets an automatic session timeout.
Edits made during the last ten seconds cannot be recovered.

For information about recovering sequences, see “Recovering Sequences” on page 131.
You can recover your unsaved changes in several different ways:
•

If a disconnection or failure occurs and you remain signed in, the editing functions of the
Queue/Story pane are deactivated, and the Auto Recovery dialog box is displayed, as
described below.

•

If the disconnection or failure results in the need to sign in again, a dialog box is displayed
that lists assets with unsaved changes.

Click the name of the asset to open the last saved version. If the asset is a story, the
Queue/Story pane displays three additional buttons:
-

Recovered: Click this button to open the recovery file (from the local system).

Last Saved: Click this button to open the last saved file (from the Interplay Production
database).

Keep This: Click this button to save the version that you display and delete the other
version.

110

Recovering Stories

If the story includes a script sequence, and the Sequence pane is open, these buttons are
displayed on the Sequence pane.
You can switch back and forth between versions to compare them, and click the Keep This
button when you decide which version to keep.
•

n
n

If you close the Auto Recovery dialog box without selecting an asset, you can select
Auto-Recovered Assets from the Queue/Story pane menu to display the Auto Recovery
dialog. This option appears only if auto-recovered assets are available.

This feature works similarly for stories and sequences. For specific information about auto-save
for sequences, see “Recovering Sequences” on page 131.
If your browser crashes, but the MediaCentral UX session and iNEWS session are still active,
iNEWS stories are locked for five minutes. You will not be able to edit or restore the story unless
the lock is released or the MediaCentral UX and iNEWS sessions end. You can ask your
MediaCentral UX administrator to end the MediaCentral UX session, which will release the
lock.

111

5 Using the Sequence Pane
The following main topics describe the Sequence pane and how to use it:
•

Displaying the Sequence Pane

•

The Sequence Pane

•

Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences

•

Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline

•

Using the Sequence Zoom Bar

•

Viewing Sequence Information

•

Creating a Sequence

•

Saving a Sequence

•

Saving a Version of a Sequence

•

Recovering Sequences

•

Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane

•

Opening a Sequence Associated with a Story

•

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

•

Editing a Sequence

Displaying the Sequence Pane
The Sequence pane is displayed in the default Cut, Log, and Story layouts. It is displayed with a
horizontal timeline in the Cut and Log layouts, and with a vertical timeline in the Story layout.
You can change the orientation if you prefer (see “Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline”
on page 118).
To display the Sequence pane:

Select Panes > Sequence.
The Sequence pane opens in the mode and orientation in which it was set when you signed
out of the application.

The Sequence Pane

The Sequence Pane
The Sequence pane includes the Sequence Timeline and controls that let you edit a sequence.
You can work with one of two Sequence Timelines: basic or advanced. See “Understanding
Basic and Advanced Sequences” on page 116.
You can display the Sequence pane with a vertical timeline or a horizontal timeline.
The following illustration shows the two timelines and two orientations and identifies the
controls.

1! 1@

1# 1$1%

q
q
w
w
e
e
r
e
t
e
y
e
u
e
i
e
o
e
1)
e

Left: Vertical timeline for an advanced sequence. Right: Horizontal timeline for a basic sequence.

Control

Description

Sequence Pane tab

Move the mouse pointer over the tab to display
information about the sequence. See “Viewing
Sequence Information” on page 122.

Add Video Dissolve button

Adds a video dissolve (advanced sequence only).
See “Inserting Video Dissolves (Advanced
Sequences Only)” on page 176.

Split button

Divides one or more segments into two at the
position indicator. See “Splitting a Segment” on
page 174.

113

The Sequence Pane

Control

Description

Overwrite button

Performs an overwrite edit. See “Performing an
Overwrite Edit in a Basic Sequence” on page 151
and “Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced
Sequence” on page 154.

Replace button

Performs a replace edit. See “Performing a Replace
Edit” on page 158.

Delete Segment button

Deletes the selected segment from the sequence. See
“Moving or Deleting Segments in the Timeline” on
page 164.

Audio pane button

Opens the Audio pane or brings it to the front.

Save button

Saves the sequence in the Interplay Production or
Interplay MAM database. See “Saving a Sequence”
on page 130.

Extend/Retract button

(Script sequence only) Extends a segment beyond
the boundary of a timing block or retracts it. See
“Extending a Segment into Another Timing Block”
on page 142.

Show/Hide Empty Timing Blocks

(Script sequence only) Shows or hides empty timing
blocks. See “Showing and Hiding Empty Timing
Blocks” on page 144.

Sequence zoom bar

Lets you enlarge a section of the timeline. Displays
segments, tracks, and other sequence information.
See “Using the Sequence Zoom Bar” on page 119.

Track selectors

Lets you select the track for an insert edit, an
overwrite edit, or a split segment operation
(advanced sequence only). See

Timecode bar

•

“Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced
Sequence” on page 150

•

“Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced
Sequence” on page 154

•

“Splitting a Segment” on page 174

Displays timing for the sequence in hours, minutes,
and seconds, depending on the length of the loaded
asset. Click in the timecode bar to drag the position
indicator, Right-click in the timecode bar to access
certain commands.

114

The Sequence Pane

Control

Description

Timing block header

(Script sequence only) Displays the duration of the
media currently contained in the timing block and
the duration of the text in the associated story
segment. See “Working with Timing Displays” on
page 138.

Pane Menu button

Provides options for working with sequences.

Position indicator

Lets you scrub through a clip or sequence.

Lock button

Lets you manually lock a sequence to prevent other
users from editing the same sequence. See “Locking
a Basic Sequence (Interplay | MAM)” on page 148.

The following table describes the items in the Pane menu.
Menu Item

Description

Undo

Undoes the previous edit. See “Undoing and
Redoing an Action in the Sequence Pane” on
page 164.

Redo

Redoes the next previously undone edit.

Save As

Lets you rename and save a sequence in a different
location. See “Saving a Version of a Sequence” on
page 131.

Save Sequence

Saves the sequence in its current location in the
Interplay Production or Interplay MAM database.
See “Saving a Sequence” on page 130.

Insert Dissolve

Inserts a video dissolve (advanced sequence only).
See “Inserting Video Dissolves (Advanced
Sequences Only)” on page 176.

Split

Divides one or more segments into two at the
position indicator. See “Splitting a Segment” on
page 174.

Delete

Deletes the selected item (segment or effect).

Modify Start Timecode

See “Modifying the Start Timecode” on page 178.

Hide/Show Empty Timing Blocks

(Script segment only) Shows or hides empty timing
blocks. See “Showing and Hiding Empty Timing
Blocks” on page 144.
115

Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences

Menu Item

Description

Sequence Mixdown

Sends a sequence to mixdown. See “Transcoding
Assets” on page 215.

Audio Scrubbing

Enables or disables audio scrubbing. A check mark
shows that audio scrubbing is enabled. See
“Enabling Audio Scrubbing” on page 178.

Orientation

Lets you select the orientation of the timeline and
toolbar: horizontal or vertical. See “Selecting a
Horizontal or Vertical Timeline” on page 118.

Help

Opens a Help topic that describes the Sequence
pane and its functions.

The Sequence pane does not include commands to create a new sequence.
You cannot add clips to the timeline until you have created or loaded a sequence. See “Creating a
Sequence” on page 123.

Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences
When you create a sequence from the Assets pane, you can choose whether to create a basic
sequence or an advanced sequence. Interplay Production supports basic sequences and advanced
sequences. Interplay MAM supports only basic sequences.
•

A basic sequence includes a timeline with one video track and one audio track. The single
audio track represents all source audio tracks. A portion of media that is contained on a track
in a sequence is called a segment. The following illustration shows a basic sequence with one
video segment and one audio segment.

116

Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences

A basic sequence consists of cuts only. It is sometimes referred to as a shotlist or a cut list,
or, in an Interplay MAM context, as an EDL (Edit Decision List). You cannot add video
dissolves or audio dissolves to a basic sequence.
All source audio tracks in the clips that compose a sequence are monitored in a single audio
meter. You can select which channels are monitored. See “Audio Monitoring for Assets and
Basic Sequences” on page 225.

•

Interplay MAM supports audio-only basic sequences, which contain one audio track but
no video track (see “Audio-Only Basic Sequences (Interplay | MAM)” on page 129). It
does not support video-only basic sequences.

Interplay Production does not support audio-only or video-only basic sequences.

An advanced sequence includes a timeline with one video track. By default it includes three
audio tracks, named NAT (natural sound), SOT (sound on tape), and VO (voice-over) for use
with iNEWS stories. You can create a sequence that is associated with an iNEWS story, or
you can create and edit an independent sequence.
Different colors for segments in the timeline indicate relationships between the segments:
-

Video without associated audio: dark blue

Video with associated NAT, or NAT only: green

Video with associated SOT, Video with associated NAT and SOT, or SOT only: light
blue

VO: purple

The following illustration shows, from left to right, Video with NAT and SOT, VO, Video
with NAT, and Video only.

117

Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline

An administrator can rename the audio track labels. An administrator also determines the
audio track mapping, which you can change. For information on renaming, mapping, and
configuring audio tracks, and adding audio dissolves, see “Working with Audio Tracks in
Advanced Sequences” on page 228.
You can add video dissolves to an advanced sequence. See “Inserting Video Dissolves
(Advanced Sequences Only)” on page 176. Audio dissolves are added automatically. See
“Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences” on page 228.
Interplay Production supports audio-only and video-only advanced sequences. See
“Audio-Only and Video-Only Advanced Sequences (Interplay | Production)” on page 128.
When you create a sequence from the Queue/Story pane, the sequence is automatically created
as an advanced sequence.

n
n

You cannot convert a basic sequence to an advanced sequence, or an advanced sequence to a
basic sequence.
The ability to create advanced sequences in Interplay Production depends on the role you are
assigned, and the license assigned to that role. Contact your MediaCentral UX administrator for
more information. Interplay MAM supports only basic sequences.

Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline
You can display the Sequence pane with a vertical timeline or a horizontal timeline. You can
change the orientation to your preference and the selection will be saved until you change it or
reset your layout.
You can select Auto to have the orientation determined by the dimensions of the Timeline area of
the Sequence pane:
•

If the horizontal size is larger than the vertical size, the Sequence pane is displayed with a
horizontal timeline.

•

If the vertical size is larger than the horizontal size, the Sequence pane is displayed with a
vertical timeline.

To select the orientation of the timeline:

Click the Sequence Pane Menu button, select Orientation, and select Auto, Horizontal, or
Vertical.

118

Using the Sequence Zoom Bar

Using the Sequence Zoom Bar
The Sequence zoom bar is located below the Sequence Timeline for horizontal orientation or to
the left of the timeline for vertical orientation. You can use the zoom bar to enlarge a section of
the Sequence Timeline so that you can work more easily with long sequences or make precise
edit decisions.

The Sequence zoom bar is similar to the Media zoom bar, but the two zoom bars operate
independently. The Media zoom bar is available to loggers who do not have access to the
Sequence pane.
In the following illustration, the top timeline shows a basic sequence with the zoom bar set to
show the entire sequence. The bottom timeline shows the sequence zoomed in to the middle
portion of the sequence.

q
q
w
w
e
e

r
r

Zoom bar

Zoom slider

Zoom region

Position indicator

Edit points

t
r

The visible area of the timeline is referred to as the zoom region and is represented by the zoom
slider. You can drag the zoom slider along the zoom bar to display a different zoom region
anywhere in the sequence. The zoom region remains the same size as you drag the slider.
If a basic sequence is loaded in the Sequence pane, the zoom bar displays tick marks for edit
points between segments.
119

Using the Sequence Zoom Bar

The zoom bar includes a position indicator that matches the position indicator in the Sequence
Timeline and the Media Timeline. This position indicator is always visible in the zoom bar,
which is useful when you are zoomed in to a section of the timeline that does not include the
timeline position indicator.

Position indicator in zoom bar but not in zoom region.

You can click the position indicator in the zoom bar and jump to its counterpart in the timeline.
The zoom region moves to and enlarges the section of the timeline that includes the position
indicator.

Position indicator in the zoom bar and in the zoom region.

You can click anywhere in the zoom bar to move the zoom region left or right.
With an advanced sequence loaded, the zoom bar displays a representation of the sequence as a
set of colored bars. This representation is a “mini-map” that matches the content of the video and
audio tracks of the sequence. These colored bars can help you navigate through the sequence.

120

Using the Sequence Zoom Bar

The zoom bar displays colored bars that match the content of the tracks in the sequence.

To zoom in to or out from a section of the Sequence Timeline, do one of the following:

Drag a zoom slider handle in or out. The mouse pointer changes to a double-headed arrow
when you hover over a zoom slider handle and select it.

Zoom slider handles, right handle selected.

The zoom region moves in or out symmetrically unless one end reaches the end of the
sequence. If you want to drag only one end, Alt+click the handle and drag it.
t

With the Sequence pane active, press the Down Arrow key to zoom in by 50 percent or press
the Up Arrow key to zoom out by 50 percent. Press Shift+Up Arrow to reset the zoom level
to show the entire sequence.

121

Viewing Sequence Information

Viewing Sequence Information
You can view the sequence name, format, and other details about the sequence loaded in the
Sequence pane.
To view sequence information:

Move the mouse pointer over the Sequence pane’s tab.

The following table describes the information you can view for Interplay Production sequences.
Item

Description

Name

The asset name as listed in the Interplay Production
database.

Format

30i NTSC
25i PAL, 25p PAL
720p/25, 720p/29.97, 720p/50, 720p/59.94
1080i/59.94, 1080i/50
1080p/25, 1080p/29.97

Aspect ratio

4:3
16:9

Raster Dimensions:

720x486
720x592
1280x720
1920x1080

The following table describes the information you can viewfor Interplay MAM basic sequences.
Item

Description

Name

The basic sequence name as listed in the Interplay
MAM database.

Type

Type of sequence: Video or Audio. Defined when
you create the sequence and cannot be changed.

Frame Rate

Frame rate of a video sequence or sample rate of an
audio sequence. Defined when you create the
sequence.

Sample Rate

122

Creating a Sequence

Item

Description

Rights

Usage right of the sequence:
Free for use
Not evaluated so far
Parts need to be licensed
Contains restricted parts
The usage right for the entire sequence is
determined by the most restrictive usage right for a
segment in the sequence.

Duration

Calculated automatically when you add or remove
segments, or change the segment length.

No of Segments

Calculated automatically when you add or remove
segments.

Note

Is shown when you open a read-only basic
sequence; informs you why the sequence is
read-only: due to Interplay MAM access rules or
because it represents an external sequence.

Creating a Sequence
You can create a sequence in MediaCentral UX and save it as an asset in the Interplay Production
or Interplay MAM database. You can also create a sequence and associate it with an iNEWS
story. In this case the sequence is referred to as a script sequence.
Note the following:
•

You must create a sequence and load it into the Sequence pane before you can add clips to
the Sequence Timeline.

•

You can open and edit some types of sequences created in another Avid application. See
“Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane” on page 133.

•

Interplay Production sequences you create in MediaCentral UX can be opened and edited in
Avid Symphony, Media Composer, and NewsCutter. Interplay Production basic sequences
(shotlists) can also be opened and edited in Interplay Assist.
Interplay MAM basic sequences can be opened and edited in Interplay MAM Desktop.

•

The ability to create advanced sequences in Interplay Production depends on the role you are
assigned, and the license assigned to that role. Contact your MediaCentral UX administrator
for more information. Interplay MAM supports only basic sequences.
123

Creating a Sequence

•

For Interplay Production sequences, the video format is determined by the first clip that you
add to the sequence. Any additional clips must match the initial video format. There is a
special case when you record a voice-over before adding video. See “Recording a
Voice-over” on page 236.

•

For Interplay MAM sequences, the target frame rate is defined when the basic sequence is
created but you can add clips with a differing frame rate.

See the following topics:
•

“Creating an Interplay | Production Sequence” on page 124

•

“Rules for Creating a Script Sequence (Interplay | Production)” on page 127

•

“Sequences Associated with Stories in Instinct and NewsCutter” on page 127

•

“Audio-Only and Video-Only Advanced Sequences (Interplay | Production)” on page 128

•

“Creating an Interplay | MAM Sequence” on page 128

•

“Audio-Only Basic Sequences (Interplay | MAM)” on page 129

Creating an Interplay | Production Sequence
There are several ways to create an Interplay Production sequence:

•

Create a sequence in the Interplay Production database without loading it in the Sequence
pane, or with the Sequence pane closed. Use this procedure to create a “placeholder”
sequence for later editing.

•

Create a sequence, edit it in the Sequence pane, and save it. Use this procedure to create a
sequence independently from an iNEWS story.

•

Create a sequence that is associated with an iNEWS story, edit it in the Sequence pane, and
save it.

For more information on associating sequences with iNEWS stories, see “Associating a
Sequence with a Story” on page 103.
To create a sequence in the Interplay Production database:

1. In the Assets tab, navigate into the folder in which you want to create the sequence.

Selecting a folder does not create a sequence in the folder.
2. From the Assets pane tab, select Create Basic Sequence or Create Advanced Sequence.
When the process is finished, a sequence named New.Sequence is displayed in the Assets
pane and highlighted in orange. (You might need to scroll down to see it.) If there is already
a sequence named New.Sequence, .01 is appended to the sequence name, and incremented
for each unnamed new sequence (New.Sequence.02, and so on).
124

Creating a Sequence

The sequence name is grayed out and in italics until online media is added to the sequence
and you save the sequence.
You can use this procedure to create a “placeholder” sequence for later editing.
3. Rename the sequence in the Assets pane by doing one of the following:
t

Select the sequence, click the name of the sequence, and type the new name,

Select the sequence and press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh).

You can later edit the sequence by opening the Sequence pane and double-clicking the
sequence.
To create a sequence in the Interplay Production database, edit it, and save it:

1. Select Panes > Sequence to open the Sequence pane.
2. In the Assets tab, navigate to the folder in which you want to create the sequence.

Selecting a folder does not create a sequence in the folder.
3. Click the Assets Pane Menu button and select Create Basic Sequence or Create Advanced
Sequence.
When the process is finished, a sequence named New.Sequence is displayed in the Assets
pane and highlighted in orange. (You might need to scroll down to see it.) If there is already
a sequence named New.Sequence, .01 is appended to the sequence name, and incremented
for each unnamed new sequence (New.Sequence.02, and so on).
The sequence name is grayed out and in italics until online media is added to the sequence
and you save the sequence.
4. Rename the sequence in the Assets pane by doing one of the following:
t

Select the sequence, click the name of the sequence, and type the new name,

Select the sequence, press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh), and type the new name.

5. Edit the sequence.
See “Editing a Sequence” on page 147.
6. Save the sequence by doing one of the following:
t

Click the Save button in the Sequence pane toolbar.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Save Sequence.

With focus in the Sequence pane, press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Macintosh)

You need to click the Refresh button in the Assets pane to see the grayed out, italicized
sequence name change to the standard font.

125

Creating a Sequence

To create an Interplay Production sequence associated with a story, edit it, and save it:

1. Open a story in the Queue/Story pane.
2. Open the Sequence pane.
3. Click the Open Sequence button.

The name of the sequence in the Sequence pane tab and in the Media pane displays the name
of the opened story.
Clicking the Open Sequence button automatically opens the Media pane if it is closed.
If you later change the name of the story and you want to change the name of the sequence,
you must rename the sequence in the Assets pane. To quickly access the sequence in the
Assets pane, make sure the sequence is loaded in the Media pane, click the Pane Menu
button, and select Open Enclosing Folder.
4. Edit the sequence.
See “Editing a Sequence” on page 147.
After you add the first clip to the sequence, a message box informs you that a new sequence
is being created. MediaCentral UX obtains an iNEWS edit lock, creates and saves the
sequence in the script sequence location, and saves the sequence identifier with the story.

A MediaCentral UX administrator sets the location for storing a script sequence in the Interplay
Production section of the MediaCentral UX System Settings.
5. Save the sequence by doing one of the following:
t

Click the Save button in the Sequence pane toolbar.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Save Sequence.

With focus in the Sequence pane, press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Macintosh)

The sequence is saved in the script sequence location.
You might need to click the Refresh button to see the sequence in the Assets pane.

126

Creating a Sequence

Rules for Creating a Script Sequence (Interplay | Production)
Keep in mind the following rules when creating a sequence that you want to associate with a
story (referred to as a script sequence):
•

When creating a new sequence that you want to associate with a story, first open the
Sequence pane, then click the Open Sequence button to associate the sequence with the
story.

If a story does not have a sequence associated with it, and the Sequence pane is not
displayed, clicking the Open Sequence button opens the Sequence pane. The pane is labeled
“Sequence.” To create a sequence associated with a story, click the Open Sequence button
again. The Sequence pane is labeled with the title of the story.

•

You cannot create a sequence for a story unless the story has a title (labeled Slug).

•

If the Autoload Sequence option is enabled, you can create a sequence by opening the
Sequence pane and either clicking the Open Sequence button or navigating to a story that
already has a title.

•

If the Autoload Sequence option is disabled, you must create a sequence by opening the
Sequence pane and clicking the Open Sequence button.

•

The sequence is not created in the Interplay Production database until you drag the first clip
into the Sequence pane.

•

You cannot send a sequence to playback until a video ID is present.

For more information on associating sequences with iNEWS stories, see “Associating a
Sequence with a Story” on page 103.

Sequences Associated with Stories in Instinct and NewsCutter
MediaCentral UX supports viewing and editing sequences that were associated with a story in
Avid Instinct. Sequences edited in MediaCentral UX cannot be displayed in Avid Instinct after
they are edited.
MediaCentral UX does not support viewing and editing sequences associated with a story in the
News Cutter NRCS tool. The sequence is displayed as a production cue, but does not open in the
Sequence pane. You can open the sequence from the Interplay Production database in the Assets
pane and edit it like other sequences created in Avid editing applications, according to the same
rules (see “Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane” on page 133).

127

Creating a Sequence

Audio-Only and Video-Only Advanced Sequences (Interplay | Production)
You can create and save a video-only advanced sequence (video track and no audio) or an
audio-only advanced sequence (VO track and no video). However, send-to-playback and other
workflows are not supported for video-only or audio-only sequences. The process fails with the
following error message: “Remote STP process failed: Audio resolution selected but not found
(in “wait mixdown” phase)”
To send the sequence to playback, add a blank audio track or blank video track to the sequence.

Creating an Interplay | MAM Sequence
To create a basic sequence in the Interplay MAM database, edit it, and save it:

1. Select Panes > Sequence to open the Sequence pane.
2. In the Assets tab, select the folder in which you want to create the sequence.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click and select Create Basic Sequence or Create Basic Sequence (audio-only).

Click the Pane Menu button and select Create Basic Sequence or Create Basic Sequence
(audio only).

The Sequence Details dialog box opens. If you selected “Create Basic Sequence” the dialog
box includes a Frame Rate menu and a Sample Rate menu. If you selected “Create Basic
Sequence (audio-only)” the Frame Rate menu is not displayed. The following illustrations
show both versions of the Sequence Details dialog box.

4. Type a name for the basic sequence in the Name field.
If you do not provide a name, a new basic sequence is created with the name New.Sequence.
If there is already a basic sequence named New.Sequence, .01 is appended to the basic
sequence name, and incremented for each unnamed new basic sequence (New.Sequence.02,
and so on).
5. (Option) Select the basic sequence type from the Type list.
128

Creating a Sequence

6. To define the frame rate of the video, do one of the following:
t

Select a predefined target frame rate from the Frame Rate list.

Type a value greater than 0 in the Frame Rate list field to define a customized frame rate.

7. To define the sample rate of the audio, do one of the following:
t

Select a predefined sample rate from the Sample Rate list.

Type a value greater than 0 in the Sample Rate list field to define a customized sample
rate.

8. Click Save.
The new basic sequence is shown in the selected folder.
9. Double-click the basic sequence to open it in the Sequence pane.
10. Edit the sequence.
See “Editing a Sequence” on page 147.
11. Save the sequence by doing one of the following:
t

Click the Save button in the Sequence pane toolbar.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Save Sequence.

With focus in the Sequence pane, press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Macintosh).

Audio-Only Basic Sequences (Interplay | MAM)
You can create and save an audio-only basic sequence in the Interplay MAM database. An
audio-only basic sequence is a basic sequence without video track, but with one audio track.

When you create the audio-only basic sequence, a preselection offers the standard sample rates
of 32kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, and 192kHz. In addition to these, you can define other
sample rates (label “custom”) by entering a number greater than 0. For more information, see
“Creating an Interplay | MAM Sequence” on page 128.

129

Saving a Sequence

Note the following:
•

The sample rate is not evaluated and therefore you can create audio-only basic sequences
with mixed sample rates.

•

You can add segments only from an audio asset to an audio-only basic sequence.

•

You have the same editing options as for basic sequences with one video and audio track:
trim, split, overwrite, replace, and delete.

•

You can also open and edit audio-only basic sequences in Interplay MAM Desktop.

Saving a Sequence
If you save a sequence that is not associated with a story, the sequence is saved in the location
you selected when you created the sequence in the Assets pane. To save another version of the
sequence with a different name or in a different location, use the Save As feature. See “Saving a
Version of a Sequence” on page 131.
If you are working with a sequence associated with a story, and you save the sequence through
the Sequence pane, the story is automatically saved.

If you save a story through the Story pane, you must manually save the sequence.
A MediaCentral UX administrator sets the location for storing a script sequence in the Interplay
Production section of the MediaCentral UX System Settings. The default path is
Projects/iNEWSsequences/date.
Saving a sequence automatically saves the markers contained in the sequence.

You can move or copy a sequence in the Assets pane by using the Cut, Copy, and Paste
commands.
To save a sequence, do one of the following:

Click the Save button in the Sequence pane toolbar.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Save Sequence.

With focus in the Sequence pane, press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Macintosh)

If you try to close a modified sequence without saving it, the Save Changes dialog box opens and
asks if you want to save your changes.

130

Saving a Version of a Sequence

Saving a Version of a Sequence
You can use the Save As feature to create and save a version of a sequence with a different name.
You can also save the sequence in a different location. The new sequence is treated as a duplicate
in the Interplay Production database, and can be edited independently from the original.

n
n

The Save As feature is not supported for Interplay MAM sequences in MediaCentral UX v2.1.
You can move or copy a sequence in the Assets pane by using the Cut, Copy, and Paste
commands.
To save a version of a sequence:

1. In the Sequence pane, click the Pane Menu button and select Save As.
The Select Interplay Folder dialog box opens.
2. Select the folder in which you want to save the sequence.
3. Rename the sequence.
If the sequence has the same name as a sequence in the selected folder, the Save button is
grayed out. You need to rename the sequence or save it to a different folder.
4. Click Save.
The sequence is saved with the new name. This name is associated with the open sequence,
and the next time you save the sequence, it will be saved with the new name.
To edit and save the sequence with its original name, you need to open the original sequence
and save it with its original name. You cannot use the Save As feature to overwrite an
already saved sequence.

Recovering Sequences
When you work in MediaCentral UX, the state of your sequence is periodically stored on your
local Windows or Macintosh system. This feature is helpful in case of a disconnection or service
failure, or if you close a browser session without saving your work. This feature is also helpful if
your administrator sets an automatic session timeout.
Each edit you make is stored, so that the state of the sequence after the last edit can be restored in
case of a crash or timeout, and no edits are lost.

For information about recovering stories, see “Recovering Stories” on page 110.

131

Recovering Sequences

You can recover your sequence in several different ways:
•

If a disconnection or failure occurs and you remain signed in, the editing functions of the
Sequence pane are deactivated, and the Auto Recovery dialog box is displayed, as described
below.

•

If the disconnection or failure results in the need to sign in again, the Auto Recovery dialog
box is displayed and lists assets with unsaved changes.

Click the name of the asset to open the last saved version. If the asset is a sequence, the
Sequence pane displays three additional buttons:
-

Recovered: Click this button to open the recovery file (from the local system).

Last Saved: Click this button to open the last saved file (from the Interplay Production
or Interplay MAM database).

Keep This: Click this button to save the version that you display and delete the other
version.

132

Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane

You can switch back and forth between versions to compare them, and click the Keep This
button when you decide which version to keep.
•

If you close the Auto Recovery dialog box without selecting an asset, you can select
Auto-Recovered Assets from the Sequence pane menu to display the Auto Recovery dialog.
This option appears only if auto-recovered assets are available.

Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the
Sequence Pane
MediaCentral UX lets you open and edit sequences that you created in MediaCentral UX, Avid
editing applications, Interplay Assist, and Avid Instinct, and Interplay MAM Desktop.
You are limited in the types of sequences you can play and edit. Following are some rules for
editing and playback:
•

If the sequence contains only cuts (for example, a shotlist), it opens in the Media pane for
playback and you can edit it in the Sequence pane. You can select the camera angle and
audio mapping for group clips in a cuts-only sequence. For more information, see “Working
with Group Clips” on page 239.

•

If the sequence contains effects that the playback service supports (such as video and audio
dissolves) but was created in an application other than MediaCentral UX, it opens in the
Media pane for playback. The sequence also opens in the Sequence pane, but you cannot
edit it. The video track is colored dark red to indicate that it is uneditable.

•

If the sequence contains unrendered effects the player does not support, the player displays
an error message. The sequence opens in the Sequence pane as uneditable.

•

If all effects are rendered, the sequence opens in the Media pane for playback. The sequence
opens in the Sequence pane as uneditable.

•

You cannot create subclips from an uneditable sequence.

•

You can add markers to an uneditable sequence, edit marker text, and save the markers with
the sequence, with the proper permissions. See “Understanding Markers and Restrictions”
on page 284.
133

Opening a Sequence Associated with a Story

•

If you open a sequence from an Interplay Production database but you do not have a
read/write role for the folder that holds the sequence, the sequence opens as read-only. You
can play the sequence but you cannot edit or save it.

•

If you open a sequence from an Interplay MAM database for which you do not have write
permission or that represents an external sequence, the sequence opens as read-only. You can
play the sequence but you cannot edit or save it.

•

Interplay MAM sequences that are edited in Interplay MAM Desktop might contain
comments for individual segments. These comments are also displayed in the Sequence pane
timeline.

•

For more information about playback of sequences, see “Playback of Simple and Complex
Sequences” on page 195.

To open an existing sequence in the Sequence pane:

Double-click a sequence in the Assets pane, the Search pane, the Quick Search pane, or the
Tasks pane.
The sequence is loaded into the Media pane and into the timeline in the Sequence pane. The
Sequence pane automatically loads the sequence as basic or advanced.

Opening a Sequence Associated with a Story
If you create a sequence through the Open Sequence button in the Queue/Story pane, the
sequence is associated with the opened story as a script sequence (see “Creating a Sequence” on
page 123).
You can select a user setting to automatically open a script sequence when you open the
associated story.
To automatically open a script sequence with a story:

1. Select Home > Settings.
2. Select iNEWS.
134

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

3. Select “Autoload Sequence.”
4. Click Apply.
To manually open a script sequence:

1. Open a story in the Queue/Story pane.
2. Open the Sequence pane.
3. Click the Open Sequence button.

The associated sequence opens in the Sequence pane and Media pane.

After you associate a script sequence with a story, you cannot disassociate it. However, you can
completely revise the sequence and rename it if necessary.

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story
If you are a journalist working on a sequence associated with a story (a script sequence), you
need to edit the clips in your sequence to match the script in your story. In MediaCentral UX,
both the story segments and the Sequence pane include timing information to help you edit your
script and your sequence.
In the Story pane, a script is divided into story segments. Each story segment has a timed length
based on the read rate that is set in Avid iNEWS. In the Sequence pane, a sequence associated
with a story is divided into timing blocks.
Each story segment is associated with a timing block. Both the story segment and the timing
block show the same timing information: the duration of the media in the timing block and the
duration of the text in the story segment. For example, 0:00/0:16 indicates that there is no media
for a story segment that is 16 seconds long.
The following illustration shows a story with four story segments (including the default New
segment) and a sequence with four corresponding timing blocks. The sequence does not yet
contain any media, which is shown as 0:00 in the timing displays.

135

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

The previous illustration shows the Sequence pane in the horizontal orientation. You can change
the orientation by clicking the Pane Menu button and selecting from the Orientation submenu.
As you edit the text in your script and the media in your sequence, the story segments in the
Story pane and the timing blocks in the Sequence pane remain synchronized to help you edit
media to match your script. See the following topics for more information:

•

“Working with Story Segments and Timing Blocks” on page 137

•

“Working with Timing Displays” on page 138

•

“Editing Media into Timing Blocks” on page 141

•

“Extending a Segment into Another Timing Block” on page 142

•

“Showing and Hiding Empty Timing Blocks” on page 144

•

“Manually Adjusting Timing Blocks” on page 145

Timing blocks are shown only for sequences associated with a story.

136

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

Working with Story Segments and Timing Blocks
As you work, MediaCentral UX maintains synchronization between the story segments in your
script and the timing blocks in your script sequence. As you create new story segments, new
timing blocks are created. As you expand your script, or add media, the timing displays are
updated. If you change the order of the story segments, the order of the timing blocks is also
changed.
This synchronization gives you the flexibility to focus on the script, the sequence, or both
together. Following are two approaches you can take:
•

For a current news story, you might start by drafting a script. As you write, you can break the
script into segments, which creates associated timing blocks in the sequence. Later, you can
fill in the timing blocks with media that comes in from the field, and use the timing displays
to fine-tune the script and the sequence before recording a voice-over.

•

For a feature story, you might start by opening a new story, and creating a rough cut using
clips from a media library. By dragging clips to the end of the default “New” timing block,
you create both a new timing block and a new story segment (see “Editing Media into
Timing Blocks” on page 141). You can then work on the script, using the timing displays
and timing blocks to help you match the script to the media.

The following list describes the basic functions when working with story segments and timing
blocks:
•

When you highlight a story segment, the corresponding timing block is highlighted. When
you highlight a timing block, the corresponding story segment is highlighted.

•

If you add a story segment to a script, a corresponding timing block is added to the sequence.

•

If you reorder story segments, the corresponding timing blocks are automatically reordered
and media segments are moved with their timing blocks.

•

If you split a story segment, a new timing block is inserted after the selected timing block.
Any media remains in the selected timing block.

•

Presenter instructions (red) and closed-captioning text (green) do not affect how iNEWS
calculates the text duration. If a story segment contains only presenter text or only
closed-caption text, the text duration is shown as 0:00. A corresponding timing block is
created, but you have the option of hiding it. See “Showing and Hiding Empty Timing
Blocks” on page 144.

137

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

•

If you are working on a script and a sequence together, the same set of Undo/Redo actions
applies to both the Story pane and the Sequence pane. If you load a new sequence or close
the Sequence pane, the Undo actions are lost in the Story pane.

•

For some news stories, you might need to create a story segment that is not associated with
video in the story. For example, a story might include presenter text before the video starts.
MediaCentral UX lets you create a story segment that does not display a corresponding
timing block in the sequence. See “Creating a Text-Only Story Segment” on page 107

Saving a sequence through the Sequence pane automatically saves the story. However, saving a
story through the Story pane does not automatically save the sequence. You must save the
sequence manually. If you close the story but do not save the sequence, a message asks you if you
want to save the sequence.

Working with Timing Displays
The header of a story segment and the header of the corresponding timing block show the same
set of two numbers:

•

The first number shows the duration of the media currently contained in the timing block.

•

The second number shows the duration of the text in the story segment. The duration of the
text is based on the read rate that is set in Avid iNEWS.

Frames are not shown for the media duration. The duration is rounded up or down to the nearest
second, with the midpoint rounded up. For example, a 24 fps clip with a duration of 00;00;30;12
is rounded up to 0:31.
The following examples show the results of adding media to a story segment that is 16 seconds
long. In the following illustration, there is no media associated with the story segment, so the
timing display is 0:00/0:16. The media duration is red, indicating that more media is needed to
match the text duration in the story segment and eliminate any video gaps.

138

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

•

If you insert a clip that is 10 seconds long, it fills 10 seconds of the timing block and the
timing display changes to 0:10/0:16. Again, the media duration is red, because more media
is needed. To fill this 6 second gap, you can lengthen the clip or add another clip.

139

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

•

If you insert a clip that is 20 seconds long, it extends the timing block 4 seconds. The timing
display changes to 0:20/0:16. The media duration is black, indicating that there is enough
media to match the length of the text. However, there is now a 4 second gap at the end of the
text. You can either trim the video to 16 seconds, or add some text.

•

If you insert a clip that is 16 seconds long, or you trim a clip to 16 seconds, the text duration
and the media duration match. The timing display changes to 0:16/0:16.

140

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

Adding text or removing text changes the text duration of a story segment, which automatically
changes the duration of the timing block to match.You can manually adjust the duration of the
timing block. See “Manually Adjusting Timing Blocks” on page 145.

Editing Media into Timing Blocks
Editing media into a timing block is similar to editing media into the sequence (see “Editing a
Sequence” on page 147). You can perform insert edits or overwrite edits, trim segments, split
segments, and so on. For example, you can insert a video clip into a timing block simply by
dragging the clip from the Media viewer to a timing block.
The following actions are specific to editing media into timing blocks:
•

Edits respect the boundaries of the timing block. In other words, a media segment shorter
than the duration of the timing block results in a gap in the timing block, and a media
segment longer than the duration of the timing block extends the timing block. To extend a
segment beyond a timing block boundary, use the extend segment feature. See “Extending a
Segment into Another Timing Block” on page 142. You can also manually change the
duration of the timing block. See “Manually Adjusting Timing Blocks” on page 145.

•

You can edit media into timing blocks independently. That is, you can edit media into timing
block A, then edit media into timing block C, leaving timing block B empty. This leaves a
gap (or “black hole”) in a sequence. You can use these gaps as placeholders as you work on
the sequence, but in most cases you need to fill them before sending a sequence to playback.
Similarly, a timing block can include gaps in which video media does not completely fill the
timing block.

•

An empty timing block displays a length of three seconds by default. You can hide empty
timing blocks. See “Showing and Hiding Empty Timing Blocks” on page 144.

•

You can drag segments from one timing block to another.

•

You can create an L-cut within a timing block using the standard procedure for creating an L
cut (see “Using L-Cuts in the Timeline” on page 172). To create an L-cut beyond a timing
block boundary, you need to use the extend segment feature. See “Extending a Segment into
Another Timing Block” on page 142.

•

You can create a new timing block and corresponding story segment by dragging a clip to
the “New” timing block or past it. A timing block is added to the end of the existing blocks,
just before the “New” block. A corresponding story segment is added to the script.

•

Recording a voice-over increases the length of a timing block, because audio segments
cannot cross timing block boundaries. After you finish the recording, you can split the audio
segment to edit the audio appropriately.

•

You can manually expand or contract the length of a timing block. See “Manually Adjusting
Timing Blocks” on page 145.

141

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

Extending a Segment into Another Timing Block
By default, video and audio edits do not cross timing block boundaries. If you try to extend a
media segment beyond the boundary of a timing block, the timing block enlarges to match the
duration of the segment. If you want to extend a segment beyond the timing block, for example,
to create an L-cut, you need to use the extend segment feature.
A common L-cut involves replacing some of the video in a segment while keeping its audio. The
extend segment feature allows you to extend video (and NAT if available) beyond the boundary
of a timing block without affecting the SOT track and the VO track. Use the position indicator to
specify the end point of the extended segment.
The following illustration shows a selected segment (Video plus NAT plus SOT) in the first
timing block. The position indicator is in the middle of the second timing block, which is the
location into which you want to extend the segment. The tool tip for the Extend/Retract button
displays “Extend.”

After you click the Extend/Retract button, the video and NAT for the selected segment extend
into the second timing block. The selected video and NAT overwrite the video and NAT in the
second timing block, without affecting the SOT. The Extend/Retract button turns orange and its
tool tip changes to “Retract.” This indicates that the selected segment is extended and you can
click the button to retract it to its original position, as shown in the following illustration.

142

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

You can return the extended segments to their original duration by clicking the Extract/Retract
button to retract the segment.
To extend a segment:

1. Move the position indicator to the location to which you want to extend the video segment.
2. Select the segment.
You can select only a video segment and its associated audio segments (if available). Video,
NAT, and SOT are selected, but only video and NAT will be extended. You cannot select or
extend an audio-only track.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Extend/Retract button.

Right-click and select Extend.

Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows) or Command+Shift+X (Macintosh).

The Extend/Retract button turns orange to indicate that the segment is extended into the next
timing block. The tool tip for the button changes to Retract.

If you extend a segment over a hidden timing block, the timing block is displayed. See “Showing
and Hiding Empty Timing Blocks” on page 144.
To retract a segment:

1. Select the segment.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Extend/Retract button.

Right-click and select Retract.

The Extend/Retract button turns gray to indicate that the segment is retracted to the original
timing block. The tool tip for the button changes to Extend.
143

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

Showing and Hiding Empty Timing Blocks
If a story segment does not contain any text, and its corresponding timing block does not contain
media, the timing is displayed as 0:00/0:00. Because the timing block does not contain media, it
is considered empty, and by default it is not shown in the sequence. Empty timing blocks are also
hidden by default in the following situations:
•

All text in a story segment is marked as presenter instructions (red) or closed-captioning text
(green).

•

Text in a story segment is timed at one second or less.

The following illustration shows a story segment without timed text (followed by a New
segment). The corresponding timing block is hidden. The Show/Hide Empty Timing Blocks
button is circled.

The following illustration shows the formerly hidden timing block. The Show/Hide Empty
Timing Blocks button turns orange.

144

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

Note the following:
•

If you extend a segment over a hidden timing block and into the next timing block, the
hidden timing block is displayed and the segment is extended into it.

•

If you take any actions to change a timing block, such as manually adjusting its duration, the
block will always be shown.

•

You can create a text-only story segment that does not have a corresponding timing block.
See “Creating a Text-Only Story Segment” on page 107.

To show timing blocks, do one of the following:

Click the Show/Hide Empty Timing Blocks button so that it is orange.
The tool tip for the button changes to Hide Empty Timing Blocks.

Select Show Empty Timing Blocks from the Pane menu.

To hide timing blocks, do one of the following:

Click the Show/Hide Empty Timing Blocks button so that it is gray.
The tool tip for the button changes to Show Empty Timing Blocks.

Select Hide Empty Timing Blocks from the Pane menu.

Manually Adjusting Timing Blocks
By default the length of a timing block is synchronized with the duration of the text in the
corresponding story segment. As you work on your story, you might want to manually adjust the
duration of a timing block. For example, if you want to use a video segment that is not long
enough to fill a timing block, and you do not need to exactly match the timing of the story
segment, you can shorten the duration of the timing block.

145

Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story

After you manually adjust a timing block, the timing display (media duration and text duration)
will continue to automatically update. However, the size of the timing block will no longer be
affected by the text duration. Also, a manually adjusted timing block cannot be hidden.
To manually adjust a timing block:

1. Move the mouse pointer to the outside border of a timing block header so that a two-headed
arrow appears.
2. Click the border of the header.
The timing block header turns orange.

The timing block does not need to include media. Media does not need to be selected.
3. Drag the border to shorten or lengthen the duration of the timing block.
The following illustration shows a timing block duration shortened to match the duration of
the video. Note that the media duration (0:13) does not match the text timing (0:16).

146

Editing a Sequence

If you would like to adjust the timing block to a duration that is shorter than a media
segment, you must first trim the media to the desired duration. Then drag the border of the
timing block to the end of the media segment.

Editing a Sequence
You can work with one of two sequences: a basic sequence or an advanced sequence (see
“Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences” on page 116). The following topics describe
how to work with basic sequences and advanced sequences:

•

“Locking a Basic Sequence (Interplay | MAM)” on page 148

•

“Performing an Insert Edit in a Basic Sequence” on page 148

•

“Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced Sequence” on page 150

•

“Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced Sequence” on page 154

•

“Performing a Replace Edit” on page 158

•

“Enabling an Audio Track” on page 162

•

“Adding Media from a Saved Sequence to a Sequence” on page 163

•

“Undoing and Redoing an Action in the Sequence Pane” on page 164

•

“Moving or Deleting Segments in the Timeline” on page 164

•

“Adding and Removing Audio Segments” on page 165

•

“Creating an Audio-Only NAT or SOT Segment” on page 166

•

“Snapping in the Timeline” on page 167

•

“Trimming Segments in the Timeline” on page 168

•

“Using L-Cuts in the Timeline” on page 172

•

“Splitting a Segment” on page 174

•

“Adding Markers to a Sequence” on page 175

•

“Inserting Video Dissolves (Advanced Sequences Only)” on page 176

•

“Enabling Audio Scrubbing” on page 178

•

“Modifying the Start Timecode” on page 178

Ancillary data that is contained in a clip is preserved when you edit the clip into a sequence.

147

Editing a Sequence

Locking a Basic Sequence (Interplay | MAM)
If you are editing an Interplay MAM sequence, the sequence is locked to prevent other users
from editing the sequence at the same time. The lock is automatically set when you begin editing
the sequence. You can manually set a lock before beginning editing by clicking the Lock button.
If another user opens the sequence while it is locked, and clicks the Lock button or tries to edit
the sequence, the tool tip for the Lock button reads “Lock could not be acquired.”
To manually lock a sequence:

Click the Lock button.

When the sequence is locked, the Lock button turns orange.

The sequence remains locked until you close it. You can manually unlock the sequence by
clicking the Lock button. If you make an edit, the lock is automatically set again.

Performing an Insert Edit in a Basic Sequence
The timeline for a basic sequence has two tracks: video (V) and audio (A). A basic sequence uses
green for video and audio, as shown in the following illustration.

For more information on basic sequences and advanced sequences, see “Understanding Basic
and Advanced Sequences” on page 116 and “Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline” on
page 118.
148

Editing a Sequence

For Interplay Production sequences, the video format is determined by the first clip that you add
to the sequence. Any additional clips must match the initial video format.
For Interplay MAM sequences, the target frame rate is defined when the basic sequence is
created but you can add clips with a differing frame rate.
To insert an asset into the timeline for a basic sequence:

1. Click a video or audio asset in the Media viewer in the Media pane.
2. Drag the asset from the Media viewer to the timeline until your pointer is over the V or A
track, as shown in the following illustration.

As you drag the segment to where you want it, the V and A tracks appear highlighted in
orange to show you where the asset will be inserted when you release the mouse button.
3. Release the mouse button.
The asset is inserted into the timeline and the position indicator moves to the first frame of
the next segment.

149

Editing a Sequence

Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced Sequence
The default timeline for an advanced sequence has four tracks: Video, NAT (natural sound), SOT
(sound on tape), and VO (voice-over).

For information about colors in the timeline and other sequence information, see “Understanding
Basic and Advanced Sequences” on page 116 and “Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline”
on page 118.
If you are editing an advanced sequence, you can drag a clip from the Media viewer to the
Sequence Timeline as either an insert or an overwrite edit (see “Performing an Overwrite Edit in
an Advanced Sequence” on page 154).
When you drag a clip to the timeline, a thin guideline is displayed through the video track. If you
release the mouse button above the guideline, you perform an overwrite edit. If you release the
mouse button below the guideline, you perform an insert edit, as shown in the following
illustration.

150

Editing a Sequence

The examples in this topic use a horizontal timeline. If you are editing a sequence in a vertical
timeline, the guideline is also vertical, and the edits are determined by dragging to the left or to
the right of the guideline.
The video format is determined by the first clip that you add to the sequence. Any additional
clips must match the initial video format.
To perform an insert edit using drag and drop:

1. Load a clip in the Media pane and mark In and Out points.
The amount of material that you insert is determined by the In-to-Out duration of the asset.
2. (Optional) Click the audio track indicator or indicators for the tracks on which you want to
insert the audio. You can enable NAT or SOT or both, or VO. A VO edit does not include
video.
If you do not enable an audio track, you can insert NAT or SOT audio by dragging the clip to
either audio track.

You can also record a voice-over directly to the timeline. See “Recording a Voice-over” on
page 236.
3. Drag the clip from the Media viewer to a location in the video track or an audio track. Make
sure the mouse pointer is below the guideline.
The timeline shows where the insert will take place and how it will affect the other clips in
the timeline.
4. Release the mouse button.
The selected material is inserted into the timeline and the position indicator moves to the
first frame of the next segment.

Performing an Overwrite Edit in a Basic Sequence
If you are editing a basic sequence (Interplay Production or Interplay MAM), you can use the
Overwrite feature to replace a portion of the sequence with a clip that is loaded in Asset mode.
There are two ways to perform an overwrite edit:
•

Click the Overwrite button or press the B key. This method provides you with more options:
-

You can use the position indicator as an In point for the overwrite.

You can perform the overwrite edit from either Asset mode or Output mode.

The following illustration shows the Overwrite button circled.

151

Editing a Sequence

•

Drag a clip from the Media viewer and drop it on the Sequence Timeline. This method is a
quick way to build a sequence but has fewer options.
-

You can overwrite only from the beginning of a video segment.

You can drag only when the Media pane is in Asset mode.

The following illustration shows how an overwrite edit is displayed when you drag a clip to
the timeline. A thin guideline is displayed through the video track. If you release the mouse
button above the guideline, you perform an overwrite edit, as indicated by the red arrow and
red overlay. The resulting edit is also shown.

The examples in this topic use a horizontal timeline. If you are editing a sequence in a vertical
timeline, the guideline is also vertical, and the edits are determined by dragging to the left or to
the right of the guideline.
If you release the mouse button below the guideline, you perform an insert edit, as indicated
by the yellow arrow and yellow overlay.

152

Editing a Sequence

Note the following:
•

If you use the drag and drop method, and you drop your clip in the Sequence Timeline
before the guideline appears (approximately 0.5 second), you perform an insert edit instead
of an overwrite edit.

To perform an overwrite edit using the Overwrite button or B key:

1. Load a clip in the Media pane and mark In and Out points.
The amount of material that you overwrite is determined by the In-to-Out duration marked
on the clip.
When you use this method, the Media pane can be in either Asset mode or Output mode
2. In the Sequence Timeline, move the position indicator to the location where you want to
start the overwrite.
3. Click the Overwrite button or press the B key.
The selected material overwrites the material in the timeline and the position indicator
moves to the first frame of the next segment.
To perform an overwrite edit using drag and drop:

1. Load a clip in the Media pane and mark In and Out points.
The amount of material that you overwrite is determined by the In-to-Out duration of the
asset.
When you use this method, the Media pane must be in Asset mode.
2. Drag the clip from the Media viewer to a location in the video track of the Sequence
Timeline. Make sure the mouse pointer is above the guideline in the middle of the track.
The timeline shows where the overwrite will take place.

Do not release the mouse button before the guideline appears (approximately 0.5 second) or you
perform an insert edit instead of an overwrite edit.
3. Release the mouse button.
The selected material overwrites the material in the timeline and the position indicator
moves to the first frame of the next segment.
153

Editing a Sequence

Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced Sequence
If you are editing an advanced sequence, you can use the Overwrite feature to replace a portion
of the sequence with a clip that is loaded in Asset mode. There are two ways to perform an
overwrite edit:
•

Click the Overwrite button or press the B key. This method provides you with more options:
-

You can use the position indicator as an In point for the overwrite.

You can perform the overwrite edit from either Asset mode or Output mode.

The following illustration shows the Overwrite button circled. The NAT track is enabled, so
that audio in the source clip will overwrite audio in the NAT track.

•

Drag a clip from the Media viewer and drop it on the Sequence Timeline. This method is a
quick way to build a sequence but has fewer options.
-

You can overwrite only from the beginning of a video segment.

You can drag only when the Media pane is in Asset mode.

The following illustration shows how a video-only overwrite edit is displayed when you
drag a clip to the timeline. A thin guideline is displayed through the video track. If you
release the mouse button above the guideline, you perform an overwrite edit, as indicated by
the red arrow and red overlay.

154

Editing a Sequence

The following illustration shows how a video and NAT overwrite edit is displayed when you
drag a clip to the timeline. The NAT track indicator is enabled.

The examples in this topic use a horizontal timeline. If you are editing a sequence in a vertical
timeline, the guideline is also vertical, and the edits are determined by dragging to the left or to
the right of the guideline.
If you have both NAT and SOT segments associated with the video, you can enable both
tracks to overwrite the video segment and both audio segments. You can enable the VO
track, but only VO audio will be overwritten.

You cannot overwrite NAT-only or SOT-only segments.
If you release the mouse button below the guideline, you perform an insert edit, as indicated
by the yellow arrow and yellow overlay.

155

Editing a Sequence

For more information, see “Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced Sequence” on
page 150.
Note the following:
•

You can perform an overwrite edit only in an advanced sequence.

•

If you use the drag and drop method, and you drop your clip in the Sequence Timeline
before the guideline appears (approximately 0.5 second), you perform an insert edit instead
of an overwrite edit.

To perform an overwrite edit using the Overwrite button or B key:

1. Load a clip in the Media pane and mark In and Out points.
The amount of material that you overwrite is determined by the In-to-Out duration marked
on the clip.
When you use this method, the Media pane can be in either Asset mode or Output mode
2. In the Sequence Timeline, move the position indicator to the location where you want to
start the overwrite.
3. (Optional) Click a track selector to enable the audio track or tracks on which you want to
overwrite the audio. If you do not enable an audio track, only video is overwritten.

The Video track is always enabled. You can overwrite video only, but you cannot overwrite audio
only.
4. Click the Overwrite button or press the B key.
The selected material overwrites the material in the timeline and the position indicator
moves to the first frame of the next segment.
To perform an overwrite edit using drag and drop:

1. Load a clip in the Media pane and mark In and Out points.
The amount of material that you overwrite is determined by the In-to-Out duration of the
asset.
When you use this method, the Media pane must be in Asset mode.
2. (Optional) Click a track selector to enable the audio track or tracks on which you want to
overwrite the audio. If you do not enable an audio track, only video is overwritten.

The Video track is always enabled. You can overwrite video only, but you cannot overwrite audio
only.
3. Drag the clip from the Media viewer to a location in the video track of the Sequence
Timeline. Make sure the mouse pointer is above the guideline in the middle of the track.
The timeline shows where the overwrite will take place.
156

Editing a Sequence

Do not release the mouse button before the guideline appears (approximately 0.5 second) or you
perform an insert edit instead of an overwrite edit.
4. Release the mouse button.
The selected material overwrites the material in the timeline and the position indicator
moves to the first frame of the next segment.
-

If the selected material is shorter than the segment that you are overwriting, and you are
overwriting only video, the audio of the overwritten segment is preserved and creates an
L-cut. The following illustrations show an example of the edit in progress and the result.

If the selected material is the same length or longer than the segment that you are
overwriting, and you are overwriting only video, the audio of the overwritten segment
remains in the sequence. The audio is not associated with any video in the timeline. For
more information, see “Creating an Audio-Only NAT or SOT Segment” on page 166.

Position Indicator Placement After an Insert or Overwrite Edit
If you perform an insert or overwrite edit, the position indicator (playhead) moves to the first
frame of the next segment. This feature lets you make a series of quick edits without losing the
final frame of the edited segment and without the need to switch from Asset mode to Output
mode.

157

Editing a Sequence

If the edited segment is the last segment in the sequence, the position indicator is set on an empty
frame. This final frame is shown by black on the right side of the Media viewer. The only other
way to access this frame is by clicking the Next Frame button or pressing the right arrow key
when the position indicator is at the end of the last segment in a sequence.

Performing a Replace Edit
A replace edit is a quick way to completely overwrite a selected segment in a sequence without
changing the duration of the segment. It is similar to an overwrite edit, but a replace edit is
limited to an entire segment.

qw
q
w
1 Overwrite button; 2 Replace button

To perform a replace edit, use the In point to indicate the start of the video you want to use in the
sequence (the source material). MediaCentral UX calculates the amount of material needed to
replace the selected segment. The Out point is not used in the calculation.
If there is not enough material from the In point to the end of the asset to replace the selected
segment, the Replace button is disabled. The following message is displayed as a tooltip:
“Insufficient source material to make this edit.”
Note the following:
•

If the sequence contains L-cuts (where an audio segment starts before the video segment or
extends beyond it), there must be enough audio before and after the In point to replace the
audio segment. For example, if video and NAT are selected for a segment, and the NAT

158

Editing a Sequence

starts 10 frames before the video, there must be 10 frames of source audio available before
the In point. If the NAT extends 10 frames beyond the video, there must be sufficient source
audio after the In point.
•

If a group clip is loaded (advanced sequences only), the active angle of the group clip is used
as the source material.

•

A replace edit preserves any dissolves in the sequence. MediaCentral UX includes the
necessary media handles when determining if the edit is possible. If not enough material is
available, a replace edit shortens a dissolve at the beginning or end of a segment, while
keeping the dissolve symmetrical.

•

A replace edit does not preserve any audio volume or panning that were applied to the
selected segment before the replace edit. You need to make these adjustments again.

•

In both basic and advanced sequences, markers and restrictions from the source material
replace markers and restrictions in the selected segment.

The replace edit feature works differently for basic sequences and advanced sequences, as
described in the following procedures.
To replace video and audio in a basic sequence:

1. Load a clip in Asset mode and mark an IN point.
2. In the sequence, select the segment that you want to replace.
You cannot select only video or only audio.
3. Click the Replace button.

Video and audio in the selected segment is replaced.

159

Editing a Sequence

To replace only video in an advanced sequence:

1. Load a clip in Asset mode and mark an IN point.
2. In the sequence, select the segment that you want to replace.
To replace video only, make sure the NAT and SOT track buttons are not selected.
3. Click the Replace button.
The selected video is replaced. In the following illustration, the replaced video segment is
colored dark blue to indicate there is no corresponding audio in the sequence. The NAT
video remains green.

To replace video and audio in an advanced sequence:

1. Load a clip in Asset mode and mark an IN point.
2. In the sequence, select the segment that you want to replace.
3. Select the NAT or SOT track, or both.
4. Click the Replace button.
The selected video and audio is replaced. In the following illustration, the NAT track is
selected, and after the edit the Video and NAT tracks are green, to indicate video plus NAT.

160

Editing a Sequence

In the following illustration, both the NAT track and the SOT track are selected. After the
edit the video segment and SOT audio segment are colored light blue, to indicate video plus
SOT. Light blue is also used for video plus NAT and SOT.

To replace voice-over audio in an advanced sequence:

1. Load a clip in Asset mode and mark an IN point.
2. In the sequence, select the voice-over audio segment you want to replace.
3. Click the VO button.
4. Click the Replace button.

161

Editing a Sequence

The selected audio is replaced.

Enabling an Audio Track
When editing an advanced sequence, you can enable audio tracks in the following combinations:
•

Video and NAT track

•

Video and SOT track

•

Video and NAT and SOT tracks

•

VO track

Enabling an audio track provides options for the following operations:
•

Splitting a segment. See “Splitting a Segment” on page 174.

•

Performing an insert edit. See “Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced Sequence” on
page 150.

•

Performing an overwrite edit. See “Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced
Sequence” on page 154.

•

Performing a replace edit. See “Performing a Replace Edit” on page 158.

See the appropriate procedure for more information.
To enable or disable an audio track:

In an advanced sequence, click the track indicator button.
The track indicator is colored orange if enabled. The following illustration shows that the
NAT and SOT tracks are enabled.

162

Editing a Sequence

Note the following:
-

Enabling the VO track disables NAT and SOT tracks.

Enabling either the NAT or the SOT track disables the VO track

If both the NAT and SOT tracks are enabled, Alt-click a track to disable both tracks.

If both the NAT or SOT track are disabled, Alt-click a track to enable both tracks.

Adding Media from a Saved Sequence to a Sequence
You can load a sequence from the Interplay Production database into Asset mode in the Media
pane, but you cannot mark In and Out points and edit the selected media into a sequence.
However, you can use the Match Frame feature to open the source clip for a particular frame and
then select media from the source clip.
To add media from a saved sequence to a sequence:

1. In an Assets pane, do one of the following:
t

Right-click a sequence and select Open in Asset Mode.

Select a sequence, click the Pane Menu button, and select Open in Asset Mode.

The sequence opens in Asset mode in the Media pane.
2. Navigate to a frame in the material that you want to add to a sequence.
3. Click the Pane Menu button and select Match Frame.
The master clip that contains the frame is loaded in the Media pane, with the matching frame
displayed. In and Out marks are set to match the segment used in the sequence.
4. Edit the material you want into your sequence.

163

Editing a Sequence

Undoing and Redoing an Action in the Sequence Pane
You can undo or redo an action in the Sequence pane, such as restoring a clip that you deleted.
You can undo or redo up to 100 actions. The undo/redo list is not saved after you sign out of a
session.
If an action affects a marker (Interplay Production assets only), the change is also shown in the
Logging pane. For example, if you add a marker to a sequence, then trim the sequence to remove
the marker, the marker is removed from the list in the Logging pane. If you undo your action, the
marker is restored to both the sequence and the Logging pane.

There is currently no Undo/Redo feature specifically for the Logging pane.
If you are working on a script and a sequence together, the same set of Undo actions applies to
both the Story pane and the Sequence pane. If you load a new sequence or close the Sequence
pane, the Undo actions are lost in the Story pane.
To undo an action, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Macintosh).

Select Undo from the Sequence pane menu.

Right-click in the Sequence pane and select Undo from the context menu

To redo an action, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+Y (Windows) or Command+Y (Macintosh).

Select Redo from the Sequence pane menu.

Right-click in the Sequence pane and select Redo from the context menu

Moving or Deleting Segments in the Timeline
After you add assets to a sequence, you can rearrange them in the timeline. A portion of media
that is contained on a track in a sequence is called a segment.
For an advanced sequence, after you have added a segment to the timeline, you cannot switch it
to a different track. For example, if you drag and drop a clip into the timeline as a SOT, you
cannot then select that segment in the timeline and drag it to another audio track. If the clip has
audio on a channel that is not mapped to the audio track in which you insert it, you will not hear
the audio when the sequence is played.

If you want to change the track into which audio was inserted, you can use the procedures
described in “Adding and Removing Audio Segments” on page 165.

164

Editing a Sequence

To move a segment in a sequence:

1. Click the segment you want to move.
2. Drag the segment and drop it in a new location in the timeline.
In a long sequence, moving a segment to the viewable edge of the sequence (top or bottom
for a vertical timeline, left or right for a horizontal timeline) scrolls the sequence in that
direction.
To delete a segment from a sequence, do one of the following:

Right-click the segment you want to delete and select Delete.

Click the segment you want to delete and click the Delete button in the Sequence pane
toolbar.

Click the segment you want to delete and select Delete from the Sequence pane menu.

Click the segment you want to delete and press Delete or Backspace (Windows).
Deleting a segment from the sequence does not remove the original source media from the
server.

Adding and Removing Audio Segments
If a video clip is associated with one or more audio tracks, and you add the video clip in the
Sequence Timeline, you can add or remove its associated audio segments. For example, if a
sequence contains a video segment and its associated NAT segment, you can add a SOT segment.
If a sequence contains a video segment without audio, you can add a NAT segment, a SOT
segment, or both.
Similarly, you can remove a NAT segment, a SOT segment, or both.
The following illustration shows a video segment with associated NAT and SOT segments. If a
video segment and associated NAT and SOT tracks are included in the timeline, the video
segment is colored blue and matches the SOT segment.

165

Editing a Sequence

This feature applies only to the segment you select. It does not affect the audio in other segments
of the sequence.

Enabling the track selector for NAT or SOT does not affect this feature.
To add a NAT or SOT segment:

Right-click a segment in the Sequence pane and select one of the following:
-

Add audio segment > NAT

Add audio segment > SOT

A check mark indicates if an audio segment is included in the sequence.
To remove a NAT or SOT segment:

Right-click a segment in the Sequence pane and deselect one of the following:
-

Add audio segment > NAT

Add audio segment > SOT

The check mark is removed.

Creating an Audio-Only NAT or SOT Segment
When editing a sequence, you might need to replace an unneeded video segment, such as an
on-camera stand up, while keeping the audio. If you want to replace the video but keep the audio,
you can perform a video-only overwrite edit. The audio segment remains in the timeline, without
associated video, and you can edit the audio segment independently.
The following illustration shows a selected video segment and its associated SOT audio on the
left (as shown by the orange outlines), and the same sequence after a video-only overwrite edit.
The video segment on the right is colored purple to indicate there is no associated audio. The
SOT segment remains blue, and the clip name is darker than clip names for audio segments
associated with a video segment.

166

Editing a Sequence

If you enable both NAT and SOT for a segment (as described in “Adding and Removing Audio
Segments” on page 165), you can overwrite the original video and keep both NAT and SOT
segments.The following illustration shows NAT and SOT tracks that are not associated with a
video segment. The video segment above the selected NAT track is colored purple to indicate
there is no associated audio. The NAT segment remains green, the SOT segment remains blue,
and the clip names are darker than clip names for audio segments associated with a video
segment.

To create an audio-only NAT or SOT segment:

1. Edit a clip with NAT or SOT audio into the sequence.
2. (Optional) Enable a second audio segment (NAT or SOT).
3. Load a clip into the Media pane and set In and Out points for video to replace the video
segment in the timeline. The marked video must be the same length or longer than the video
segment you want to replace.
4. Perform an overwrite edit.
For more information, see “Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced Sequence” on
page 154.
5. If necessary, trim the transitions to align audio and video.

Snapping in the Timeline
In some cases, edits that you make in the Sequence Timeline are limited to particular timecode
locations. In other cases, you can make an edit to any timecode location. For example, dragging
a video segment is limited to the start or end of another video segment. However, trimming the
end of a video segment can extend to any available timecode location.

167

Editing a Sequence

If an edit can be made to any timecode location, snap points can help you accurately align your
edit. This can be particularly useful when aligning audio and video. Snap points include:
•

The position indicator

•

The start point or end point of another segment in the timeline

•

The original start point or end point of the segment you are dragging

•

The beginning of a sequence

•

The boundaries of a timing block

As you drag a segment or endpoint, the dragging action pauses briefly or snaps to these points. If
you then release the mouse button, the edit is made at the snap point.
The following illustration shows snap points for a VO segment.

Snap points are limited to advanced sequences.
To override pausing and snapping:

Hold down the Shift key while you drag a segment or end point.

Trimming Segments in the Timeline
You can trim a segment from either end, lengthening or shortening the segment frame-by-frame
or by larger increments. You can also perform a double-sided trim, in which the combined
duration of both segments remains the same.
After you trim a segment, the position indicator automatically moves to the new position in the
sequence and the frame at that position is displayed in the viewer of the Media pane so you can
see the exact frame to which the segment was trimmed.

You can only lengthen a segment to the maximum length of its original source media.
168

Editing a Sequence

The following topics describe trimming segments:
•

“Trimming a Basic Sequence” on page 169

•

“Trimming an Advanced Sequence” on page 170

•

“Trimming from the Top or the Tail of a Segment” on page 171

•

“Using Double-Sided Trim” on page 172

Trimming a Basic Sequence
When trimming a basic sequence, video and audio are trimmed together. You cannot trim only
video or only audio.
To trim a segment using the mouse, do the following:

Click one end of the segment and drag the audio or video trim indicator.

To trim a segment using keyboard shortcuts:

1. Click the end of the segment you want to trim.
2. Press one of the following keys:
M

Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier.

comma (,)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame earlier.

period (.)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame later.

slash (/)

Trim the segment’s selected end 10 frames later.

This keyboard shortcut is designed for an American keyboard; it
might not work with another keyboard layout.

The position indicator automatically moves to the trim location.

169

Editing a Sequence

Trimming an Advanced Sequence
For an advanced sequence, you can trim the video track, the audio track, or both video and audio.
To trim a segment using the mouse, do one of the following:

To trim both video and audio, click one end of the video segment and drag the trim indicator.
The following illustration shows both video and audio segments that can be trimmed from
the end of the segment.

To trim only audio, click one end of the audio segment and drag the trim indicator.

To trim only video if the sequence includes audio from the same source, hold down the Ctrl
key (Windows) or Command key (Macintosh), click one end of the video segment, and drag
the trim indicator. Use this technique to create an L-cut. See “Using L-Cuts in the Timeline”
on page 172.

To trim a segment using keyboard shortcuts:

1. Click the end of the segment you want to trim.
2. Press one of the following keys:
M

Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier.

comma (,)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame earlier.

period (.)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame later.

slash (/)

Trim the segment’s selected end 10 frames later.

This keyboard shortcut is designed for an American keyboard; it may
not work with another keyboard layout.

The position indicator automatically moves to the trim location.

170

Editing a Sequence

Trimming from the Top or the Tail of a Segment
You can use a command or keyboard shortcut to trim a segment from the beginning (top) or end
(tail) to the current position of the position indicator.
To trim from the beginning of a segment:

1. Position the position indicator on the frame to which you want to trim.
You can trim a selected segment or segments that overlap at the position indicator.
To trim overlapping segments, do not select any segments. The trim affects one video
segment, its associated audio segment, and any voice-over segment.

To deselect a segment, click in an unused part of the timeline.
2. Do one of the following:

Right-click and select Trim Top.

Press Shift+[.

This keyboard shortcut is designed for an American keyboard; it might not work with another
keyboard layout.
To trim from the end of a segment:

1. Position the position indicator on the frame to which you want to trim.
You can trim a selected segment or all segments that overlap at the position indicator.
To trim overlapping segments, do not select any segments. The trim affects one video
segment, its associated audio segment, and any voice-over segment.

To deselect a segment, click in an unused part of the timeline.
2. Do one of the following:

Right-click and select Trim Tail.

Press Shift+].

This keyboard shortcut is designed for an American keyboard; it might not work with another
keyboard layout.

171

Editing a Sequence

Using Double-Sided Trim
Double-sided trim refers to a trimming operation in which one video segment is extended into
another video segment and overwrites the material in the trimmed segment. (This feature is
referred to as dual-roller trim in Media Composer and NewsCutter.) The combined duration of
both clips remains the same.
•

In a basic sequence, double-sided trim applies to video and to the synced audio track.

•

In an advanced sequence, double-sided trim applies to video only.

To use double-sided trim:

Hold down the Control key (Windows) or the Command key (Macintosh) and drag the
transition.
Trim indicators appear on both sides of the transition while you hold down the Control key.

You can use the following keystrokes to control the trim:
Shift+M

Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier.

Shift+ comma (,)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame earlier.

Shift+period (.)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame later.

Shift+slash (/)

Trim the segment’s selected end 10 frames later.

This keyboard shortcut is designed for an American
keyboard; it may not work with another keyboard layout.

Using L-Cuts in the Timeline
An L-cut is a split edit between two segments in which the video transition does not occur
simultaneously with the audio transition. In some cases, the audio transition happens before the
video, while in other cases the reverse is true.

172

Editing a Sequence

The following illustration shows an L-cut near the 20-second mark in the timeline. The SOT
segment in the sequence (light blue) extends beyond its corresponding video.

To create an L-cut:

1. Select the video segment you want to edit, positioning the mouse pointer near the end you
want to adjust.
A trim indicator is displayed in the segment’s video track, audio track, or both.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (Macintosh), click the video trim
indicator, and drag it to a different position.

Click the audio trim indicator and drag it to a different position.

This separates the video transition from the audio transition and lets you edit one without
editing the other. You can click either indicator to modify each segment independently.
To remove an L-cut:

n
n

Click and drag the trim indicator for audio back into alignment with the video, or vice versa.
You do not have to be exact; the application will automatically realign the video and audio
transitions.

L-cuts are maintained when you drag a segment to a new location in the sequence.
When audio segments overlap, MediaCentral UX automatically adjusts the audio levels. See
“Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences” on page 228.

173

Editing a Sequence

Splitting a Segment
You can use a button, a menu item, or a shortcut key to split segments at a selected timecode
location, and then use the resulting split to edit the sequence. For example, you can split a video
segment and its related audio, then delete one of the new segments. This feature is similar to the
Avid editing system “Add Edit” feature.
Splitting a segment works differently, depending on the type of sequence you are editing:
•

For a basic sequence, a split applies to all visible tracks. For a sequence with a video track
and audio track, you cannot split only video or only audio.

•

For an advanced sequence, you can select audio tracks to split by enabling the track. To
enable a track, click the track indicator button so that it displays orange. You can split the
following combinations:
-

Video only

Video and NAT

Video and SOT

Video, NAT, SOT

VO only

Combinations that cannot be split:
-

VO and Video

VO and NAT (cannot be enabled at the same time)

VO and SOT (cannot be enabled at the same time)

VO, NAT, and SOT (cannot be enabled at the same time)

L-cuts

When you select Split from the context menu or the pane menu, the menu item text shows
which tracks are enabled for splitting. If you move the mouse pointer over the Split button,
the tooltip shows which tracks are enabled for splitting.
Also note the following:
•

Selecting a segment does not affect the split. The split occurs at the position indicator.

•

After you split a segment, the first frame of the second segment becomes the current frame.

•

For Multicamera group clips, the same camera angle is maintained for both segments. Each
segment’s angle can then be changed independently.

•

The location where you want to split the segment can be up to one frame from either end of
the segment.

•

Splitting a segment in a sequence does not create new master clips or subclips.
174

Editing a Sequence

To split one or more segments:

1. Move the position indicator to the location where you want to split the segment.
2. For an advanced sequence, enable the audio tracks that include segments that you want to
split.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Split button.

Press Ctrl+E (Windows) or Command+E (Macintosh).

Position the mouse pointer on the timecode bar, right-click the timecode bar, and select
Split.

Select Split from the Sequence pane menu.
The following illustration shows a video segment with associated NAT and SOT tracks
enabled for splitting, and the results of the split operation.

Left: Before splitting the segments; Right: After splitting the segments

You can now edit the split segments, for example, by deleting one of the new segments or
inserting a new clip at the split.

Adding Markers to a Sequence
There are two ways to add markers to a sequence:

•

Add a clip or a portion of a clip that contains markers.

•

Add markers directly to the sequence.

Markers are a feature used in Interplay Production assets. For complete information about
working with markers, see “Logging Interplay | Production Assets and Creating Subclips” on
page 282.

175

Editing a Sequence

Adding a clip that contains markers: Any markers that are contained within the In and Out
marks are copied to the sequence when you edit the clip into the sequence. Copying markers
with a clip is a “one-time copy.” If you lengthen a clip by trimming, markers that are included in
the added part of the clip are not copied. If you shorten a clip by trimming, you remove any
markers that are included in the trimmed portion. They are not restored if you lengthen the clip.
To restore the markers, redo the edit. You can use Match Frame from the sequence to locate the
original clip. See “Using Match Frame” on page 214.
Markers in audio-only clips: Markers are not added for audio-only clips, such as voice-overs.
You can copy markers only from a clip that includes a video track.
Moving segments with markers: When you move a segment of a sequence that contains
markers, the markers are also moved.
Adding markers in Output mode: If you are adding markers to a sequence in Output mode,
saving in the Logging pane or saving in the Sequence pane saves both the sequence and the
markers.
Switching modes in the Media pane: If you switch from Output mode to Asset mode, or from
Asset mode to Output mode, the Logging pane switches to match the media that is loaded in the
Media pane.

Inserting Video Dissolves (Advanced Sequences Only)
You can insert a video dissolve to transition on center between segments in an advanced
sequence. Dissolves can be set to transition from 2 to 300 frames, using even numbers only, with
half of the frames used in the leading segment and the other half in the trailing segment.

Dissolves cannot be placed at the start of the first segment or the end of the last segment in a
sequence. For any dissolve, you must ensure the source material has sufficient media to allow for
the dissolve before Mark In or after Mark Out points. Also, the trailing half of one dissolve
cannot overlap the leading portion of the next dissolve. In all of these cases, the system will issue
messages indicating that a dissolve is not possible.
To insert a video dissolve between two segments:

1. Place the position indicator within two seconds of the cut between two segments in the
timeline.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Add Video Dissolve button in the Sequence pane toolbar.
176

Editing a Sequence

Press the Backslash key (\).

Click the Pane Menu button and select Insert Dissolve.

The following illustration shows a dissolve between the two segments of a sequence, which
is indicated by the square Dissolve icon located just to the right of the position indicator.

The icon is a static size and does not change with dissolves of varying durations.
3. By default the duration of dissolves is set to 20 frames, divided evenly at 10 frames in the
leading segment and 10 frames in the trailing segment. This can be changed, however, by
double-clicking on the Dissolve icon or by right-clicking on the icon and selecting Modify
Duration.

177

Editing a Sequence

If altered, any new dissolve added to the sequence afterwards will have the altered setting for
its duration.

You can change the default duration by changing the Dissolve Duration in the Sequence User
Settings.
4. You can view the dissolve by positioning the position indicator in the Sequence Timeline at
any point in the leading segment and then playing the output in the viewer of the Media
pane.
Dissolves are associated with the leading segment, so if the leading segment is moved to the
end of the sequence, the associated dissolve is automatically deleted.
To delete a dissolve:

Right-click the Dissolve icon and select Delete Dissolve.

Enabling Audio Scrubbing
By default, scrubbing in the timeline is set to video-only to provide faster operation. You can
optionally turn on audio scrubbing through a context menu command in either the Sequence
pane menu or the Media pane menu.
To enable audio scrubbing:

Click the Pane Menu button in the Sequence pane or the Media pane and click Audio
Scrubbing.
A check mark indicates that Audio Scrubbing is enabled. To disable audio scrubbing and
remove the check mark, click Audio Scrubbing again.

Modifying the Start Timecode
In some cases you might need to change the timecode for the first frame of a sequence. This
feature applies only to Interplay Production sequences.
To modify the start timecode of a sequence:

1. Load a sequence in the Media pane.
2. Click the Sequence Pane Menu button and select Modify Start Timecode.
3. Position the insert bar in front of the digit you want to change and type a new digit.
In the following example, the first digit is changed from 0 to 1.

178

Editing a Sequence

To restore the original digits of the timecode, press the Backspace key or the Delete key.
4. Click OK.
To switch between drop-frame and non-drop frame for NTSC sequences:

Type a semicolon (;) or colon (:) at any time.

179

6 Working with Video Media
The following main topics describe how to work with the Media pane to view and edit your
video assets:
•

The Media Pane

•

Playing Assets

•

Working with Remote Assets

•

Marking In and Out Points

•

Working with Markers and Restrictions

•

Displaying Captions and Segments

•

Using the Timecode Displays

•

Entering Timecode to Cue a Frame

•

Working in the Media Timeline

•

Using the Media Zoom Bar

•

Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution

•

Playing Back at the Highest Resolution

•

Using Match Frame

•

Opening an Enclosing Folder

•

Transcoding Assets

•

Viewing and Editing a Clip During Ingest

•

Saving a Frame as an Image

•

Exporting an MP4 File

The Media Pane

The Media Pane
The Media pane provides you with the controls you need to play, cue, and mark video clips as
you build your story. You can set the Media pane to one of two modes:
•

Click the Asset button to work in Asset mode.

Use Asset mode to view master clips, subclips, and sequences, and to edit media into your
sequence. You can also send a sequence to a playback device or add a MAM asset to a
process. For a description of the controls in Asset mode, see “Media Pane: Asset Mode” on
page 182, “Media Pane Menu Options (Asset Mode)” on page 184, and “Media Pane: Group
Clip” on page 186.
•

Click the Output button to work in Output mode.

Use Output mode to view a sequence, add a voice-over, and send the sequence to a playback
device or add a MAM basic sequence to a process. For a description of the controls in
Output mode, see “Media Pane: Output Mode” on page 187.
The view in the Media pane automatically switches to Asset mode or Output mode, depending
on the asset you load.
•

In the Assets pane, double-click a clip or subclip, or drag it to the Media pane. The clip or
subclip opens in Asset mode.

•

In the Assets pane, double-click a sequence, or drag it to the Media pane. The sequence
opens in Output mode.

•

In the Assets pane, right-click a sequence and select Open in Asset Mode. The sequence
opens in Asset mode.

•

In the Queue/Story pane, click the Open Sequence button. The associated sequence opens in
Output mode.

•

In the Search pane, double-click a MAM asset or basic sequence. The asset opens in Asset
mode, and the basic sequence opens in Output mode.

•

In the Tasks pane, double-click a MAM asset or basic sequence. The asset opens in Asset
mode, and the basic sequence opens in Output mode.

181

The Media Pane

Media Pane: Asset Mode
The following illustration shows the Media pane in Asset mode. Displays and controls are
described in the accompanying table.

q
w
e

i
o

1)
t
y
u

1!
Display or Control

Description

Title

Displays the name of an asset loaded from the Interplay Production
database or the title of an asset loaded from the Interplay MAM
database. The title of an Interplay MAM asset might not match the
name in the Assets pane. For more information, see “Renaming Asset
References” on page 64.

Asset and Output buttons

Lets you switch views between an asset loaded in Asset mode and a
sequence loaded in Output mode.

182

The Media Pane

Display or Control

Description

Video format display

Displays the tracks associated with the asset. If the display is red, the
asset does not have online media that matches the target resolution of
the selected Send to Playback profile. If you move the mouse pointer
over the display, you see what video and audio formats are associated
with the asset, in addition to the tracks.

STP button

Click this button to send a playable sequence loaded from an Interplay
Production database to a playback device. In Asset mode, this button is
active only if you load a sequence. For more information, see “Sending
a Sequence to a Playback Device” on page 384.

Media viewer

Displays video for a loaded asset, including master clips, sequences,
and subclips.
Text for a marker that you select or annotation of a selected stratum is
displayed as an overlay at the bottom of the Media viewer. Error
messages concerning media appear at the top of the Media viewer. The
speed display for J-K-L play is shown in the upper right. For more
information, see “Using the J-K-L Keys for Playback” on page 192.

Media Timeline and Media •
zoom bar

The Media Timeline is a graphical representation of the length and
time span of an asset or sequence. The Media Timeline includes
timing marks, a position indicator, and other controls. For more
information, see “Working in the Media Timeline” on page 209.

•

The Media zoom bar lets you enlarge a section of the Media
Timeline. For more information, see “Using the Media Zoom Bar”
on page 210.

Media controls

Lets you play, pause, step through, and mark in and out points. For
more information, see “Playing Assets” on page 191, “Stepping
Through Assets” on page 193, and “Marking In and Out Points” on
page 202.

Audio Pane button

Click this button to open or bring forward the Audio pane.

Match Frame button

Click this button to load a master clip that contains a selected frame of
a sequence or subclip. See “Using Match Frame” on page 214.

183

The Media Pane

Display or Control

Description

Pane Menu button

Provides options for controlling the display and sending to playback.
For more information, see “Media Pane Menu Options (Asset Mode)”
on page 184.

Timecode displays

Provides timecode information for the loaded asset or sequence. For
more information, see “Using the Timecode Displays” on page 206.

10 Marker overlay
Captions overlay

Displays the contents of a selected marker for a loaded Interplay
Production asset. For more information, see “Working with Markers
and Restrictions” on page 204.
Displays the annotation of a selected stratum for the loaded Interplay
MAM video or audio asset. For more information, see “Displaying
Captions and Segments” on page 205.

11 MultiRez button

If this option is enabled, lets you choose to play back at the highest
resolution. See “Playing Back at the Highest Resolution” on page 213.

Media Pane Menu Options (Asset Mode)
The following table lists options in the Media Pane menu when an asset is loaded in Asset mode.
For more information, see the appropriate topic.
Menu Option

Description

Match Frame

See “Using Match Frame” on page 214.

Category

(Interplay Production only) Searches the Interplay Production database for assets in a selected
category. A category is an Interplay Production custom grouping to which users can assign
database assets. Click the field and a list appears. Select one or more categories from the list.

272

Conducting a Search

Search Criterion

Description

Type

(Interplay Production only) Searches the Interplay Production database for assets of a
particular object type. Click the field and a list appears. Select one or more objects from the
list.

Asset Type

(Interplay MAM only) Searches the Interplay MAM database for assets of a particular asset or
basic sequence type. In Interplay MAM asset types are referred to as “object classes” and
“EDL classes”. Click the field and a list appears. It shows all object and EDL classes that are
configured in the connected Interplay MAM systems. Select one or more asset types from the
list.

Rights

(Interplay MAM only) Searches the Interplay MAM database for assets that have a particular
usage right assigned. Click the field and a list appears. It shows all usage rights that are
configured in the InterplayMAM legal list MA_Rights_Indicator. Select one or more rights
from the list.

You can use the following features with the advanced search filters:
•

Auto-completion: You can begin to type a value in a field, and as you type, the list of values
is filtered to match the characters that you type. For example, type X to display resolutions
that begin with X, such as XDCAM-EX and XDCAM-HD.

•

Keyboard shortcuts: Press Up Arrow or Down Arrow to step through the list of values, press
the space bar to select a value to add to the search field, and press Esc to close the list.

•

Multiple values: You can select multiple values from the list of options.

•

Removing a value: Click the x on the value.

273

Conducting a Search

Indexed Search Examples
The Media Index search engine uses language analysis and fuzzy matching to help find content
even if the actual text is slightly different. This allows you to find words with incorrect spelling
and word variations.

Indexed search requires Media Index to be installed and configured in your MediaCentral
Platform environment.
Media Index offers two search modes for different levels of complexity and expressiveness:
simple syntax (the default level) and advanced syntax, which you can use for more control over
the search results.
Simple Search Syntax

The simple syntax indexed search searches for all given words in an asset, adding a small amount
of flexibility to compensate for typographical errors. It also makes use of the language analysis
to find different word variants, as illustrated in the following example:
Search expression

Matches

Does not match

quick

“quick”, “quic”, “quik” “quick brown fox”

“quak”

quick blue

“quick blue fox”, “blue foxes run quick”, “quik blu”

“slow blue”

fly

“flew”, “flying”, “fli”

“flyte”

qui

“quick”

“quack”

Advanced Search Syntax

The advanced syntax exposes more features but by default it is not as tolerant as the simple
syntax. For example, it does not automatically compensate for spelling mistakes but instead
expects exact matches. You can use different operators to improve your search requests, and you
can combine the operators to create powerful search expressions. For a description of the
operators available for the advanced search syntax, see “Conducting a Search” on page 263.

274

Conducting a Search

Operator

Search expression Matches

Does not match

Fuzzy (~)

quick~

quic, quakc,
quick, quite

uid, kik

quick~3

kwic, black

quantum

qui*

quit, quick, quiz

quack, kick

qui?

quit, quiz

quick

?ick

tick, sick

quick

“quick fox”~1

“quick brown fox” “quick and clever
fox”

By default the fuzzy operator
allows for two different
characters in a word, but you
can specify more.

Wildcard (* and ?)

Proximity (“[term]”~[numeral])

Finds all cases where there
“quick fox”~2
words are inside the given
distance from each other. The
number parameter is the
number of words separating
the search terms.

Boolean prefixes (+ and -)

+quick -blue +fox

“qucik brown
fox”, “quick and
clever fox”

“quick and slightly
bluish fox”

“quick brown
fox”, “fox is
quick”

“quick blue fox”

Comparison of Simple and Advanced Search Syntax

Simple search syntax uses fuzzy search by default. This means that it finds all variations of a
search term that differ by one character. Advanced search syntax using one wildcard only finds
terms that vary the single character represented by the wildcard.
Search term

Matches

Simple syntax: test

best, rest, tet, tes, tast, text, testa, est

Advanced syntax: t*st

test, tast, tist, trst

In this example, the simple syntax returns a larger set of search results than the advanced syntax.

275

Conducting a Search

Wild Card Characters and Operators Supported for Federated Searches
in Interplay | MAM Databases
In addition to the basic criteria described in “Conducting a Search” on page 263, you can use
different wild cards and operators to specify your query when conducting a federated search in
Interplay MAM databases.
Option

Example

Result

Single character

Returns assets that contain the single search character “i” in one of
their metadata fields. The field in question can contain other text.
Example: i finds I robot but also I’m a robot
The single character feature is also used to support searches for
Chinese and Japanese characters.
If the feature Auto-Append Wildcards is activated, searching for a
single character is not possible.

Single search term

house

Returns assets that contain the search term “house” in one of their
metadata fields. The field in question can contain other text.

Exclamation mark (!)

!house

Returns assets that contain only the search term “house” in one of
their metadata fields. The field in question cannot contain any
further entries.
If the feature Auto-Append Wildcards is activated using the
exclamation mark is not possible.

Quotation marks (“”)

“White House”

Returns assets that contain both the search term “White” and the
search term “House.” “White” must come before “House” in the
text. The two search terms cannot be separated by any other
characters, except punctuation marks, as these are ignored.

Operator OR
Operator character |

White OR House
White | House

Returns assets that contain the search term “White” or the search
term “House,” or both.

Operator AND
Operator character &
Terms separated by spaces

White AND House
White & House
White House

Returns assets that contain the search terms “White” and “House”
in a single metadata field, or the search term “White” in one
metadata field and the search term “House” in a different metadata
field.

Operator NOT
Operator character ^ or ~

White NOT House
White ^ House
White ~ House

Returns assets that contain the search term “White” in at least one
metadata field, but that do not contain the search term “House” in
this or any other metadata field.

276

The Search Results List

Option

Example

Result

Brackets () and Operators

(house AND
(white OR
blair)) NOT
visitors

If you create complex search queries — queries that use more than
one Boolean operator — consider the priorities with which the
operators are processed: NOT takes priority over AND, and AND
takes priority over OR. In addition, you can use brackets in
complex search queries to give structure to your query. In this case,
the innermost bracket takes priority over the next bracket, and so
on.
The example query excludes all assets that contain the word
“visitors”; returns all assets that contain the other search terms, as
follows: “house” and “white,” “house” and “blair,” “house” and
“white” and “blair”.

Wild card * or %

The asterisk and the percentage sign are the universal wildcards
that will return any character string (0, 1, or more characters) in a
specific position.

Whit*
Whit%

Returns all assets containing words that start with whit, such as:
“whit,” “white,” “white-collar,” “whitey,” “whiter,” or “whitish.”
Using the * or % wildcard at the beginning of a search term or
within a search term requires specific usage rights. For
performance reasons these search options are not available by
default.
Auto-append *

If the option Auto-Append Wildcards is set in the System Settings
for Interplay MAM, each search term is appended automatically
by an asterisk before submission. This allows a search behavior
more similar to Interplay Production and iNEWS.

Whit

With the activated Auto-Append Wildcards feature, searching for a
single character and using the exclamation mark is not possible.

The Search Results List
The system returns assets that match the criteria of your search in the search results list. Above
the result list, the “Search Results for” field repeats the key word or words you typed the Search
text field; additionally the number of items found is shown.

277

The Search Results List

The search result list shows metadata for all found items in an overview table with configurable
columns. Depending on the type of item (iNEWS, Media, or MAM asset) you can select items in
the result list and open them in other panes for subsequent editing. You can also drag items that
represent media stored in the local Interplay Production server from the search results list to a
folder in the Assets pane. If the asset includes both local and remote media, or if the media is
offline, you cannot drag the asset to the Asset pane.
If the number of items found exceeds the configured maximum number of items that can be
displayed at a time in Grid view or for federated searches, the Show More Results button is
displayed at the bottom of the search results list. In Card view, you can view additional results by
scrolling down the results list.
For indexed searches, you can view your results in Card view or in Grid view. Card view
provides a summary of the metadata information in your search results, and Grid view displays
your results in a grid with columns for each selected metadata category. If your indexed search
results include assets with time-based metadata, you can click the timecode link in Card view
and open the asset at the position specified by the timecode. For example, if your search query
matches text within a marker, clicking the timecode link opens the clip or sequence in the Media
pane at the marker position.

Search results displayed in Card view

278

The Search Results List

Search results displayed in Grid view

Indexed search results using criteria that include time-based values display a timestamp for the
default time zone selected in the System Settings and appended by a Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC) offset. For example, a timestamp of 04:30:00 AM -4:00 appearing in the search results
list on a New York City system indicates that the time zone difference between New York (EDT)
and UTC is four hours. In Paris (CEST), the same asset in a search results list displays a
timestamp of 10:30:00 AM +2:00.
To change the view of the results list of an indexed search:

Click the Display Type menu and select one of the following:
-

Grid, to view a column-based results list.

Card, to view a summary of search categories for each result. You can also view
time-based metadata search results in Card view.

To sort search results, do one of the following:

For indexed searches, click the Sort By menu and select a category to sort your results. You
can select one category at a time. In Grid view, you can also click the heading of the column
you want to sort by.

You can use the Sort By menu to sort the results using a category that is not visible as a column
in the search results list.
t

For federated searches, click the heading of the column you want to sort by.

279

The Search Results List

An arrow appears in the column. How the column sorts the results depends on the content of
the column. For example, the Name column sorts results alphabetically, starting from the
lowest number and the first letter or the reverse.
To reverse the sorting order in Grid view or for federated searches:

Click the heading of the column again.

To view additional items in Grid view or for federated searches:

Click the Show More Results button.
Additional items are shown at the bottom of the search results list.

To add or remove columns from the Search pane:

1. Click the pane menu and select Add or Remove Columns.
The Add or Remove Columns dialog box opens.

2. Select the columns you want to add or deselect the columns you want to remove.
You can use the search box to find a particular column.
3. Click the Close box or click anywhere outside the window to save your settings.
The Search pane displays the selected columns.
To open an item from the search result list, do one of the following:

For federated searches or indexed searches, double-click the item.

280

The Search Results List

The asset opens in the Media pane. If the asset is a sequence and the Sequence pane is open,
the asset is loaded in the Sequence Timeline. If the asset is an Interplay MAM asset and the
panes are open, the asset opens also in the Logging, Metadata, and Thumbnails pane and its
associations are shown in the Associations pane. For more information, see “Working with
Video Media” on page 180 and “Using the Sequence Pane” on page 112.
t

If the search results include matches for time-based metadata, expand the Time-Based
Metadata area in Card view, and click the timecode link.

The asset opens in the Media pane at the location of the timecode. If the asset is a sequence
and the Sequence pane is open, the asset is loaded in the Sequence Timeline.
To copy an item from a search result list to another folder:

Click the item you want to copy, and then drag it to a new folder in the Assets pane.
The asset is copied to the target folder.

You can only drag assets in the search result list that are stored on the local Interplay Production
server to a folder in the Assets pane.
To export markers for one or more assets as an .xlsx file:

1. In the search results list (federated search only), select one or more assets that include
markers.
2. Right-click and select Export Logs.
A Microsoft Excel file named logs.xlsx is saved to your default download folder.
For more information, see “Exporting Markers” on page 301.
To create a shortcut to an asset:

Right-click and select Create Shortcut.
A link to the item is displayed in the Shortcuts section of the Launch pane. For more
information, see “Creating Shortcuts to Assets, Folders, and Queues” on page 42.
281

10 Logging Interplay | Production Assets
and Creating Subclips
The following main topics describe features you use when logging your material.
•

Workflows for Logging

•

Understanding Markers and Restrictions

•

The Log Layout

•

The Logging Pane for Interplay | Production Assets

•

Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers

•

Adding, Saving, and Deleting Restrictions

•

Exporting Markers

•

Entering Marker Text in Right-to-Left Languages

•

Unicode Support for Marker Text

•

Creating Subclips

The following topic lists the keyboard shortcuts used for logging:
•

n
n

“Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts” on page 515

In Media Composer v6.0, Avid Symphony v6.0, and NewsCutter v10.0, the term “locators” was
changed to “markers” in both the user interface and the documentation.
When you open an Interplay MAM asset, the Logging pane displays controls specifically for
logging Interplay MAM assets. For more information, see “Logging Interplay | MAM Assets” on
page 307.

Workflows for Logging
In MediaCentral UX, logging refers to the process of adding information to clips, subclips, and
sequences. This information includes markers, restrictions, and text, which you can use for
reference during story creation and media editing.

Workflows for Logging

MediaCentral UX enables fast, flexible logging. A special layout for logging, called the Log
layout, provides a Logging pane for viewing and editing markers. Keyboard shortcuts give you a
quick way to work with markers while controlling media playback.
Example Workflows

Following are three typical logging workflows.
•

Logging a video feed: A media logger logs content at the same time that the media is being
ingested.The media logger can add markers to specify particular video or audio frames and
add comments to the markers as required. A journalist can then open a specific clip or clips
in MediaCentral UX, view the markers and comments, and copy text if necessary, even
while the recording is in progress.
Working with content while it is being ingested is sometimes referred to as “edit while
capture.” For more information, see “Viewing and Editing a Clip During Ingest” on
page 218.

•

Logging recorded video: A media logger browses for recorded clips and logs the content by
adding markers and comments. For example, marker comments can include a transcription
of an interview. A journalist can then use the transcription as a starting point for a story.

•

Creating a shot list: A media logger can place markers on clips to identify specific shots,
mark in and out points to create a series of subclips, and combine these subclips into a shot
list. For example, a journalist or a logger might create a shot list with markers and subclips
for a sequence, and another media editor can then match the shot list to a story text or use it
to create a voice-over track. For more information, see “Using the Sequence Pane” on
page 112.

•

Adding markers to a sequence: You can add markers to a sequence you are creating, either
by adding clips with markers to a sequence or by adding markers directly to a sequence. See
“Adding Markers to a Sequence” on page 175.

Multiple Loggers Working on the Same Clip

Two or more media loggers can add markers to the same clip, while it is still being recorded or
after it has already been recorded. Each media logger can refresh the Logging pane to display all
saved markers, including those created by other loggers.

There is no locking mechanism if two loggers are editing the same marker text. If two
loggers are editing the same marker text, either one can save the marker, and the clip in the
Interplay Production database updates with the last saved version. To display the latest
saved version, click the Refresh button or press F5.

283

Understanding Markers and Restrictions

Multiple Loggers Working on the Same Sequence

Two or more media loggers can add markers to the same sequence. However, the loggers must
limit their edits to the Logging pane and make sure no one else is editing the sequence. Any edits
to the sequence (such as L cuts or trims) that are saved and checked in will overwrite the
previously checked-in sequence, including markers not included in the edited sequence. Closing
the Sequence pane can help avoid this problem.
Each media logger can refresh the Logging pane to display all saved markers, including those
created by other loggers.

As with master clips, there is no locking mechanism if two loggers are editing the same
marker text. If two loggers are editing the same marker text, either one can save the
marker, and the clip in the Interplay Production database updates with the last saved
version. To display the latest saved version, click the Refresh button or press F5.
Keyboard Shortcuts

You can accomplish many functions for logging and controlling playback using keyboard
shortcuts, such as
•

Ctrl+M to add a marker.

•

Ctrl plus a key on the numeric keypad to add a marker of a specific color. For example, press
Ctrl+3 to create a marker with a red icon.

•

Ctrl+Enter to save text.

•

Up Arrow to move to previous marker, Down Arrow to move to next marker.

•

Ctrl+J (back), Ctrl+K (stop), and Ctrl+L (forward) to control playback while entering
markers and marker text.

For more information, see “Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts” on page 515.

Understanding Markers and Restrictions
In MediaCentral UX, adding markers is the primary way to log material. A marker is an
indicator that you add to a selected frame to mark a particular location in a clip, subclip, or
sequence. Markers can have icons of different colors and can be associated with user-defined
comments.

284

Understanding Markers and Restrictions

Markers and Avid Applications

Users can add, view, and edit markers in several different Avid applications:
•

Avid Media Composer, including NewsCutter and Symphony options

•

Interplay Assist

•

Interplay Access

•

MediaCentral UX

Markers added in any of these products can be viewed and edited by any of the other products in
an Interplay Production environment.

In Media Composer v6.0, Avid Symphony v6.0, and NewsCutter v10.0, the term “locators” was
changed to “markers” in both the user interface and the documentation.

Spanned markers created on an Avid editing system are not currently supported in
MediaCentral.
Markers and Uneditable Sequences

You can add markers to uneditable sequences (sequences that are colored dark red), edit marker
text, and save the markers with the sequence, if you have the proper permissions in Interplay
Production. You need to have a read/write role for the folder that contains the sequence and
permissions for markers as described below.

For a description of uneditable sequences, see “Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in
the Sequence Pane” on page 133.
Restrictions

A restriction is a span of an asset that indicates a clip, or a portion of a clip, whose use is limited
in some way, such as through intellectual property rights management or content compliance.
Users can add and edit restrictions only in Interplay Assist and MediaCentral UX, but can view
them in the following Avid products:
•

Avid Media Composer, including NewsCutter and Symphony options

•

Avid Instinct

For information about creating restrictions in MediaCentral UX, see “Adding, Saving, and
Deleting Restrictions” on page 298.
Permissions

To create and modify markers, a MediaCentral UX user’s Interplay Production account must be
configured with the following permissions:
285

Understanding Markers and Restrictions

Setting

Description

Can create locators

Create markers (formerly called “locators” in Avid
editing products)

Can modify locators

Modify and delete markers

Can create restrictions

Create restrictions

Can modify restrictions

Modify and delete restrictions

If a user does not have these permissions, the Create Marker button or the Create Restriction
button is grayed out and a tool tip states that the user does not have permission to create a marker
or restriction.
An Interplay Production administrator sets these permissions in the Instinct/Assist User Settings
view of the Interplay Administrator. For more information, see the Interplay | Engine and
Interplay | Archive Engine Administration Guide or the Interplay Production Help.
Markers and Sequences

In MediaCentral UX, you can add markers to clips, subclips, and sequences stored in the
Interplay Production database. Markers that you add to a sequence are associated only with the
sequence. They are not automatically associated with the corresponding master clips used in the
sequence. Similarly, a marker added to a subclip is not added to the associated master clip.

When you add a marker to a sequence, you might notice a delay of a few seconds before you can
create a new marker. In this case, the Insert Marker button is disabled (grayed out). When the
button is enabled again, you can create a new marker.
If you are creating a sequence in the Sequence pane, you can add markers either by adding clips
with markers to the sequence or by adding markers directly to the sequence. See “Adding
Markers to a Sequence” on page 175.
Number of Characters in Marker Text

In MediaCentral UX, marker text has a limit of 32,000 characters for each marker. If marker text
exceeds 32,000 characters, a warning message tells you that the text exceeds the maximum
number of characters and that you cannot save the text until the reduce the number of characters.
The Save status message shows you the character count until it is reduced to 32,000, at which
point the message changes to “Unsaved changes” and you can save the text.

286

The Log Layout

The Log Layout
The Log layout provides you with an arrangement of panes defined for use in logging, which you
can customize. The following illustration shows the Launch pane, the Media pane, and the
Logging pane. The Logging pane tab displays the name of the loaded clip or sequence.

q
q

w
w

e
e

Launch pane, Asset pane

Media pane, Audio pane, Messages pane

Logging Pane, Thumbnails Pane, Metadata pane
(not shown)

You can adjust the location and size of the panes as you can do in other layouts. For example,
you can drag the Assets pane beneath the Media pane. For more information, see “Working with
Areas and Panes” on page 29.

The Output button and the STP button in the Media pane are disabled in the Log layout.
To open the Log layout:

Select Log from the Layout selector.

To reset the Log layout:

Select Reset Layout from the Layout selector.

287

The Logging Pane for Interplay | Production Assets

The Logging Pane for Interplay | Production Assets
You create and view markers and marker text in the Logging pane. You can also view
restrictions, if the clip or sequence contains them.

Prior to MediaCentral v2.1, this pane was called the Markers pane.
The following illustration shows a series of markers in the Logging pane. Displays and controls
are described in the accompanying table.

q
q

w
w

e
e

r
r

t r
r
y r
u

i
r

oa
r

1r!
r
6
rd
1r#
1$
r

Display or Control

Description

Strata list

Displays the strata configured for editing. For Interplay
Production assets, the only choice in the Strata list is
“Markers & Restrictions.” Strata is an Interplay MAM
feature that does not currently apply to Interplay Production
assets. For more information, see “Logging
Interplay | MAM Assets” on page 307.

Marker Color button

Indicates the color of the next marker to be added. You can
change the color by clicking the button and selecting a new
color.

288

The Logging Pane for Interplay | Production Assets

Display or Control

Description

Create Marker button

Click to create a new marker at the timecode selected in the
Media pane. You can also create a new marker by pressing
Ctrl+M (Windows and Macintosh) or Command + M
(Macintosh). You can create a new marker of a specific
color by pressing Ctrl plus a key on the numeric keypad.
See “Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts” on
page 515

Create Restriction button

Creates a restriction for the segment marked by In and Out
points in the Media pane. See “Working with Restrictions”
on page 293.

Refresh button

Updates the display of markers saved for the selected clip or
sequence. This control is especially useful when multiple
loggers are adding markers to the same clip or sequence, or
when a journalist wants to see the latest information added
by the loggers.
If the focus is in the Logging pane, you can also press F5 to
update the display.

Export button

Displays options for exporting marker text to other
applications. See “Exporting Markers” on page 301.

Save button

Saves all markers and exits edit mode.

Edit mode refers to the state in which the cursor is
displayed in the Notes field and you can enter text.
Ctrl+S saves all markers but does not exit edit mode.

Save status message

Displays whether or not markers for the clip or sequence
are saved. The messages are “Unsaved changes,” “Saving,”
or “All changes saved.”

Info icon

Displays the name of the selected stratum when you hover
the mouse pointer over the Info icon. For Interplay
Production, the only info is “Stratum that contains all media
markers and restrictions.”

289

The Logging Pane for Interplay | Production Assets

Display or Control

Description

Pane Menu button

The Pane menu for the Logging pane contains options for
both Interplay Production and Interplay MAM assets. The
following options are available for Interplay Production:
•

Add or Remove Columns. Select the columns you want
to display.

•

Delete. Functions the same as the Delete key
(Windows), Backspace (Macintosh), or fn+Backspace
(MacBook).

•

Help. Displays a Help topic describing controls in the
Logging pane. From this topic you can access the entire
MediaCentral UX Help system.

Filter button and criteria list

Lets you set criteria for filtering the list of markers.
Filtering does not apply to restrictions. See “Filtering the
Markers List” on page 300.

Columns

The Logging pane has six or seven available columns:
•

(no label): Displays orange for the selected marker or
markers.

•

IN: Displays the timecode in the clip or sequence that
corresponds to the location of the marker or restriction.

•

OUT: Displays the timecode in the clip or sequence that
corresponds to the end of a restriction.

•

Notes: Displays the text associated with the marker.
You can cut, copy, and paste this text. See “Cutting,
Copying, and Pasting Text” on page 299.

•

Color: Displays the icon associated with the marker.

•

User: Displays the name of the Interplay Production
user who created the marker.

•

Angle: For a group clip, displays the name of the master
clip for each marker or restriction. See “Markers and
Restrictions for Group Clips” on page 252.

After you create a new marker, the focus is in the first
column to the right of the OUT column. This is the Notes
column by default.
You can adjust the width of columns and rearrange the
order of columns by dragging and dropping.
13

Unselected marker

Gray indicates a marker that is not selected.

290

Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers

Display or Control

Description

Restriction

A restriction is displayed in several ways:
•

The restriction is displayed at the timecode where it
starts. The IN and OUT column shows the span of the
restriction. The far left column is colored dark orange.

•

A warning icon is displayed in the Color column.

•

If there are markers within the restricted span, the far
left column is colored orange, and the bottom of the last
marker row in the span is marked by a thin yellow line.
In the illustration, the last marker in the restriction is in
edit mode. The Notes column for the marker is white.

See “Working with Restrictions” on page 293.
To close the Logging pane:

Click the X in the pane’s tab.

To open the Logging pane:

Select Panes > Logging.

Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers
How you add markers depends on your workflow. You can add a marker to a clip, subclip, or
sequence. You can add markers while video plays or you can scrub through the video and add
markers at appropriate locations. You can control the video, add markers, and delete markers by
using the mouse or the keyboard. For example, while in the Log layout, you can use Ctrl+J,
Ctrl+K, or Ctrl+L keys to control video while you type marker text. For a list of keyboard
shortcuts, see “Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts” on page 515.
Adding text in the Notes column is optional. You can add marker text immediately, or you can
add a marker without text and then add text later.
When you add a marker without text, the marker is saved automatically. When you add a marker
with text, the marker is saved automatically and the text is saved if you save the marker manually
or if you step out of a marker (exit edit mode) by using Ctrl+Enter.

Edit mode refers to the state in which the cursor appears in the Notes field and you can enter
text.

291

Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers

You can select which color you want to use for the marker icon. This can be useful if you want to
establish particular meanings for particular colors — for example, red for restrictions or blue for
audio.
The Marker Color button indicates the currently selected color for the marker icon. To change
the color, click the button and select a different color.

Changing the color affects only the next marker you set. Existing markers are not changed.
To add a marker, do one of the following:

Click the Create Marker button.

Press Ctrl+M.

Press Ctrl plus a key on the numeric keypad that is associated with the color you want to use
for the marker icon. You can also press Ctrl plus a number key from the top row of the
keyboard. For example, press Ctrl+3 to create a marker with a red icon. See “Logging Pane
(Interplay | Production) Shortcuts” on page 515.
After you create a new marker, the focus is in the first column to the right of the OUT
column. By default this is the Notes column. The cursor appears in the Notes field and you
can begin typing.
You can add another marker while in edit mode. After you create a new marker, the old
marker is automatically saved and the cursor appears in the Notes field of the new marker.

To enter edit mode and edit marker text, do one of the following:

Double-click the Notes field.

Select a marker and press Enter.

To save marker text, do one of the following:

Click the Save button. Text is saved and you exit edit mode.

Press Ctrl+S. Text is saved and you remain in edit mode.

Press Ctrl+Enter to exit edit mode.
292

Working with Restrictions

Use the mouse to select a different marker.

Add a new marker.
If you are adding markers to a sequence in Output mode, saving markers in the Logging
pane also saves the sequence, including markers. Similarly, saving a sequence in Output
mode also saves the markers in the sequence.

To delete a marker, select one or more markers and do one of the following:

Press the Delete key (Windows), Backspace (Macintosh), or fn+Backspace (MacBook).

Right-click and select Delete.

To change the color of a marker icon, do one of the following:

Double-click the Color field for the marker whose color you want to change, then
double-click the color you want to use.

Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Color field you want to change, press Enter, use the
arrow keys to select the color you want, and press Enter again.

Select one or more markers, right-click, select Change Color, and double-click the color you
want to use.

Working with Restrictions
A restriction is a span of an asset that indicates a clip, or a portion of a clip, whose use is limited
in some way, such as through intellectual property rights management or content compliance.
The following topics describe working with restrictions:
•

“Understanding Restrictions in MediaCentral | UX” on page 293

•

“Adding, Saving, and Deleting Restrictions” on page 298

Understanding Restrictions in MediaCentral | UX
In MediaCentral UX, you can add, modify, save, and delete restrictions in the Logging pane,
similarly to the way you work with markers. The following illustration shows a restriction
labeled “Footage restriction” that includes two markers.

293

Working with Restrictions

Note the following:
•

The restriction is displayed at the timecode where it starts. The far left column is colored
dark orange. The IN and OUT columns show the span of the restriction. If the position
indicator is within a restriction, the restriction is displayed in bold.

•

A warning icon is displayed in the Color column.

•

If there are markers within the restricted span, the far left column is colored orange, and the
bottom of the last marker row in the span is marked by a thin yellow line.
In the previous illustration, there are two markers in the span of the restriction.

Restrictions are also marked in light red in the timeline in the Media pane, as shown in the
following illustration.

You can create a restriction within another restriction, or add a restriction that overlaps another
restriction. In this case, the enclosed restriction or the overlapping area is indicated by a darker
shade of red in the Media Timeline.

294

Working with Restrictions

Text for the restriction is shown on top of the Media viewer, preceded by a red triangle that
indicates a restriction.
•

If there are overlapping restrictions, text for the first restriction is displayed until the start of
the second restriction

•

If one restriction encloses another, text for the enclosing restriction is displayed.

The following illustration shows the Logging pane and the Media pane for a clip named
“Discovery Straight On.new.01.” This clip includes markers and two restrictions, labeled
“Restriction 1” and “Restriction 2.” These restrictions overlap briefly; the overlap area is
indicated in the Media Timeline by a darker shade of red. The position indicator is parked on a
marker that is enclosed by the first restriction. The restriction text is shown at the top of the
viewer, and the marker text is shown at the bottom.

The following illustration shows the same master clip listed in the Assets pane. An orange
triangle in the State column indicates that the clip contains a restriction.

The restriction icon in the State column is displayed only for master clips that include a
restriction, not subclips or sequences.
295

Working with Restrictions

This icon is also displayed in the DRM column, if the column is selected for display.
Requirements

To create and modify restrictions, a MediaCentral UX user’s Interplay Production account must
be configured with the following permissions:
•

Can create restrictions

•

Can modify restrictions

If a user does not have these permissions, the Create Restriction button is grayed out and a tool
tip states that the user does not have permission to create a restriction.
To delete restrictions, the user’s Interplay Production account must be configured with the
following permission:
•

Can modify restrictions

An Interplay Production administrator sets these permissions in the Instinct/Assist User Settings
view of the Interplay Administrator. For more information, see the Interplay | Engine and
Interplay | Archive Engine Administration Guide or the Interplay | Production Help.
Adding and Editing Text

Adding text in the Notes column is optional. You can add restriction text immediately, or you can
add a restriction without text and then add text later.
When you add a restriction without text, the restriction is saved automatically. When you add a
restriction with text, the restriction is saved automatically and the text is saved if you save the
restriction manually or if you step out of a restriction (exit edit mode) by using Ctrl+Enter.
Master Clips and Subclips

You can add restrictions to master clips or subclips. Master clips and subclips are linked, so that
restrictions added or changed in a master clip are added or changed in the corresponding subclip.
Similarly, any restrictions added or changed in a subclip are added or changed in the master clip.
Group Clips

You can view and edit restrictions for a master clip that is included in a group clip. A column
labeled Angle displays the name of the master clip for each marker or restriction, as shown in the
following illustration. There are two restrictions, on two different master clips.

296

Working with Restrictions

You can add a new restriction to a master clip by selecting it as the active angle, either in
single-angle view or multi-angle view. Master clips and group clips are linked, so that
restrictions added or changed in a master clip are added or changed in the group clip.
You cannot add a restriction to a group clip itself.
Restrictions are shown in the Media viewer for the master clip that is selected as the active angle,
in both Asset mode and Output mode.
You work with markers in the same way you work with restrictions. For more information, see
“Markers and Restrictions for Group Clips” on page 252.
Sequences

If you edit a master clip or subclip with a restriction into a sequence, the restriction is carried
over to the sequence. Information in the source clip remains linked to the clip in the sequence, so
that if there is any change to a restriction in the source clip, the information is changed in the
sequence.
If the Media pane is in Output mode, any restrictions in the sequence are shown in the Logging
pane, along with any markers included in the sequence. The restriction remains displayed if you
trim away part of the restricted area and remains until there is no part of the restriction remaining
in the sequence.
You cannot edit restrictions on sequence level. You cannot add a restriction directly to a
sequence. The Create Restriction button is inactive.
If you open an unsupported sequence, such as one edited in Media Composer, a message is
displayed at the top of the viewer that states “This sequence contains restricted clips.” Markers
are shown in the Logging pane, but restrictions are not.

297

Working with Restrictions

Adding, Saving, and Deleting Restrictions
If your Interplay Production account includes the proper permissions (see “Understanding
Restrictions in MediaCentral | UX” on page 293), you can add, modify, save, and delete
restrictions in MediaCentral UX.
To add a restriction to a master clip or subclip:

1. Load a master clip or subclip in the Media pane.
If you add a restriction to a subclip, the restriction is also added to the source master clip.
2. Set In and Out points to mark the region to which you want to add a restriction.
3. Click the Create Restriction button.
A beginning and end point are set for the restriction in the Logging pane and the restriction
is automatically saved. The cursor is positioned in the Notes area so you can immediately
add text for the restriction, if the Notes column is immediately to the right of the OUT
column.
4. (Optional) Type text for the restriction in the Notes column, then press Ctrl+Enter.
The following illustration shows a restriction that was created by setting In and Out points,
and is labeled “restriction.”

To enter edit mode and edit restriction text:

Double-click the Notes field.

Edit mode refers to the state in which the cursor appears in the Notes field and you can enter
text.

298

Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text

You cannot edit the start and end of a restriction. To change the start or end point, delete the
restriction and create it again.
To save restriction text, do one of the following:

Click the Save button. Text is saved and you exit edit mode.

Press Ctrl+S. Text is saved and you remain in edit mode.

Press Ctrl+Enter to exit edit mode.

Use the mouse to select a different restriction or a marker.

Add a new restriction or marker.

To delete a restriction, select the restriction and do one of the following:

Press the Delete key (Windows), Backspace (Macintosh), or fn+Backspace (MacBook).

Right-click and select Delete.

Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text
You can use standard keyboard shortcuts to cut text or copy text to the system clipboard, or paste
text from the system clipboard. This includes the ability to copy text from external sources such
as documents or Web pages and to paste the text as marker notes. The text is pasted without
formatting.
You can also do the reverse: copy marker text and paste it into an external source, such as
Notepad. If you work on a story in the Story layout, you can copy and paste text into the Script
Editor. You can also copy and paste entire markers (timecode and text). When you paste an entire
marker into a document, the pasted text includes the clip name and frame rate.
To cut text:

Select the text and press Ctrl+X.

To copy text:

Select the text and press Ctrl+C.

To copy markers:

Select one or more markers and press Ctrl+C. Use Shift+click to select contiguous markers,
and Ctrl+click to select non-contiguous markers.

To paste text:

Press Ctrl+V.

299

Navigating by Markers in the Log Layout

For a complete list of keyboard shortcuts, see “Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts”
on page 515.

Navigating by Markers in the Log Layout
You can use the mouse or keyboard to navigate by marker through a clip or sequence. A marker
selected in the timeline is also selected in the Logging pane. When you select a marker in the
Logging pane, the same marker is selected in the timeline and the Media viewer displays the
corresponding frame.
To navigate to the previous marker, do one of the following:

With the focus in the Logging pane, press the Up Arrow key.

With the focus in the Media pane, press Shift +Left Arrow.

To navigate to the next marker, do one of the following:

With the focus in the Logging pane, press the Down Arrow key.

With the focus in the Media pane, press Shift+Right Arrow.

In the Story layout, use Shift+Left Arrow and Shift+Right Arrow to navigate by markers.

Filtering the Markers List
You can use the filtering feature to display only markers created by specific users or that are
marked with specific colors.
Filtering does not apply to restrictions.

300

Exporting Markers

To filter the markers list:

1. Click the down arrow in the Filter Criteria list.

2. Select the criteria you want to use. You can select any of the available users or colors. This
list is determined by the markers in the loaded asset.
The criteria are displayed as buttons in the Filter Criteria list, the Filter button turns orange,
and the list is filtered.
After you set the criteria, you can turn filtering off by clicking the Filter button so that it
turns gray. To turn filtering on again, click the Filter button so that it turns orange.
To remove a criterion, do one of the following:

Click the x on the criterion button.

Click the down arrow in the Filter Criteria list and deselect the criterion.
The list is filtered according to the new criteria.

Exporting Markers
You can export a list of markers in one of the following formats:
•

Plain text file (.txt) that lists the timecode and text for each marker.

•

A tab-delimited text file (.txt) that you can import into Media Composer or another Avid
editing application. For more information, see the documentation for the Avid editing
application.

•

CSV (comma-separated value) file that you can open as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

•

XML file for use in other applications.

301

Exporting Markers

You can also export a list of markers as a formatted Microsoft Excel file. Select one or more
Interplay Production assets in the Assets pane or in Search results (federated or indexed search),
right-click, and select Export Logs. A spreadsheet named logs.xlsx is created and downloaded to
your browser's default download location. For multiple assets, each log is written on its own
worksheet tab. This feature applies to master clips, subclips, group clips, and sequences.
You can copy complete markers (timecode and text) to the system clipboard and paste them into
another application. You can also copy and paste marker text.
To export markers for a single asset as a file:

1. Load a clip or sequence that includes markers in the Media viewer.
2. Click the Export button.
The Export dialog box opens.

3. Select the type of file you want to export: Plain Text, Media Composer Text, CSV, or XML.
4. Type a file name. You do not need to add an extension.
5. Click Download.
The file is saved to your default download folder.
The dialog box remembers the format you selected. This format is automatically selected the
next time you open the dialog box.
To export markers for one or more assets as an .xlsx file:

1. In the Assets pane or in the search results list, select one or more assets that include markers.
2. Right-click and select Export Logs.
A file named logs.xlsx is saved to your default download folder.

302

Entering Marker Text in Right-to-Left Languages

To copy one or more markers as text to the clipboard:

Select one or more markers and press Ctrl+C.
You can use the mouse or keyboard to select multiple markers:
-

Select a marker, then press Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow to select a range.

Select a marker, then press Shift+click to select a range or Ctrl+click to select individual
markers.

You can then use Ctrl+V to paste the timecode and text to another document or application.
To copy marker text to the clipboard:

1. Double-click the Notes field for the marker whose text you want to copy.
2. Select the text you want to copy.
You can then use Ctrl+V to paste the text to another document or application.

Entering Marker Text in Right-to-Left Languages
You can enter, display, and edit marker text in right-to-left languages (for example, Arabic or
Hebrew). MediaCentral UX recognizes right-to-left characters (RTL). If more than 50 percent of
all marker text for an asset consists of right-to-left characters, the text direction in the Notes
column changes to right-to-left after you do one of the following:
•

Click the Refresh button in the Logging pane toolbar

•

Reload the asset from the Assets pane

All markers in a single asset change to use the same text direction.
You can also use one of the following the keyboard shortcuts to change the text direction:
•

Ctrl+Shift+D (Windows)

•

Command+Shift+D (Macintosh)

Text direction persists for all markers in a single asset unless the proportion of marker text
changes or you manually change the direction. If the first marker you enter uses right-to-left, the
next marker will begin with right-to-left, unless more than 50 percent of the text consists of
left-to-right characters or you manually change the direction.
You can copy and paste right-to-left text. If you paste text into the first marker of an asset, you
need to use a keyboard shortcut to change the direction of the text. After that, the next marker
will use right-to-left direction.
You can export the marker text, and the right-to-left direction is retained.

303

Unicode Support for Marker Text

Overlay text in the Media viewer is displayed only as left-to-right.
To manually change text direction for all marker text:

Press Ctrl+Shift+D
If the direction is left-to-right, pressing the keyboard shortcut changes direction to
right-to-left. If the direction is right-to-left, pressing the keyboard shortcut changes direction
to left-to-right.

Unicode Support for Marker Text
MediaCentral UX v1.2 and later supports input and display of Unicode characters when you
create marker text. As a result, any characters that you use for marker text in MediaCentral UX
are displayed correctly in the following products:
•

MediaCentral UX

•

Interplay Assist

•

Avid Instinct

•

Interplay Access

Media Composer, Symphony, and NewsCutter display Unicode characters only if you set the
operating system to the same locale in which the text was created.
MediaCentral UX correctly displays any characters used for marker text created in other
products.

In an Interplay Production workgroup, all clients and applications except MediaCentral UX
must use the same locale, either English or one other locale.

Creating Subclips
You can create a subclip from a clip that you load in the Media pane and store it in an existing
folder in the Interplay Production database. You can create the subclip by dragging and dropping
or by using a dialog box. or by using a dialog box.
After you create a subclip, the original clip remains in the Media viewer. This is useful if you are
creating a series of subclips from the same master clip. A newly created subclip is automatically
selected in the Assets pane. Double-click the subclip to load it in the Media viewer.

Creation of subclips from sequences or group clips is not currently supported. You can create a
subclip from a subclip.

304

Creating Subclips

To create a subclip by dragging and dropping:

1. Set an In point and an Out point for a clip that is loaded in Asset mode.
2. In the Assets pane, display the folder in which you want to store the subclip.
3. Click anywhere in the Media viewer and drag the thumbnail from the Media pane to the
folder, or to the line in the Assets pane that holds the folder.

Use the mouse pointer to precisely indicate the target location. If you hover over a folder, the
folder opens. If a folder is already open in the Assets pane, drag the thumbnail anywhere in
the Assets pane (except to a subfolder) to add it to the folder. A green plus sign indicates a
valid location for the subclip.

You can also click the Media Pane Menu button while you are in Asset mode and select Create
Subclip. The Select Folder for Subclip dialog box allows you to specify a folder for the subclip.
The subclip is added to the database, with the extension .Sub added to the clip name. Any
other subclips you create from the same clip include an incremented extension, for example,
.Sub.01, .Sub.02, and so on.
4. (Option) Rename the clip by doing one of the following:
t

Select the subclip in the Assets folder, click the name of the clip, and type the new
name,

Select the subclip in the Assets folder, press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh), and
type the new name.

To create a subclip by using a dialog box:

1. Set an In point and an Out point for a clip that is loaded in Asset mode.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Media Pane menu button and select Create Subclip.

With focus in the Media pane, press the S key.

The Select Folder for Subclip dialog box opens.
305

Creating Subclips

The subclip is added to the database, with the extension .Sub.01 added to the clip name. Any
other subclips you create from the same clip include an incremented extension, for example,
.Sub.02.
3. Select the folder or subfolder in which you want to save the subclip. By default, the folder
that holds the master clip is selected.
4. A default name is supplied, with the extension .Sub added to the clip name. Any other
subclips you create from the same master clip include an incremented extension, for
example, .Sub.01, .Sub.02, and so on. Rename the clip if you want.
5. Click Create Subclip.
The subclip is added to the database.

306

11 Logging Interplay | MAM Assets
The following main topics describe features you use when logging Interplay MAM assets.
•

Understanding Strata

•

Logging Overview (Interplay | MAM Assets)

•

The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM)

•

Understanding Segmentation Principles

•

Locking a Stratum

•

Working with Segments

•

Navigating by Segments

•

Annotating Text Fields

•

Annotating Using Tags

•

Defining Merge Rules for Annotated Segments

•

Exporting Strata

The following topic lists the keyboard shortcuts used for logging:
•

“Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts” on page 518

Understanding Strata
Logging Interplay MAM assets is based on a few fundamental concepts, the most significant of
which is stratification. Stratification allows annotation of parts of video objects along their
timeline, at any segment defined by an In timecode and an Out timecode. These annotations are
similar to Interplay Production markers; the difference is that an Interplay Production marker is
associated to a single frame, while an Interplay MAM annotation is associated to a sequence of
frames.
Annotations might vary in their semantic meaning. For example, you can provide keywords that
specifically describe a part of the material, name the location visible in a scene, or define the
rights situation for a given segment. To keep these kinds of annotations semantically separated,

Understanding Strata

Interplay MAM and MediaCentral allow you to layer any number of such annotations on top of
the timeline, where each layer is dedicated to annotations of a specific kind. These layers are
called strata.
Strata Types

Interplay MAM provides three types of strata that can be displayed and edited in
MediaCentral UX. These differ from each other as follows:
•

Simple strata: Simple strata have only one property assigned to them. The property can be
any data type used throughout Interplay MAM, such as “text,” “timecode,” “date,” “legal list
(selection list),” and so on.

•

Structured strata: Structured strata can have multiple properties assigned to them.

•

Strata groups: You can combine several strata in a strata group. The segmentation across the
strata within a strata group is always synchronized. Restriction: You cannot combine strata
that allow “overlapping segments” with strata that do not allow overlapping segmentation in
a strata group.

The strata types and specific strata provided by Interplay MAM depend on how they are
configured on site.
Segmentation

Depending on the stratum type, you can create sequential or overlapping segments. Segments
can be annotated at any time.
Interplay MAM has two segmentation modes: Segmentation without gaps, and segmentation
with gaps. If gaps between segments are not allowed in a stratum, segments cannot be deleted
from the stratum.
Segments can be asynchronously distributed across different strata, but segmentation across the
strata of a strata group is always synchronous. The segmentation in an entire strata group can be
asynchronous compared to the segmentation in the strata outside the group. For more
information, see “Understanding Segmentation Principles” on page 315.
Annotation

Annotation refers to the process of adding information to a segment. The kind of annotation that
can be performed depends on the types and number of properties assigned to a stratum. In
MediaCentral UX, segments can be annotated within all strata in the Logging pane. Annotation
related to the entire asset can be entered and edited in the Metadata pane. For more information,
see “Editing Metadata” on page 69.

308

Logging Overview (Interplay | MAM Assets)

Logging Overview (Interplay | MAM Assets)
In MediaCentral UX, logging Interplay MAM assets refers to the process of segmenting strata
and adding information to them. This information includes text and other properties, which you
can use for reference during story creation and media editing.
MediaCentral UX enables fast, flexible logging. Keyboard shortcuts give you a quick way to
create segments and controlling media playback while logging.
Strata and Avid Applications

Users can view and edit strata and segments in the following Avid applications:
•

Interplay MAM Cataloger (view strata contents and edit segmentation)

•

MediaCentral UX (view strata contents and edit segmentation)

Segments and annotation added to strata in either of these products can be searched and viewed
in Interplay MAM Desktop.
Permissions

To edit a stratum, a MediaCentral UX user’s Interplay MAM account must be configured with
the following permissions:
Setting

Description

Strata/READ_

Grants the right to see the stratum

Strata/WRITE_

Grants the right to edit the stratum. To edit strata
pooled in a strata group you need the WRITE
permission for all strata in the group.

Stratum/WRITE_RULE_

Grants the right to edit the stratum if any of the
conditions defined in the expression are true to
users that do not have the general editing right on
that stratum.

Properties assigned to a stratum can additionally be restricted by separate read/write
permissions.
If a user does not have at least one of the permissions listed in the table above, the controls for
creating segments or editing properties are grayed out in the Logging pane and a tool tip states
that the user does not have permission to edit the stratum.

309

The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM)

An Interplay MAM administrator defines expressions and sets permissions on the property level
in Interplay MAM Datamodel Administrator and sets permissions on the strata level in the
Interplay MAM User Manager. For more information, see the Interplay | MAM Datamodel
Administrator User’s Guide and the Interplay | MAM User Manager User’s Guide.
Configuration

Logging can be processed in two modes: Gaps Allowed and Gaps Not Allowed. Which mode is
active in MediaCentral UX is configured in the Interplay MAM System Administrator.
An Interplay MAM administrator can configure if a stratum allows overlapping segments in the
Interplay MAM Datamodel Administrator.
For more information, see the Interplay | MAM Datamodel Administrator User’s Guide,
Interplay | MAM System Administrator User’s Guide, and Interplay | MAM Configuration
Settings Reference.
Keyboard Shortcuts

When logging Interplay MAM assets you work with the Logging pane and Media pane. Both
panes are synchronized: When you select a segment in the Logging pane, the same segment is
selected in the Media Timeline and the Media Viewer displays the segment’s start frame. And a
segment selected in the Media Timeline is also selected in the Logging pane.
You can accomplish most functions for logging and controlling playback using keyboard
shortcuts. For more information, see “Media Pane Shortcuts” on page 512 and “Logging Pane
(Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts” on page 518.

The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM)
The Logging pane provides you with an arrangement of controls defined for use in logging
Interplay Production assets or Interplay MAM assets. The layout of the Logging pane adapts
automatically depending on the asset you open:
•

If you open an asset from an Interplay Production database, you can create, view, and edit
markers and restrictions. See “Logging Interplay | Production Assets and Creating Subclips”
on page 282.

•

If you open an asset from an Interplay MAM database, you can create, view, and edit
segments and segment annotation.

The following illustration shows a series of segments for an Interplay MAM asset in the Logging
pane. Displays and controls are described in the accompanying table.

310

The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM)

q
q

w e
w
e

y
rr
r
tr

u
r

i
r

o
r
a
r
1!
r

Display or Control

Description

Strata list

Contains the strata and strata groups configured for editing. The name
of the selected stratum or strata group is shown on the collapsed list.

New Segment control

Is shown when logging is configured to allow gaps and for strata that
allow overlapping segments. Creates a new segment with one of the
following options:
•

In and Out mode: Sets the In and Out marks at the positions you
defined in the Media Timeline.

•

Playhead position mode: Sets the In mark at the current playhead
position but does not define an Out mark.

You see the selected mode when you hover the mouse pointer over the
New Segment control. See “Creating Segment (Gaps Allowed)” on
page 322.

Export button

Displays options for exporting strata information. See “Exporting
Strata” on page 340.

311

The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM)

Display or Control

Description

Refresh button

Updates the display of segments saved for the selected stratum. This
control is especially useful when you switch to a stratum that is
currently edited by another user who is adding segments to the same
clip.
If the focus is in the Logging pane, you can also press F5 to update the
display.

Lock button

Locks or unlocks the selected stratum and indicates if the stratum is
already locked for editing. See “Locking a Stratum” on page 319.
•

Gray: You can manually set a lock by clicking the Lock button. If
the stratum is already locked, for example, because another user is
already editing the stratum, a tooltip is shown when you click the
button.

•

Orange: The stratum is currently being edited by you and therefore
locked for other users. As soon as you start editing a stratum it is
locked and the Lock button is colored orange. You can manually
unlock the stratum by clicking the Lock button. The lock is
automatically released when you select another stratum or close the
Logging pane.

Save button

Saves all changes without unlocking the stratum.

Info icon and status message

Provides information about the editing status:
•

Displays the name of the selected stratum when you hover the
mouse pointer over the Info icon.

•

Displays messages when a selected editing option cannot be
applied; for example, if creating an overlapping segment is not
allowed.

•

Displays whether or not changes for the segment are saved. The
messages are “Unsaved changes,” “Saving,” or “All changes saved.”

312

The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM)

Display or Control

Description

Pane Menu button

The Pane menu for the Logging pane contains the following options.
•

Undo. Undoes segment operations.

•

Redo. Redoes segment operations.

•

Add Or Remove Columns. Shows or hides columns in the Segment
List area.

•

Split at current playhead position. Splits the current segment into
two adjacent segments. The timecode selected in the Media pane is
set as the In mark of the new segment. The annotation of the
original segment is copied to the new segment. See “Splitting
Segments” on page 326.

•

Merge with next. Merges a selected segment with the segment to its
right on the timeline. A gap between the segments is also merged.
See “Merging Segments” on page 327.

•

Delete (Gaps Allowed Mode only). Deletes the selected segment
and creates a gap on the timeline. See “Deleting Segments” on
page 328.

•

Set In. Sets the timecode of the current position in the Media
Timeline as the new In mark for the selected segment. In Gaps Not
Allowed mode, it lets you resize adjacent segments by
automatically moving the Out mark of the previous segment. See
“Resizing Segments (Gaps Allowed Mode)” on page 324,
“Resizing Segments (Gaps Not Allowed Mode)” on page 323 and
“Resizing Overlapping Segments” on page 325.

•

Set Out. Sets the timecode of the current position in the Media
Timeline as the new Out mark for the selected segment. In Gaps
Not Allowed mode, it lets you resize adjacent segments by
automatically moving the In mark of the following segment.

•

Merge rules. Lets you define how the annotation of segments is
handled when the segments are merged. See “Defining Merge Rules
for Annotated Segments” on page 339.

•

Help. Displays a Help topic describing controls in the Logging
pane. From this topic you can access the entire MediaCentral UX
Help system.

313

The Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM)

Display or Control

Description

Segment List columns

The Logging pane shows the following columns:
•

Start: Displays the start timecode of the segment.

•

End: Displays the end timecode of the segment.

•

Text (“Comment” in the illustration): Displays the text associated
with the segment. A separate column is shown for each property of
type “text” assigned to the selected stratum or strata group.
You can cut, copy, and paste this text. See “Annotating Text Fields”
on page 330.

•

Tags: Displays properties others than type “Text” added to the
segment. See “Annotating Using Tags” on page 331.

Start and End are shown for all strata by default, Text and Tags are
shown according to the configuration of the stratum.You can configure
which columns are displayed by using the Logging pane menu’s Add
Or Remove Columns feature.
10

Unselected segment

Gray indicates a segment that is not selected.

Selected segment in edit mode

A selected segment is colored orange. When you are actively editing
text for the segment, the text field is white.

To close the Logging pane:

Click the X in the pane’s tab.

To open the Logging pane:

Select Panes > Logging.

To add or remove columns in the Segment List:

1. Click the Pane Menu button in the top right corner of the Logging pane and select Add or
Remove Columns.
The Add Or Remove Columns window opens.
2. Select the columns you want to add or deselect the columns you want to remove.
3. Click the Close box or click anywhere outside the window to save your settings.

314

Understanding Segmentation Principles

Understanding Segmentation Principles
In Interplay MAM an entire video clip is considered one segment. A segment can be any size,
from one frame to all frames of a video. You can create segments in all available strata.
For all strata types, Interplay MAM can be customized to allow or exclude gaps between
segments. The default setting excludes gaps between segments. Segments can be created or
changed in a stratum, but not deleted. If gaps are not allowed, segmentation is always
frame-accurate, meaning the Out mark and the In mark of adjacent segments are always adjacent
frames of the video clip. When the default setting is changed to allow gaps between segments, it
is up to you to decide if you want gaps between segments or not.
Segmentation - No Gaps Allowed

You can create, resize, or merge segments when gaps are not allowed. Segments cannot be
deleted from a stratum.
•

Creating segments: As gaps between segments are not allowed, “Split” is the only method
you can use to create segments. To create segments, start by splitting the entire stratum into
two segments. Then, split one of the two segments into another two, and so on. See
“Creating Segments (Gaps Not Allowed)” on page 321.

•

Resizing segments: You can resize adjacent segments by moving the segment border (Out
mark/In mark) between the segments to the left or right. See “Resizing Segments (Gaps Not
Allowed Mode)” on page 323.

•

Merging segments: You can merge adjacent segments by applying the “Merge” function,
which deletes the segment border (Out mark/In mark) between the segments. See “Merging
Segments” on page 327.

The No Gaps Allowed mode is reflected in the UI by the following elements: The Logging pane
does not show a New Segment control and the timeline in the Media pane only shows alternating
orange and blue segments.

315

Understanding Segmentation Principles

Segmentation - Gaps Allowed

Interplay MAM by default does not allow gaps between segments. The Out mark and In mark of
adjacent segments are always adjacent frames.
When the setting is changed to allow gaps between segments, you can still segment in a stratum
as if gaps were not allowed, but the major purpose is to be able to create segments with gaps
between them.
When you segment in a stratum you can have a gap before the first segment, after the last
segment, or between any two segments after the first or before the last segment, as illustrated:

Instead of starting or ending with a gap, you can also start or end with a segment.

316

Understanding Segmentation Principles

The Logging pane provides the following segmentation functions when gaps are allowed. You
can apply them to simple strata and structured strata:
•

Creating segments: You can use the “New Segment” control to create a new segment. See
“Creating Segment (Gaps Allowed)” on page 322.

•

Resizing segments: You can use the “Set In” function to move the start of a segment to the
left or right; the Out mark of the previous segment is not affected. You can use the “Set Out”
function to move the end of a segment to the left or right; the In mark of the following
segment is not affected. See “Resizing Segments (Gaps Allowed Mode)” on page 324.

•

Splitting segments: You can use the “Split” function to create two adjacent segments. See
“Splitting Segments” on page 326.

•

Merging segments: You can use the “Merge” function to concatenate a selected segment
with its neighboring segment to the right. A gap between the segments is integrated into the
merged segment. See “Merging Segments” on page 327.

•

Deleting segments: Use “Delete” to create a gap between adjacent segments or resize the
gaps to the right, or left, or both sides of the selected segment. See “Deleting Segments” on
page 328.

The Gaps Allowed mode is reflected in the UI by the following elements: The Logging pane
shows a New Segment control and the timeline in the Media pane shows light gray sections
between the alternating orange and blue segments.

317

Understanding Segmentation Principles

Overlapping Segmentation

Independently from Gaps Allowed and Gaps Not Allowed mode, each stratum can be configured
individually to allow “overlapping segments” — segments that share one or more frames in a
stratum. When such a stratum is selected in the Logging pane, gaps are automatically allowed.
This means that the “overlapping segments” setting overwrites the Gaps Not Allowed
configuration mode. You can create any kind of segment sequences in a stratum that allows
overlapping segments: Segments can be adjacent, have gaps between them, or they can overlap.
These different sequences can be combined across any section of the video, or across the entire
video.
The diagram represents a section with five overlapping segments that share at least one frame
with each other. Segments 2 and 3 are the only segments that do not overlap with each other. If
considered separately, they are not adjacent, because there is a gap between them.

The following illustration shows five overlapping segments on the Logging pane and the Media
Timeline. The timeline in the Media pane shows alternating orange and blue sections that
represent the individual segments of the selected stratum. Overlapping segments are represented
by a darker shade of the same color.

318

Locking a Stratum

Segmenting in Strata Groups

In the Logging pane, you segment in a strata group the same way you segment in a single
stratum. If strata are pooled in a group, the Strata selection list lets you select the strata group but
not the individual strata of the group. Example: You have a strata group Stratagroup_Demo
containing two strata SG_Subtitle and SG_Description. Then the Strata selection list will only
offer Stratagroup_Demo for selection. The segmentation is always passed on to all strata of the
group.
In the Media pane, you can only select an individual stratum to be displayed on the Media
Timeline. In the example, only the strata SG_Subtitle and SG_Description can be selected but
not Stratagroup_Demo. It is sufficient to display only one stratum since the segmentation across
the strata within that group is synchronized.

Locking a Stratum
If you are logging an Interplay MAM asset, the stratum is locked to prevent other users from
editing the stratum at the same time. The lock is automatically set when you begin editing the
stratum. You can manually set a lock before beginning editing by clicking the Lock button.
If another user opens the stratum while it is locked, and clicks the Lock button or tries to edit the
stratum, the tool tip for the Lock button reads “Cannot lock. The stratum is locked by user
.”

319

Working with Segments

The stratum remains locked until you do one of the following:
•

Select another stratum

•

Load another asset in the Logging pane

•

Close the Logging pane

•

Log off from MediaCentral UX.

To manually lock a stratum:

Click the Lock button.

When the stratum is locked, the Lock button turns orange.

You can manually unlock the stratum by clicking the Lock button. If you make an edit, the
lock is automatically set again.

Working with Segments
Segmenting strata and editing segmentation are the primary tasks when logging assets in the
Logging pane. The following topics provide information on how to create and edit segments:
•

“Creating Segments (Gaps Not Allowed)” on page 321

•

“Creating Segment (Gaps Allowed)” on page 322

•

“Resizing Segments (Gaps Not Allowed Mode)” on page 323

•

“Resizing Segments (Gaps Allowed Mode)” on page 324

•

“Resizing Overlapping Segments” on page 325

•

“Splitting Segments” on page 326

•

“Merging Segments” on page 327

•

“Deleting Segments” on page 328

•

“Segmenting During Ingest” on page 328

320

Working with Segments

Creating Segments (Gaps Not Allowed)
Since only splitting segments from the very beginning is possible in No Gaps Allowed mode, a
virtual segment that spans the entire stratum is created when you start editing a stratum for the
first time.

To create segments:

1. Load an asset in the Logging pane and Media pane.
2. In the Logging pane, select the stratum in which you want to segment.
3. In the Media pane, select the same stratum to be displayed on the Media Timeline.
4. Use the transport controls of the Media pane to move through the video and pause at the
desired position.
5. To create segments by splitting the virtual segment, do one of the following in the Logging
pane:
t

Click the Pane menu and select Split at current playhead position.

Right-click and select Split at current playhead position from the context menu.

With the focus in the Logging pane, press Ctrl+E.

The stratum is locked. The virtual segment is split into two segments.The current frame is
used as In mark of the second segment, the Out mark of the first segment is set to one frame
before. The second segment is selected in the Segment List.

321

Working with Segments

Currently you must reload the asset to make a new segment visible on the Media Timeline.
6. (Option) Annotate the segment. For more information, see “Annotating Text Fields” on
page 330 and “Annotating Using Tags” on page 331.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to create new segments by applying the split function.

Creating Segment (Gaps Allowed)
In Gaps Allowed mode you can explicitly define In and Out marks of new segments. Therefore
you do not need a virtual segment to split when you segment a stratum in Gaps Allowed mode
for the first time.

When you are creating segments in a stratum that allows overlapping segments, you
automatically have all Gaps Allowed options. Additionally you can create new segments within
already existing segments.
To create segments:

1. Load an asset in the Logging pane and Media pane.
2. In the Logging pane, select the stratum in which you want to segment.
3. In the Media pane, select the same stratum to be displayed on the Media Timeline.
4. Use the transport controls of the Media pane to move through the video and set In and Out
points to mark the start and end of the segment you want to create.
5. To create a segment with the given In and Out marks, do one of the following in the Logging
pane:
t

Press the Tab key.

Press Ctrl+M.

In the New Segment control, select In and Out mode and click the control.

322

Working with Segments

The stratum is locked. A segment is created with the given In and Out marks and shown in
the Logging pane’s Segment List.

Currently you must reload the asset to make a new segment visible on the Media Timeline.
6. (Option) Annotate the segment. For more information, see “Annotating Text Fields” on
page 330 and “Annotating Using Tags” on page 331.
7. In the Media pane, navigate through the asset and stop at a position where you want to start a
new segment.
8. To create a segment at the current playhead position, do one of the following:
t

Press Ctrl+Shift+M.

In the New Segment control, select Playhead position mode and click the control.

A segment with the given In mark but without Out mark is created and shown in the Logging
pane’s Segment List.
9. (Option) Annotate the segment.
10. To close the open segment, navigate through the asset in the Media pane, stop at a position
where you want to close the segment and do one of the following:
t

Press Ctrl+Alt+M.
The Out mark for the segment is set to the current frame.

Press Ctrl+Shift+M or click the New Segment control (Playhead position mode).
The Out mark for the segment is set to one frame before the current frame. A new
segment is created with the In mark set to the current frame.

Resizing Segments (Gaps Not Allowed Mode)
When editing in Gaps Not Allowed mode, you can move the In and Out mark only within the
selected segment. Restriction: You cannot move the In mark of the first segment, and you cannot
move the Out mark of the last segment.

323

Working with Segments

To resize a segment:

1. Load an asset in the Logging pane and Media pane.
2. In the Logging pane, select the stratum in which you want to resize segments.
3. In the Media pane, select the same stratum to be displayed on the Media Timeline.
4. Select the segment to be resized.
The segment is highlighted in the Logging pane. In the Media pane the position indicator is
set to the first frame of the segment.
5. Set the position indicator within the segment.
6. In the Logging pane, do one of the following:
t

Right-click the segment and select Set In or click the Pane Menu and select Set In.

Right-click the segment and select Set Out or click the Pane Menu and select Set Out.

The segment’s In or Out mark is moved to the current position. If you moved the In mark,
the Out mark of the previous segment is also moved. If you moved the Out mark, the In mark
of the next segment is also moved.

Resizing Segments (Gaps Allowed Mode)
When you want to resize segments in Gaps Allowed mode, select the frames you want to use as
the new In or Out mark from the Media pane. You can extend the segment into a gap but you
cannot extend the segment into another segment. This is only possible for strata that allow
overlapping segments. See “Resizing Overlapping Segments” on page 325.
To resize a segment:

1. Load an asset in the Logging pane and Media pane.
2. In the Logging pane, select the stratum in which you want to resize segments.
3. In the Media pane, select the same stratum to be displayed on the Media Timeline.
4. Select the segment to be resized.
The segment is highlighted in the Logging pane. In the Media pane the position indicator is
set to the first frame of the segment.
5. To move the segment’s In mark, set the position indicator either within the segment or in the
gap before the segment.
6. In the Logging pane, do one of the following:
t

Right-click the segment and select Set In.

Click the Pane Menu and select Set In.

The segment’s In mark is moved to the current position.

324

Working with Segments

7. To move the segment’s Out mark, select the segment to be resized and set the position
indicator either within the segment or in the gap after the segment.
8. In the Logging pane, do one of the following:
t

Right-click the segment and select Set Out.

Click the Pane Menu and select Set Out.

The segment’s Out mark is moved to the current position.

Resizing Overlapping Segments
Each of the overlapping segments can be resized, by moving its In mark or Out mark to the right
or left. Only when a stratum is configured to allow overlapping segments you can extend a
segment into another segment. To achieve this, the synchronization between the Media Timeline
and the Logging pane is partially disabled as shown in the following procedure.
To resize an overlapping segment:

1. Load an asset in the Logging pane and Media pane.
2. In the Media pane, select the stratum to be displayed on the Media Timeline.
3. In the Logging pane, select the same stratum.
4. Select the segment to be resized.
The segment is highlighted in the Logging pane. In the Media pane the position indicator is
set to the first frame of the segment.

5. To move the segment’s In mark, set the position indicator to the desired position.
Even if another segment is reached in the Media Timeline, the originally selected segment
stays selected in the Logging pane.

325

Working with Segments

6. In the Logging pane, do one of the following:
t

Right-click the segment and select Set In.

Click the Pane Menu and select Set In.

The segment’s In mark is moved to the current position.

7. To move the segment’s Out mark, select the segment in the Logging pane and and set the
position indicator to the desired position in the Media pane.
8. In the Logging pane, do one of the following:
t

Right-click the segment and select Set Out.

Click the Pane Menu and select Set Out.

The segment’s Out mark is moved to the current position.

Splitting Segments
The Split Segment function, which is offered when gaps are allowed, works like it does when
gaps are not allowed: it always defines the Out mark for the left segment and the In mark for the
right segment.

326

Working with Segments

To split within a segment:

1. Load an asset in the Logging pane and Media pane.
2. In the Logging pane, select the stratum in which you want to segment.
3. In the Media pane, select the same stratum to be displayed on the Media Timeline.
4. In the Logging pane, select the segment which you want to split.
5. Move through the segment in the Media pane to select the frame at which you want to split
the segment.
6. To set the split, do one of the following in the Logging pane,:
t

Click the Pane menu and select Split at playhead position.

Right-click and select Split at playhead position.

Press Ctrl+E.

The segment is split into two segments. The former In mark remains the In mark of the new
left segment, and the former Out mark remains the Out mark of the right segment. The frame
that was selected in the Media pane is set as the In mark of the new right segment, and the
frame adjacent to the left of this In mark is set as the Out mark of the new left segment.
The annotation of the original segment is copied to the newly created segment.

Merging Segments
When you merge segments, the selected segment is always concatenated with the segment to its
right on the timeline. The In mark of the selected segment remains the In mark, and the Out mark
of the right segment remains the Out mark of the new segment. If you merge segments across a
gap, the gap between the two is overridden and integrated into the new segment. How the
annotation is merged is defined by the Merge Rules you can set. See “Defining Merge Rules for
Annotated Segments” on page 339.
To merge segments:

1. Select the stratum in which you want to merge segments.
2. Select the segment you want to merge with the segment to its right.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Pane menu and select Merge with next.

Right-click the segment and select Merge with next.

The segments are merged and the former gap is overridden.

327

Working with Segments

Deleting Segments
Any segment in a stratum can be deleted if logging is configured to Gaps Allowed mode.
Depending on the position of the segment you want to delete, you will have different results:
•

If the segment starts at the beginning of the video and has an adjacent segment, you create a
gap the size of the deleted segment.

•

If the segment starts at the beginning of the video and is followed by a gap, the gap is resized
and starts at the first frame of the video.

•

If the segment ends at the end of the video and has an adjacent segment, you create a gap the
size of the deleted segment.

•

If the segment ends at the end of the video and is preceded by a gap, the gap is resized and
ends at the last frame of the video.

•

If the segment has adjacent segments to its left and right, you create a gap between the
segments.

•

If the segment is preceded or followed by a gap, the corresponding gap is resized.

To delete segments:

Select one or several segments you want to delete and do one of the following:
-

Click the Pane menu and select Delete.

Right-click a segment and select Delete.

Press the Delete key.

Segmenting During Ingest
MediaCentral UX lets you view and edit a clip while it is still being captured through an ingest
device. The process of working with it is called edit while capture (EWC).
If you view a clip that is still being captured in the Media pane, the ends of the Media Timeline
pulse with a purple glow while the capture is in progress.

Navigating by Segments

You can edit a clip while being captured in the Logging pane. You can apply all features that are
also available for ingested MAM assets: creating, resizing, merging, splitting, and deleting
segments, depending on the configured segmenting mode (Gaps Allowed, No Gaps Allowed,
and Overlapping segments).
The following illustrations show two examples for segments on the Media Timeline created in
edit while capture mode: overlapping segments and segments with gaps.

Navigating by Segments
You can use the mouse or keyboard to navigate by segment borders through a clip.
•

When you select a segment in the Logging pane, the same segment is selected in the Media
Timeline and the Media Viewer displays the segment’s start frame.

•

A segment selected in the Media Timeline is also selected in the Logging pane. Note that
this synchronization is not valid for strata that allow “overlapping segments.”

•

If segments in a stratum contain several property fields, you can also step through the
property fields.

To navigate to the previous segment, do one of the following:

With the focus in the Logging pane, press the Up Arrow key.

With the focus in the Media pane, press Shift+Left Arrow.

To navigate to the next segment, do one of the following:

With the focus in the Logging pane, press the Down Arrow key.

With the focus in the Media pane, press Shift+Right Arrow.

To navigate to the next property, do one of the following:

With the focus in the Logging pane, press the Left or Right Arrow key.

329

Annotating Text Fields

Annotating Text Fields
When editing text fields of a segment, most common features of text editing tools are available,
such as inserting text at a selected position, marking text you want to overwrite, copying, pasting,
and deleting, and so on.
You can use standard keyboard shortcuts to cut text or copy text to the system clipboard, or paste
text from the system clipboard. This includes the ability to copy text from external sources such
as documents or Web pages and to paste the text as segment annotation. The text is pasted
without formatting. You can also do the reverse: copy segment text and paste it into an external
source, such as Notepad.

You can apply the cut, copy, and paste options only to properties of type “text”.
To edit text fields:

1. Do one of the following:
t

Double-click the text field.

Select a segment and press Enter.

The text field is set to edit mode which is indicated by a white background color.
2. If the field is still empty, type the text.
3. If the field already contains text, do one of the following:
t

To add text, select the position at which you want to insert the text and start typing.

To change text, mark and overwrite the existing text.

To delete text, mark it and press the Delete or Backspace key.

4. Press Ctrl+Enter to leave edit mode and save your changes.
To cut text:

Select the text and press Ctrl+X.

To copy text:

Select the text and press Ctrl+C.

To paste text:

Press Ctrl+V.

For a complete list of keyboard shortcuts, see “Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts” on
page 518.

330

Entering Segment Text in Right-to-Left Languages

Entering Segment Text in Right-to-Left Languages
You can enter, display, and edit segment text in right-to-left languages (for example, Arabic or
Hebrew). MediaCentral UX recognizes right-to-left characters (RTL). If more than 50 percent of
all segment text for a stratum consists of right-to-left characters, the text direction in the Text
column changes to right-to-left after you do one of the following:
•

Click the Refresh button in the Logging pane toolbar

•

Reload the asset from the Assets pane

All segments in a stratum change to use the same text direction.
You can also use the following keyboard shortcut to change the text direction:
•

Ctrl+Shift+D

Text direction persists for all segments in a stratum unless the proportion of segment text changes
or you manually change the direction. If the first segment text you enter uses right-to-left, the
next segment text will begin with right-to-left, unless more than 50 percent of the text consists of
left-to-right characters or you manually change the direction.
You can copy and paste right-to-left text. If you paste text into the first segment of a stratum, you
need to use a keyboard shortcut to change the direction of the text. After that, the next segment
will use right-to-left direction.

Overlay text in the Media viewer is displayed only as left-to-right.
To manually change text direction for segment text, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+Shift+D.
If the direction is left-to-right, pressing the keyboard shortcut changes direction to
right-to-left. If the direction is right-to-left, pressing the keyboard shortcut changes direction
to left-to-right.

Annotating Using Tags
The Logging pane provides a Tags column to add tags to the stratum annotation. Tags are values
of properties that are not from type text, for example, date, timecode, or dictionaries. Tags help
avoid typos, secure that terms are used consistently across all assets, and can be added faster than
when typing manually. Which tags you can add to a stratum depends on the configuration of the
stratum in Interplay MAM Datamodel Administrator.
For a list of keyboard shortcuts you can use when working with tags, see “Logging Pane
(Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts” on page 518.
331

Annotating Using Tags

Adding, Replacing, and Deleting Tags
You can add, replace, and delete tags from a segment at any time. Note that you can only add one
tag of the same type to a segment at a given time; adding a second tag of the same type replaces
the original tag. When you work with segments of a strata group, you can add a tag of the same
type for each stratum pooled in the group. For example, if your strata groups contains three strata
which all have a “date” property, you can have three tags of type “date.”
To add a tag to a segment:

1. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click a segment and select Add Tag from the context menu.

Double-click the Tags field of a segment.

Click the Tags field of a segment and press Enter.

Select a segment and press the Insert key.

The Tags selector window opens. It shows all properties that are configured for the stratum
and up to five recently used tags.

2. Do one of the following:
t

Double-click the property.

Navigate down the list using the Down Arrow key until you reach the desired property
and press Enter.

Start typing the name of the property in the search box to filter the list, select the
property, and press Enter.

(Option) Double-click a recently used tag to insert it directly into the segment.

3. Type or select the value in the input control that opens.
4. Press Enter.
The tag is added to the segment.

332

Annotating Using Tags

To add a tag to several segments at the same time:

1. To select several segments, done of the following:
t

Click a segment and use the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key to select a series of
segments.

Shift+click the two segments that begin and end the series of segments you want to
select.

Ctrl+click the segments you want to select, regardless of order or arrangement.

Press Ctrl+A to select all segments.

2. Open the Tags selector window.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Double-click a recently used tag.

Double-click a property, type or select the value, and press Enter.

The tag is added to all selected segments.
To replace tags:

1. Select one or several segments.
2. Open the Tags selector window.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Double-click a recently used tag.

Double-click a property, type or select the value, and press Enter.

The original tag is replaced by the new tag in all selected segments.
To cancel tag insertion:

Press the Esc key.

Click outside the Tags selector window.

To delete a tag:

Click the tag’s X button.

333

Annotating Using Tags

Editing Integer or Floating Point Values
Figures are the only values that can be entered into integer fields. Figures and decimal points can
be entered into floating point fields. When these fields are preformatted, the periods (such as in
2.3) are set automatically.

To enter an integer or floating point value:

Type the figures, and if necessary, the decimal point.

Press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key to increase or decrease the figures.
The control replaces the old figures from right to left.

Editing Timecode or Duration Values
By default, Timecode and Duration fields are preformatted for different timecode types (PAL,
NTSC). They also support pasting copied timecodes.

To enter a timecode or duration:

Type in the figures, including “0”, from right to left.
The control replaces the old figures starting with the frames value from right to left.

Highlight the timecode and press Ctrl+V to paste a copied timecode. If you paste an invalid
timecode, the field shows a zero timecode.

Selecting Boolean Values
Boolean values are “True” or “False.” You can select them from a drop-down list.

To set a Boolean value:

Click the value in the list that opens.

Press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key to select a value and press Enter.
334

Annotating Using Tags

Editing Time Values
By default, the time fields are preformatted. The display format depends on the locale of your
account.

To enter a time:

Highlight the figures you want to change and type in the new figures.

Editing Date and Date/Time Values
By default, the Date and Date/Time fields are preformatted. The display format depends on the
locale of your account. You can enter the entire Date or Date/Time values manually, or select the
date value from a calender tool.

To assign a date or date/time value manually:

1. Highlight the figures you want to change and type in the new figures.
2. Press Enter to insert the tag.
To assign the current day using the calendar control:

1. To open the Calendar control, do one of the following:
t

Click the field’s Down Arrow button.

With the focus in the field press the Down Arrow key.

2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the outlined number.
335

Annotating Using Tags

Click the Today button.

Press the spacebar.

The Calendar control is closed and the current date is entered in the date or date/time field.
To assign another date using the calendar control:

1. Open the Calendar control.
2. To select a year:
t

Press Ctrl+Up key (previous year) or Ctrl+Down key (next year).

Click the calendar’s Month/Year indicator, select the year, and click OK.

3. To select a month:
t

Press Ctrl+Left key (previous month) or Ctrl+Right key (next month).

Click the calendar’s Previous Month or Next Month arrow button.

Click the calendar’s Month/Year indicator, select the month, and click OK.

4. To select a day:
t

Click the day.

Press the Left Arrow key (previous day), Right Arrow key (next day), Up Arrow key
(this day a week ago), or Down Arrow key (this day next week) and press Enter.

The Calendar control is closed and the selected date is entered in the date or date/time field.

Assigning Values from Drop-Down Lists
Drop-down lists provide the available values of a property. When you open a property of type
legal list, the Tags selector window initially shows a search box and all values of the property. If
you type a letter, MediaCentral UX filters the values starting with that letter. As you continue to
type, MediaCentral UX continues to filter the list according to the letter you type.

To assign a value from a list, do one of the following:

Double-click the value.

336

Annotating Using Tags

Navigate down the list using the Down Arrow key until you reach the desired value and
press Enter.

Start typing the name of the value in the search box to filter the list, select the value, and
press Enter.

Assigning a Master Data Value
Master data, for example, data records about producers, actors, and so on, consist of multiple
distinct values. These multiple values are represented by one master data value, when used for
annotation. When you open a property of type master data, the Tags selector window initially
shows an empty search box.

To assign a master data value:

1. Start typing the name of the value in the search box. MediaCentral UX searches the values
starting with that letter. As you continue to type, MediaCentral UX continues to filter the list
according to the letter you type.

2. Do one of the following:
t

Double-click the value.

Navigate down the list using the Down Arrow key until you reach the desired value and
press Enter.

Assigning the Term of a Thesaurus
Thesauri are mostly used to provide larger sets of invariant terms that can be assigned as values
to a property. When you open a property of type thesaurus, the Tags selector window shows a
search box and the name of the thesaurus.

337

Annotating Using Tags

To assign a thesaurus term:

1. Do one of the following:
t

Navigate the thesaurus using the Arrow keys: Press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key
to move up and down, press the Right Arrow or Left Arrow key to expand or collapse a
node.

Start typing the name of the term in the search box. MediaCentral UX searches the
terms starting with that letter. As you continue to type, MediaCentral UX continues to
filter the list according to the letter you type. The Tags selector window additionally
shows the path of the term within the thesaurus.

2. Do one of the following:
t

Double-click the term.

Navigate down the list using the Down Arrow key until you reach the desired term and
press Enter.

338

Defining Merge Rules for Annotated Segments

Defining Merge Rules for Annotated Segments
The Logging pane provides rules to deal with annotation when you merge annotated segments.
These rules apply to the properties provided in a Merge Rules dialog box.

The Use Left and Use Right rules are the same for all property types:
•

When you select Use Left, the annotation of the left segment is assigned to the merged
segment.

•

When you select Use Right, the annotation of the right segment is assigned to the merged
segment.

You can also apply property type specific rules:
Property type

Rule

Result

Text

Concatenate

The annotation of both segments is assigned to the
merged segment.

Boolean

AND

“True” is only assigned to the merged segment if it was
set in both original segments.

“True” is assigned to the merged segment if it was set
in one of the original segments.
339

Exporting Strata

Property type

Rule

Result

DateTime

Use Earlier

The earlier/later date is assigned to the merged
segment.

Use Later

Is also applied to Timecode properties.
Numbers

User Lower

The lower/higher number is assigned to the merged
segment.

User Higher
To define merge rules:

1. Click the Pane menu and select Merge Rules.
The Merge Rules dialog box opens.
2. Select the merge rule for each property type you want to change.
3. Click outside the dialog box or click the X button to close the Merge Rules dialog box.
The merge rules are saved in your user settings and are automatically applied when you merge
annotated segments. For more information on how to merge segments, see “Merging Segments”
on page 327.

Exporting Strata
You can export strata annotation together with the metadata of an asset as an Attribute Exchange
Format (AXF) file. You have the following options:
•

Normal: All strata and metadata information are written to the AXF file. For data types that
use internal references (for example, thesauri), the IDs are exported.

•

Localized: Instead of IDs, the localized labels are exported for data types that use internal
references.

To export strata as a file:

1. Load an asset that includes annotated strata in the Logging pane.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Export button.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Export.

The Export dialog box opens.

340

Exporting Strata

3. Select the export format: Normal AXF Export or Localized AXF Export.
4. Type a file name. You do not need to add an extension.
5. Click Download.
The file is saved to your default download folder.
The dialog box remembers the format you selected. This format is automatically selected the
next time you open the dialog box.

341

12 Working with Associations
(Interplay | MAM)
The following main topics provide information about working with associations between
Interplay MAM assets in MediaCentral UX:
•

Understanding Associations

•

The Associations Pane

•

Working in the Associations Pane

•

Viewing Associated Assets

•

Opening Associated Assets in Other Panes

•

Reusing Associated Assets in Other Panes

•

Switching Between Associated Assets

•

Creating Associations

•

Deleting Associations

Understanding Associations
Associations are relations between assets that help structure your assets. Associations also allow
easy and quick navigation (without searching) between assets.
The associations available are determined by the underlying data model. Associations can be
non-directional, directional, or hierarchical. The Interplay MAM default data model uses
hierarchical and directional associations.
•

Hierarchical: Assets are associated in a superior and subordinate way. Hierarchical
associations automatically establish the corresponding reverse association. Example: When
asset C “contains” asset D, then automatically asset D “belongs to” asset C.

•

Directional: Assets are associated in a sequential way. Directional associations automatically
establish the corresponding reverse association. Example: When asset A “refers to” asset B,
then automatically asset B “is referred to by” asset A.

The Associations Pane

The Interplay MAM default data model generally supports associations between assets of the
same class (for example, between two videos) and between different classes (for example,
between video and audio, or between video and basic sequence). The classes associated are
determined by the underlying data model. The data model also determines the icons and labels
that are used for the associations.
Associations can be created automatically by the system or manually in Interplay MAM Desktop
and MediaCentral UX. Which associations can be edited and created manually depends on the
system configuration. Once set, the references can be used in MediaCentral UX to navigate
between associated assets.

In a default configuration, hierarchical associations are automatically created between assets in
the following hierarchy lines: Series > Season > Episode > Episode Version, Commercial >
Commercial Version, and Feature > Feature Version. You cannot create or delete associations
for assets of these asset classes in the Associations pane.

The Associations Pane
The Associations pane is used to show you all assets that are associated with the selected asset.
You can review, change, and delete the displayed associations and navigate and browse the
associated assets. The following illustration shows several examples of what you might
encounter when displaying associations in the Associations pane.

q w
q
w e
e

t
r

r
r

y
r
i
r
u
r
o
r

343

The Associations Pane

Display or Control

Description

Back and Next buttons

Back button toggles the current view to the previous view in
the pane.
Next button toggles the current view to the next view in the
pane.

Refresh button

Refreshes the current view in the pane.

Pin Asset button

Toggles pinning of the current asset on or off. When pinning
is toggled on, the button is colored orange. Pinning prevents
the current asset from being replaced by an asset from another
pane. Pin the current asset to create associations. See
“Creating Associations” on page 348.

Expand All and Collapse All buttons

Expand All button expands all associations types and shows
all associations in the pane. See “Viewing Associated Assets”
on page 346.
Collapse All button hides all associations from the pane and
shows only the Association types.

Pane Menu button

The Pane menu for the Associations pane contains the
following option:
•

Help. Displays a Help topic describing controls in the
Associations pane. From this topic you can access the
entire MediaCentral UX Help system.

Current Asset (“Source Asset”)

Shows metadata of the asset that is currently open in the
Associations pane (“source asset”).

Associations List

Shows all assets associated with the current asset grouped by
association types. You can expand and collapse all association
types in the Associations List using the toolbar Expand and
Collapse buttons.

Association Types

Each association type that can be set for the current asset is
shown as a separate group. For each association type, the
following are shown:

344

•

An association type icon

•

The association type name followed by the number of
associations in brackets

•

An Expand/Collapse toggle button. Use the button to
show and hide the associations of the associations type.
As long as no association is created, the Drop Assets Here
area is shown. See “Creating Associations” on page 348.

Working in the Associations Pane

Display or Control

Description

Associations

Each associated asset (“association”) is shown as an asset
card. For each association, the following are shown:
•

A header frame or placeholder icon. Double-click the
header frame to open the asset in another pane. See
“Opening Associated Assets in Other Panes” on page 346.

•

The asset name. Click the asset name link to open the
asset in the Associations pane. See “Switching Between
Associated Assets” on page 348.

•

The Modified date

•

A Delete button. See “Deleting Associations” on
page 350.

Working in the Associations Pane
The Associations pane is divided into the Asset Details and Associations List areas, which are
both shown at the same time.
To open the Associations pane:

Select Panes > Associations.

To close the Associations pane:

Click the X in the pane’s tab.

To open an asset in the Associations pane:

Double-click an asset in the Assets or Search pane.
You see the following:
-

If the Associations pane is empty, the asset opens in the pane.

If an asset is already open in the Associations pane and the asset is not pinned, the new
asset opens in the pane.

If an asset is already open in the Associations pane and the asset is pinned, the new asset
does not open in the pane.

To show and hide associations:

Click the Expand All button to expand all association types and show all associations in the
Associations List.

Click the Collapse All button to collapse all association types and hide all associations from
the Associations List.
345

Viewing Associated Assets

To select several associations:

Ctrl+click the associations you want to select, regardless of order or arrangement.

Click an association and then Shift+click the association that ends the series of associations
you want to select.

Shift+click an association above or below the highlighted selection.
To remove the selection, click the Refresh button or collapse the association type that
includes selected associations.

To navigate through the Association pane history:

Click the Back button to navigate to the previous view in the pane.

Click the Next button to navigate to the next view in the pane.

To refresh the displayed associations:

Click the Refresh button.

Viewing Associated Assets
The Associations pane lets you see all associations of the asset currently open in the pane. By
default, the pane shows all association types that can be set for the asset in collapsed mode.
Which association types can be set is defined by the underlying Interplay MAM data model.
To display associated assets:

1. Open the asset for which you want to see the associations in the Associations pane.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the Expand All button.
All association types are expanded and all associations are shown in the Associations
List.

Click the Expand button of an individual association type.
The association type is expanded and its associations are shown in the Associations List.

Each association is displayed as an asset card that provides basic information on the
associated asset and a link to open the asset in the Associations pane.

Opening Associated Assets in Other Panes
You can use the existing associations to directly open connected assets. As a result, you do not
have to search for them again and again. Pinning the source asset has no effect on how associated
assets are opened in other panes.
346

Reusing Associated Assets in Other Panes

To open associated assets in other panes:

1. (Option) Open all panes you want to use for the associated asset. For example, for a video
asset, open the Media pane and Thumbnails pane.
2. Open the asset for which you want to see the associations in the Associations pane.
3. Expand the association types in the Associations List.
4. Double-click the header frame of the association.
The associated asset is opened in each appropriate pane that is open in MediaCentral UX.
The source asset is still displayed in the Associations pane.

Reusing Associated Assets in Other Panes
You can reuse assets that are shown in the Associations pane (the source asset and its associated
assets) directly in other panes. You can add assets to a folder in the Assets pane, add them as
attachments to a task in the Tasks pane, or add an asset as attachment to a message in the
Messages pane.
You can select assets of the same and different associations types at the same time. Note that
clicking an association type or including an association type in a multi-selection series does not
select the associations in it; you must expand the association type and select the individual assets
in it.
To reuse associated assets in other panes:

1. Open all panes in which you want to reuse associated assets (Assets pane, Tasks pane, or
Messages pane).
2. Open the asset from which you want to reuse associated assets in the Associations pane.
3. Expand the association types in the Associations List.
4. Do one of the following:
t

Select one or several assets and drag them to the asset area of a task in the Tasks pane.
A head frame of the video asset or a clip icon of an audio asset is displayed in the asset
area, along with metadata describing the asset. If you dragged an invalid asset type, a
message is displayed and the asset is not attached.

Select one or several assets, drag them to the name or icon of the folder into which you
want to paste the asset reference in the Assets pane, and release the mouse button.
Valid asset references are pasted into the folder, and references to assets that are not
allowed as contents of the folder are not pasted. If there is already a reference to an asset
with the same identifier in the folder, a message is displayed and the asset is not pasted.

Select an asset and drag it to the asset area of the message in the Messages pane.
347

Switching Between Associated Assets

A head frame of the video asset or a clip icon of an audio asset is displayed in the
message, along with metadata describing the asset.

Switching Between Associated Assets
You can use the Associations pane to switch between the source asset and an associated asset
directly within the Associations pane. Pinning the source asset has no effect on whether it is
replaced by the associated asset.
To navigate using associations:

1. Open the asset for which you want to see the associations in the Associations pane.
2. Expand the association types in the Associations List.
3. Click the linked name of the associated asset you want to open in the Associations pane.
The asset is opened and set as new source asset in the Associations pane.
4. (Option) Click the Back button to open the previously displayed asset in the Associations
pane again.

Creating Associations
You can create new associations in the Associations pane. Note the following limitations:
•

You must have the proper permissions in Interplay MAM.

•

Which asset types can be associated is defined and restricted by the underlying Interplay
MAM data model.

•

You can only associate assets from the same Interplay MAM system.

To allow previewing assets without loading them in the Associations pane (for example, for a
review before setting the association), the current asset can be pinned: if the asset is pinned,
loading new assets is ignored.
To create associations:

1. Open the asset for which you want to create new associations in the Associations pane.
2. To turn pinning on, click the Pin Asset button so that it turns orange.
3. Expand the associations types in the Associations List.
4. Display the assets you want to use for creating new associations in other panes:
t

Open the folder containing the assets in the Assets pane.

Search for the assets in the Search pane.
348

Creating Associations

Open the asset in the Media pane.

Open the Tasks pane and display the attachments of a task.

Open the Messages pane.

5. Do one of the following:
t

Click one or several assets in the Assets pane and drag them to the associations of the
desired association type in the Associations pane.

Click one or several assets in the Search pane and drag them to the associations of the
desired association type in the Associations pane.

Click the asset displayed in the Media viewer in Asset mode and drag it to the
associations of the desired association type in the Associations pane.

Click one or several assets in the Task pane’s assets area and drag them to the
associations of the desired association type in the Associations pane.

Click the asset attached to a message in the Messages pane and drag them to the
associations of the desired association type in the Associations pane.

The associations (or the Drop Assets Here area, if there is no association until yet) are
highlighted in orange, and a green icon indicates if dropping is possible.

For each association an asset card is shown. A head frame of the video asset or a clip icon of
an audio asset is displayed, along with metadata describing the asset and a link that you can
use to open the associated asset in the Associations pane.
If you dragged an invalid asset type or an asset that is already associated, a message is
displayed and the association is not created.

349

Deleting Associations

Deleting Associations
You can delete associations if you have the proper permissions in Interplay MAM. If deleting
associations is not allowed, the assets cards do not show a Delete button.
To delete associations:

1. Open the asset from which you want to delete an association in the Associations pane.
2. Expand the association types in the Associations List.
3. Click the Delete button of the association you want to delete.
The association is deleted. The Associations pane is updated and the association is no longer
displayed.

350

Basics of Closed Captioning

13 Working with Closed Captions in
MediaCentral | UX
The following main topics describe working with closed captions:
•

Basics of Closed Captioning

•

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX

•

How the CCCS Works with Closed-Caption Files

•

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

Basics of Closed Captioning
MediaCentral UX provides controls for viewing, creating, editing, and outputting closed
captions. The purpose of closed captions is to make video accessible to those who are deaf or
hard of hearing, for viewers whose native language is not English, and for instances when the
audio cannot be heard due to noise (restaurants, public spaces) or a need for quiet (libraries,
hospitals). The following illustration shows a closed caption displayed in the MediaCentral UX
media viewer.

351

Basics of Closed Captioning

The term “closed captions” indicates that the captions are not visible until they are turned on by
the viewer, usually through a remote control or menu option. “Open captions” are “burned in”
(visible to all viewers) and cannot be turned off.

In the United States and Canada, “subtitles” are distinguished from closed captions by using
subtitles to refer specifically to translation of dialog. In other areas, subtitles can also refer to
closed captions, as in “Subtitles for the hard of hearing.”
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) requires the majority of English and Spanish
programming seen on broadcast TV in the United States to be closed captioned. The CRTC
(Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) requires the same for
Canadian broadcasts. Many other countries have their own requirements as well.
Types of Closed Captions

Closed captions can be displayed as one to four rows at any one time. Typically, up to three rows
are shown. There are three styles of presenting closed captions:
•

Pop-on: One or more rows of a caption are displayed (“pop on”) at the same time. A new
caption completely replaces an old caption.

•

Roll-up: Rows of a caption move up the screen one line at a time, giving an appearance of
rolling up the screen.

•

Paint-on: Each row of a caption is displayed from left to right, one character at a time.

MediaCentral UX currently supports pop-on captions only.
Position of Closed Captions

Closed captions can be displayed in various places around the screen, depending on factors like
positioning the caption closer to a speaker, centering a caption when a speaker is off screen, or
positioning the caption so it does not block content like bugs or burned-in titles.
MediaCentral UX lets you position a closed caption in one of nine positions: top, middle,
bottom, and left, center, and right. MediaCentral UX preserves other locations if these positions
were set in the original file, but if you change the positioning in MediaCentral UX you cannot
restore the original location.
Appearance of Closed Captions

A fixed-width font is used for closed captioning. The specific font depends on the display device.
The Media pane in MediaCentral UX uses the Lucida Console font. Text is displayed as white
text on a black box. You can mark text as italics or underscored. You can also add a musical note.
Captions that you edit in MediaCentral UX are saved, repackaged, or exported as default normal
text, with italics and underscores as applied.

352

Basics of Closed Captioning

The standard closed caption display can use up to four lines, but typically three or fewer lines are
used. Each line can have a maximum of 32 characters, including spaces. To comply with
EIA-608 standards, a space before and after italicized or underscored words is required. A space
is also required before the first word in the sentence, but not at the end of a sentence. If you do
not include a required space, MediaCentral UX displays a message informing you that a space is
required.
MediaCentral | UX Closed Caption Editing

Following is important information for working with closed captions in MediaCentral UX v2.3.

•

Closed caption editing requires Interplay Production v3.3 or later. If the Closed Captioning
pane is open, and you try to load a sequence stored in an Interplay Production database
earlier than v3.3, a message tells you that Interplay Production v3.3 is required.

•

You can edit or create closed captions only for Interplay Production sequences. You need to
open the sequence in Asset mode. This prevents video or audio editing, so that a user
working with closed captions cannot modify the sequence itself.

There is no locking mechanism for sequences, so other users can edit the sequence while it
is open for closed-caption editing. Also, a sequence saved with closed captions can be
opened and edited by another user, possibly changing the timing of the closed captions.
•

You cannot edit closed captions when a sequence is in Output mode. Switch the Media Pane
to Asset mode and load the sequence into the Media viewer.

•

You can edit or create closed captions only for sequences that use NTSC timecodes with a
frame rate of 29.97fps (drop frame or non-drop frame). This support includes 1080i/59.94,
which uses a frame rate of 29.97 fps.

•

If you are working in a multi-zone environment, you cannot edit closed captions for
sequences stored on a remote Interplay Production system.

•

You cannot edit or create closed captions for master clips, group clips, subclips, or Interplay
MAM assets. If you open one of these assets, the message “This asset type is not supported”
is displayed in the Closed Captioning pane.

•

Closed-caption editing requires that the ISIS hostname configured for the MCS server use
all lower case letters. This is set in the Virtual Host Name in the Central Playback Service
System Settings.

•

Currently, MediaCentral UX supports only English for closed captions. Non-English
characters are replaced by a blank when imported or extracted.

•

The following characters are also replaced by a blank when imported or extracted:
* \ ^ _ ` {} | ~

353

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX

•

Currently, only Avid AirSpeed is supported as a playback device.

•

Currently, only SCC (Scenarist Closed Caption) files are supported for import. SCC and
TTML files are supported for export.

Closed Captioning Support in Interplay | Access

Interplay Access and Interplay Engine v3.3 include features to identify sequences that include
closed captions created or edited in MediaCentral UX. These features do not apply to assets that
have closed captions created or edited in other applications.
•

•

You can use Interplay Access to search for sequences that include closed captions created or
edited in MediaCentral UX. To enable this Advanced search feature, select either or both of
the following new properties as Available in the System Properties tab of the Interplay
Administrator:
-

Has Closed Captions: The criterion in search is displayed as “Closed Captions” with
options “Has Closed Captions” and “does not have Closed Captions.”

Closed Captions Modification Time: The criterion is search is displayed as “CC
Modification Time” with options for setting the date and time.

Sequences with closed captions that were created or edited in MediaCentral UX are
indicated by a thin line under the normal icons.

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX
The following illustration displays the basic closed-captioning workflow for closed captions that
have been created in an SCC file or in the D track of an Interplay Production sequence.

354

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX

The following sections provide more details. Specific instructions for working with closed
captions are included in “Creating and Editing Closed Captions” on page 360.

To avoid problems with another user editing a sequence, add closed captions only after all
video, audio, and effects editing are completed. Also, the sequence must be dynamically
relinked in Media Composer and must be checked into the Interplay Production database.
Extract Closed Captions from an Interplay Production Sequence

You can work with sequences that are already associated with closed captions. The following
steps describe a possible workflow.
1. A Media Composer editor creates a sequence with existing closed captions, and checks it
into an Interplay Production database.
Technically, the closed captions are embedded in the D tracks of the clips that make up the
sequence.
Sequences that include closed captions are marked by an overlay icon in the Interplay
Production Assets tree.
2. A MediaCentral UX user opens the sequence in Asset mode, opens the Closed Captioning
pane, and clicks the Extract button.
The MediaCentral UX editor can now review and edit the closed captions in the Closed
Captioning pane.
Technically, the Extract operation uses the text in the D tracks to create Timed Text Markup
Language (TTML) data. This “mezzanine file” is what MediaCentral uses for editing. The
data is stored in the TTML format and is associated with the sequence in the Interplay
Production database (similarly to an AAF file).

355

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX

After editing is complete, several options are possible:
•

Close the Closed Captioning pane. This action saves any edits you made. The TTML data
remains associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database and can be edited
as needed.

•

Repackage the edited closed captions with the sequence. See “Repackage Edited Closed
Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence” on page 358.

•

Export the edited closed captions as an SCC file. See “Export an SCC File or TTML file
from MediaCentral” on page 359.

After you extract the closed captions once, you do not have to extract them again. If you start
another extract operation, MediaCentral UX warns you that you will overwrite the existing data.
Import an SCC File into MediaCentral

An SCC (Scenarist Closed Caption) file is a common file format for closed captions. The
following steps describe a workflow for importing closed captions from an SCC file.
1. SCC files are created and saved in a location that is accessible to the MediaCentral UX user.
SCC files use the file extension .scc.
2. The MediaCentral UX user opens an Interplay Production sequence and opens the Closed
Captioning pane.
3. The user clicks the Import button, locates the SCC file, and imports the file.
The MediaCentral UX editor can now review and edit the closed captions in the Closed
Captioning pane.
Technically, the Import operation uses the text in the SCC file to create TTML data, which is
associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database (similarly to an AAF file).

356

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX

After editing is complete, several options are possible:
•

Close the Closed Captioning pane. This action saves any edits you made. The TTML data
remains associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database and can be
opened and edited as needed.

•

Repackage the edited closed captions with the sequence. See “Repackage Edited Closed
Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence” on page 358.

•

Export the edited closed captions as an SCC file. See “Export an SCC File or TTML file
from MediaCentral” on page 359.

Create New Closed Captions in MediaCentral

You can create a new set of closed captions by using the Closed Captioning pane. The following
steps describe a possible workflow.
1. The MediaCentral UX user opens an Interplay Production sequence and opens the Closed
Captioning pane.
2. The user creates closed captions in the Closed Captioning pane.
Technically, adding closed captions in the Closed Captioning pane creates data that is stored
in the TTML format.
3. After editing is complete, the user can do one of the following:
-

Close the Closed Captioning pane. This action saves any edits you made. The TTM L
data remains associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database and can
be opened and edited as needed.

Repackage the edited closed captions with the sequence. See “Repackage Edited Closed
Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence” on page 358.

Export the edited closed captions as an .scc file. See “Export an SCC File or TTML file
from MediaCentral” on page 359.

357

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX

Repackage Edited Closed Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence

Repackaging integrates edited closed captions into a new D track MXF file. Before repackaging,
the sequence was associated with a D track file for each clip. Repackaging creates a single D
track file for the sequence. The following steps describe a possible workflow:
1. Load closed captions into the Closed Captioning window in one of the following ways:
-

Extract

Import

Create new captions

2. After editing is complete, the user clicks the Repackage button.
Technically, text from the TTML data is integrated into a new MXF D track file. The
sequence and its metadata is checked into the Interplay Production database.
The sequence can then be sent to playback or used in other Interplay Production operations.
See “Extracting and Repackaging Closed-Caption Data” on page 364.

358

How the CCCS Works with Closed-Caption Files

Export an SCC File or TTML file from MediaCentral

You can export closed captions from various sources as an SCC file or a TTML file. The
following steps describe a possible workflow:
1. Load closed captions into the Closed Captioning window in one of the following ways:
-

Open a sequence with closed captions already edited in MediaCentral UX.

Extract closed captions from D tracks in the sequence.

Import an SCC file.

Create new closed captions

2. After editing is complete, the user clicks the Export button.
An SCC file or a TTML file is downloaded to your browser download location. Technically,
text from the TTML data is transcoded to an SCC file (with the extension .scc) or a TTML
file (with the extension .ttml).

How the CCCS Works with Closed-Caption Files
The Closed Caption Conversion Service (CCCS) is a Linux service that is installed with other
MediaCentral Platform Services. The CCCS does the work of importing SCC files or extracting
closed captions from the D tracks of a sequence, and converting them to data in the Timed Text
Markup Language (TTML) format.
The TTML data is associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database. If you save
a sequence with closed captions, the next time you open it the closed captions from the TTML
data will be displayed in the Closed Captioning pane.
The CCCS also does the work of exporting the edited file back to the SCC format or repackaging
the edited file with the Interplay Production sequence. This sequence can then be viewed in
Media Composer, or sent to a playback device.

359

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

The edited sequence points to new standalone D track. Closed caption information is not written
back to the D tracks of the master clips that compose the sequence.

Creating and Editing Closed Captions
The following topics describe how to edit and create closed captions in MediaCentral UX:
•

“The Closed Captioning Pane” on page 360

•

“Importing and Exporting Closed-Caption Files” on page 363

•

“Extracting and Repackaging Closed-Caption Data” on page 364

•

“Creating Closed-Caption Segments” on page 365

•

“Editing the Text and Position of Closed Captions” on page 366

•

“Editing the Timing of Closed Captions” on page 369

For important information about the current implementation of closed captioning, see
“MediaCentral | UX Closed Caption Editing” on page 353.

The Closed Captioning Pane
You view, edit, and create closed captions in the Closed Captioning pane.

q qq
w

e
q

r q
q
t q
yq
u

i
q

o
q

1)
q
1@
q

1!
q

Display or Control

Description

Language identification

Displays the language for the set of closed captions. Currently
only English is available.

360

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

Display or Control

Description

Extract button

Click this button to extract closed captions from an Interplay
Production sequence and display them in the Closed Captioning
pane.

Repackage button

Click this button to combine the edited closed captions with the
Interplay Production sequence.

Import button

Click this button to import closed captions from a SCC file and
display them in the Closed Captioning pane.

Export button

Click this button to export closed captions from
MediaCentral UX to an SCC file or a TTML file.

Refresh button

Updates the display of closed captions. If the focus is in the
Closed Captioning pane, you can also press F5 to update the
display.

Save button

Saves closed captions as data that is associated with the Interplay
Production sequence and exits edit mode.

n
n
8

Save status message

Edit mode refers to the state in which the cursor is
displayed in the Text field, the text field is colored white,
and you can enter text.
Captions are automatically saved when you exit edit mode
by pressing Ctrl + Enter or by clicking outside of the text
box.

Displays whether closed captions have been saved as data. The
messages are “Unsaved changes,” “Saving,” or “All changes
saved.”

361

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

Display or Control

Description

Pane Menu button

The following options are available:
•

Add or Remove Columns. Select the columns you want to
display.

•

Split at Current Playhead position. Divides a closed-caption
segment into two, based on the location of the position
indicator. The complete text for the segment is copied to the
new segment, and you need to edit the text as desired. You
can also use Ctrl+E or right-click a selected segment. The
position indicator must be located within the closed-caption
segment.

•

Modify Start Timecode. Changes the In point for the first
closed caption to match the start timecode of the sequence.
The change affects all subsequent closed-caption segments.
See “Editing the Timing of Closed Captions” on page 369.

•

Delete. Deletes the selected closed-caption segment.
Functions the same as the Delete key (Windows), Backspace
(Macintosh), or fn+Backspace (MacBook).

•

Set In, Set Out
Modifies the start or end of a closed-caption, segment
depending on the location of the position indicator. See
“Editing the Timing of Closed Captions” on page 369.

•

Close Gap: Modify In, Close Gap: Modify Out
Closes a gap between two closed captions by changing the In
point or the Out point. See “Editing the Timing of Closed
Captions” on page 369.

•

Change Alignment. Opens a grid from which you can select
where to position the closed caption. See “Editing the Text
and Position of Closed Captions” on page 366

•

Help. Displays a Help topic describing controls in the Closed
Captioning pane. From this topic you can access the entire
MediaCentral UX Help system.

362

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

Display or Control

Description

(From left to right)
Create Segment button

Creates a closed-caption segment. Use the drop-down menu to
set how you want to create the segment: through In to Out points
or by the location of the position indicator (playhead). See
“Creating Closed-Caption Segments” on page 365.

Italics button

Changes the selected text to italics.

Underscore button

Adds underscoring to selected text.

Musical note

Inserts an eighth note (U+266A) that is a standard symbol to
indicate music in a closed caption.

Closed-caption list

Displays the In point, Out point, text and alignment for each
closed-caption segment. If you scroll down the closed-caption
list or scrub video in the Media viewer, the closed-caption list
and video display stay in sync.

Align column

Displays the positioning of the closed caption. To change the
alignment, select one or more closed captions, double-click the
Align column, and select one of the nine positions.

Importing and Exporting Closed-Caption Files
You can import an SCC (Scenarist Closed Caption) file and edit the closed captions that it
contains. You can associate these captions with a sequence and edit the timing as needed. You
can then repackage them as part of the sequence, export an SCC file, or export a TTML file.

Currently only pop-on captions are supported. If you try to import a file that includes roll-up or
paint-on captions, a message is displayed, stating that only pop-on captions are supported.
To import an SCC file:

1. Load an Interplay Production sequence in Asset mode.
2. Click the Media Pane menu and select Closed Captions to display closed captions in the
Media pane.
3. Open the Closed Captioning pane.
4. Click Import.
The browser’s Open dialog box is displayed, with SCC File selected as a filter.
If closed captions are already listed in the Closed Captioning pane, a message asks if you
want to overwrite the existing text segments. Click Cancel or Overwrite.
5. Navigate to the SCC file and click Open.
363

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

The SCC file is converted, and the Closed Captioning pane displays timecode, text, and
alignment for the closed-caption segments.
To export a closed-caption file:

1. Click Export.
The Export dialog box is displayed.
2. Select SCC or TTML, accept the default file name (the name of the Interplay Production
sequence) or provide a new one, and click Download.
The closed-caption data is converted and saved as an SCC file or a TTML file. The file is
saved in your browser download location.

Extracting and Repackaging Closed-Caption Data
If closed captions are included in the D tracks of an Interplay Production sequence, the Closed
Caption Conversion Service (CCCS) lets you extract closed captions and display them in the
Closed Captioning pane. You can then repackage the closed captions as part of the sequence,
export an SCC file, or export a TTML file.
You can also repackage a sequence if you create new closed captions for a sequence.
Closed captions created in the Closed Captioning pane are saved in the Interplay Production
database. Repackaging is required if you want to use the sequence for Interplay Production
operations /such as the following:
•

Send to playback

•

Interplay Transcode operations (including Mixdown)

•

Interplay Delivery operations

•

Viewing closed captions in Media Composer.

If you repackage a basic sequence, the sequence can no longer be edited. This limitation does not
apply to advanced sequences.

1. Load an Interplay Production sequence that includes closed captions in Asset mode.
2. Click the Media Pane menu and select Closed Captions to display closed captions in the
Media pane.

364

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

3. Click Extract.
The data is extracted and the Closed Captioning pane displays timecode, text, and alignment
for the closed-caption segments.
If the sequence is edited after you have extracted the closed captions, you need to extract the
closed captions again.
To repackage closed captions with an Interplay Production sequence:

Click the Repackage button.
During the repackaging process, the button is grayed out. It becomes active again when the
process is completed. Repackaging typically takes only a few seconds.
The repackaging operation creates a new D-track clip, named *.cc.nn, in the same folder as
the sequence. This clip includes any other ancillary data included in the master clips in the
sequence. A corresponding MXF media file is created in the workspace specified in the
Interplay Administrator > Application Database view > Editing Settings tab >
Audio–general settings > Media Creation workspace.

Creating Closed-Caption Segments
You can create closed-caption segments for an Interplay Production sequence that does not have
closed captions already associated with it, or create new segments for an existing set of closed
captions. There are two ways to create a closed-caption segment: through In and Out marks or
through the position indicator.
Make sure that the segment is long enough to display the text for the viewer. As a guideline, use
a minimal duration of 2 seconds for each full line of 32 characters. For example, a caption that
consists of two lines with 32 characters each should be contained in a 4-second segment. If the
segment duration is not long enough to display the text, the text might be merged into the
previous segment or lost.

To display a closed caption, EIA-608 standards require a buffering area of a minimum one frame
duration for 2 characters, plus 7 frames of control codes for each segment. For example, a
10-character segment has an approximate minimal duration of 5+7=12 frames.
To create new closed captions:

1. Load an Interplay Production sequence is Asset mode.
2. Click the Media Pane menu and select Closed Captions to display closed captions in the
Media pane.

365

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

3. Do one of the following:
t

Set an In point and an Out point in the Media pane, set the Create Segment button to In
and Out mode, then click the button. If focus is in the Closed Captioning pane, press
Ctrl+. (period).

A closed-caption segment is created. You can add text and set alignment now or edit the
segment later.
t

Set the position indicator where you want the closed caption text to start, set the Create
Segment button to Playhead position mode, then click the button. If focus is in the
Closed Captioning pane, press Ctrl+Shift+. (period).

An In point is set. You can add text and set alignment now or edit the segment later.
Click the Save button to save an open segment.
To set an Out point, move the position indicator to where you want the closed caption
text to end, and click the Create Segment button. If focus is in the Closed Captioning
pane, press Ctrl+Alt+. (period). The segment is now complete, an In point is set for the
next segment, and the segment is automatically saved.

Editing the Text and Position of Closed Captions
If you have extracted, imported, or created closed-caption segments, you can edit them in the
Closed Captioning pane using the following procedures. Make sure you select Closed Captions
from the Media Pane menu to display closed captions in the Media pane.
To enter edit mode and edit closed-caption text, do one of the following:

Double-click the Text field.

Select the Text field of a closed-caption segment and press Enter.

366

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

The Text field turns white and you can type the text. Use the Italic button and the Underscore
button to format the text. Click the musical note button to add a musical note. Press the Enter
key to start a new line.
MediaCentral UX limits the display to four lines, with of 32 characters per line, including
spaces. A space is also required before the first word in the sentence, but not at the end of a
sentence. If you do not include a required space, MediaCentral UX displays a message
informing you that a space is required.

If there are more than one closed-caption segments that share the same time span, select the
closed-caption segment that you want displayed in the Media viewer. The selected segment is
also shown during playback.
To save closed-caption text, do one of the following:

Press Ctrl+S. Text is saved and you remain in edit mode.

Click the Save button. Text is saved and you exit edit mode.

Press Ctrl+Enter to exit edit mode.

Use the mouse to select a different closed-caption segment.

Add a new closed-caption segment.

To position a closed caption:

1. Do one of the following:
t

Select a closed-caption segment and double-click in the Align box.

Select a closed-caption segment, right-click, and select Change Alignment.

Click the Align field of a closed caption segment and press Enter.

Select a closed-caption segment, click the Closed Caption Pane menu button, and select
Change Alignment.

A nine-position alignment grid is displayed. Choices are top, middle, bottom, left, center,
and right.

367

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

You can select multiple closed-caption segments and change the alignment for all of them
with the same selection.
2. Select a position from the grid.
MediaCentral UX aligns the caption or captions according to your selection. Captions are
aligned within the standard video safe area. You can view safe area grids in the Media
viewer by clicking the Media Pane menu button and selecting Safe Areas. This display can
help if you need to review previously positioned captions or create new ones. The following
illustration shows the safe area outlines. The inner outline is the safe title area. The outer
outline is the safe action area.

If closed captions were extracted or imported, and they differ from the nine available positions in
MediaCentral UX, MediaCentral UX preserves the original positions. If you change the
positioning in MediaCentral UX, you cannot restore the original location.
To delete a closed caption, select the closed-caption segment and do one of the following:

Press the Delete key.

Right-click and select Delete.

Click the Closed Captioning Pane menu button and select Delete.

368

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

To save closed-caption segments:

Click the Save button.
The save status message changes from “Unsaved Changes” to “All Changes Saved.”
Changes are automatically saved whenever you exit edit mode or perform other edits, such
as changing alignment or deleting a closed-caption segment.

Editing the Timing of Closed Captions
When you edit closed captions, you might need to change the timing, as described in the
following procedures. Make sure you select Closed Captions from the Media Pane menu to
display closed captions in the Media pane.
To change an In point or an Out point, do one of the following:

Move the position indicator to the timecode where you want to set the new In point, select
the closed-caption segment in the Closed Captioning pane, right-click, and select Set In.

Move the position indicator to the timecode where you want to set the new Out point, select
the closed-caption segment in the Closed Captioning pane, right-click, and select Set Out.
These commands are also available from the Closed Captioning Pane menu.

To close a gap between closed-caption segments, do one of the following:

To close a gap by extending the end of a closed-caption segment, right-click on the segment
and select Close Gap: Modify Out.
The Out point is changed to one frame before the following segment’s In point.

To close a gap by extending the beginning of a segment, right-click on the segment and
select Close Gap: Modify In.
The In point is changed to one frame after the previous segment’s Out point.
These commands are also available from the Closed Captioning Pane menu. If the
commands are not displayed (context menu) or are disabled (Pane menu), there is no gap
between segments.

369

Creating and Editing Closed Captions

To change the start timecode of the first closed-caption segment:

1. Click the Closed Captioning Pane menu button and select Modify Start Timecode.
The Modify Start Timecode dialog box is displayed.
2. Enter the desired format for the start timecode by typing the first digit and continue typing
until you have typed 8 digits.
For example, a sequence might start with 01:00:00:00, but the first closed caption starts with
00:00:00:00. In this case, type 01:00:00:00. The change affects all subsequent
closed-caption segments.
3. Click OK.

370

14 Sharing MediaCentral | UX Messages
The following topics describe how to use the Messages pane to send messages to
MediaCentral UX users and how to send messages to users logged in to MediaCentral UX and
using an Avid editing application.
•

MediaCentral | UX Messages

•

Using the Messages Pane

•

Configuring E-Mail Forwarding

•

Using E-Mail Forwarding

MediaCentral | UX Messages
MediaCentral UX provides users with a messaging service that delivers messages to other users,
including those connected to MediaCentral UX and using iNEWS or an Avid editing application
such as Avid Media Composer. This allows you to share Interplay Production or Interplay MAM
assets with a wide range of MediaCentral UX users. You can send text messages to another
Interplay Production, Interplay MAM, or iNEWS user or to multiple users, and your messages
can carry links to Internet sites using Universal Resource Locators (URLs) as well as links to
Interplay Production or Interplay MAM assets. These links, which function as deep links when
clicked, can open specific assets in the MediaCentral UX media viewer, in an Avid editing
application monitor, or in a browser (for URLs).
You can also configure e-mail forwarding so that you can receive MediaCentral UX messages
when you are not logged in to the system.
You can drag assets from the Asset pane or the Media viewer to the Messages pane, or you can
search MediaCentral UX and then drag an asset from the Search pane to the Messages pane. The
message displays a head frame of the video asset, the asset name and metadata, as well as a text
message added by the sender.

Using the Messages Pane
The Messages pane displays a message box for sending both text messages and media asset
links. It also lists all received messages, with the most recent messages at the top of the list.

Using the Messages Pane

Messages sent by you display in the message list with a blue background, while messages
received by you display with a green background.

Messages pane (top to bottom): address text box, asset area, message text box, Send button, message list

To display the Messages pane and read messages, do the following:

Select Panes > Messages.
The Messages pane opens in the mode and orientation in which it was set when you signed
out of the application. A notification bar above the list appears if you have any new
messages.

Messages pane, with the notification bar indicating one new message

372

Using the Messages Pane

Viewing Messages and Linked Assets
When you receive messages sent by other MediaCentral UX users, the Messages pane displays a
notification at the top of the message list indicating unread messages. Clicking the notification or
scrolling up loads the messages, with the most recent ones at the top of the message list.
To view messages:

1. Open the Messages pane.
2. If you received messages since the last time you logged in to MediaCentral UX, click the
notification bar or scroll up.
New messages display in the message list, with the most recent message at the top.

3. If the message includes a media asset, do one of the following:
t

Double-click the head frame in the asset area to view the media or story.

Right click and select “Open in Enclosing Folder.”

Double-clicking the asset opens the clip in the Media pane. For an Interplay Production
asset, the Asset pane updates to the location of the clip in the Interplay Production database
and selects the linked clip. For an Interplay MAM asset, the Metadata pane shows the
metadata of the asset, and if the asset is a basic sequence it is shown on the Sequence pane.

373

Using the Messages Pane

Left to right: Asset pane with the linked clip highlighted, head frame of the linked clip in the asset area of the
message, and the linked clip viewed in the Media pane.

If you open the asset in an enclosing folder, a new Asset pane opens and highlights the asset.

You must have the appropriate privileges to view media checked in to Interplay Production or
Interplay MAM.
4. If the message includes a link to an external Web site (using a URL), you can click the link
to open the Web page in a separate browser tab.

Sending Messages
The Messages pane allows you to share text messages, Interplay Production assets, Interplay
MAM assets, and links to Web pages with other MediaCentral UX users. You can also share
messages with Avid Media Composer users who log on to MediaCentral UX.
You can also send messages without opening the Messages pane if you want to send a media
asset to another user.
When you share an Interplay Production or Interplay MAM asset, the recipient can double-click
to open it in the Media pane. A media asset shared with a Media Composer user opens in the
Source/Record monitor in the Avid editing application.
To write a new message:

1. Do one of the following:
t

Open the Messages pane.

Right-click an asset in the Asset pane and select Share.

374

Using the Messages Pane

If you open the Messages pane, an address text box appears at the top of the pane. If you just
want to share an asset, an address text box opens.

2. In the address text box, start typing the name of the recipient for your message.
A list of MediaCentral UX users displays as you type.

If you type an invalid name, the name changes to red and you receive an error message. You can
only send messages to recipients on the MediaCentral UX user list.
3. Select a name from the list or complete the name by typing it in the address box.

You can add multiple names to the address box.
4. If you want to share a media asset, do one of the following:
t

Click the asset in the Assets pane and drag it to the asset area of the message.

Click the asset in the Search pane and drag it to the asset area of the message.

Click the asset displayed in the Media viewer in Asset mode and drag it to the asset area
of the message.

(Interplay MAM only) Click the asset in the Tasks pane’s asset area and drag it to the
asset area of the message.

A head frame of the video asset or a clip icon of an audio asset displays in the message,
along with metadata describing the asset.
You can remove the asset by clicking the Remove button in the asset area.

Asset area of the message, with the Remove button

5. In the message text box, type your message.
A character count below the message displays the number of characters allowed in your
message. You can type a total of 256 characters.
6. Click Send.
375

Using the Messages Pane

The message is sent to the MediaCentral UX users listed in the address test box and displays
as a sent message at the top of your message list. Messages sent by you display with a blue
background.
To reply to a message:

1. Position the mouse pointer over the address line of the message to which you want to reply.
The Reply button displays on the right side of the address line.

2. Click Reply.
The address text box in the top of the Messages pane automatically adds the names of the
recipients from the selected message.
3. In the message text box, type your message. You can also share a media asset by dragging it
to the asset area of the message.
A character count below the message displays the number of characters allowed in your
message. You can type a total of 256 characters. If you share an asset, a head frame of video
clip or a clip icon for an audio clip displays in the message
4. Click Send.
The message is sent to the MediaCentral UX users listed in the address text box and displays
as a sent message at the top of your message list.

376

Configuring E-Mail Forwarding

Configuring E-Mail Forwarding
E-mail forwarding requires an administrator to enable e-mail forwarding and to assign a valid
SMTP server. When your MediaCentral UX administrator enables e-mail forwarding in the
System Settings, you can then use the User settings to enable e-mail forwarding for your account
and specify an e-mail address to which you want your messages sent when you are not logged in
to MediaCentral UX. When you send an e-mail to an offline user, the message is forwarded with
your configured e-mail address listed as the account from which the message is sent.
If you do not configure e-mail forwarding, any messages you send use the e-mail address used
for your MediaCentral UX account. You can override the default MediaCentral UX account by
specifying a new one.
To configure e-mail forwarding for user accounts:

1. Select Home > User Settings.
The User Settings dialog box opens.
2. In the Name column, select Messages & Sharing.
The User Settings dialog box displays the Messages & Sharing settings.

The Messages & Sharing settings display a message if your Interplay Production administrator
has not enabled e-mail forwarding,

377

Using E-Mail Forwarding

3. Select Enabled.
4. In the Email Address text box, type the e-mail address from which you want your e-mails
forwarded.
5. Click Apply.

Using E-Mail Forwarding
If e-mail forwarding has been enabled for your workgroup and you have enabled e-mail
forwarding to your personal e-mail account, you can receive messages sent from
MediaCentral UX users when you are not logged in to MediaCentral UX. E-mail forwarding
sends messages to your e-mail account with the subject line, “MediaCentral UX Message:
[sender name].” If the message includes a media asset, the forwarded e-mail provides you with a
link to the asset in MediaCentral UX.
To view an asset included in a forwarded e-mail:

1. Open the forwarded e-mail in the account specified in your MediaCentral UX User settings
(see “Configuring E-Mail Forwarding” on page 377).
2. Click the URL link included in the message.
Your browser opens and displays the MediaCentral UX sign-in screen.
3. Type your user name and password.
4. Click Sign In, or press Enter or Return (Macintosh).
After a few moments, the MediaCentral UX application opens and displays the asset in the
Media pane. The asset is also highlighted in the Asset pane.

378

15 iNEWS Messaging
The following main topics describe how to use the iNEWS messaging feature.
•

Sending Messages

•

Viewing and Replying to Received Messages

Sending Messages
MediaCentral UX provides you with two messaging features for communicating with other users
working on iNEWS and MediaCentral UX. You can use the Messages pane to send messages
and media assets to other MediaCentral UX users and to Avid editing applications connected to
MediaCentral UX. For information on using the Messages pane, see “Sharing
MediaCentral | UX Messages” on page 371.
You can also use the Message bar at the top of the application to send messages, reply to
messages, or view messages received during your current session.

A message can be composed of a maximum of 70 characters on a single line, and can be sent to
only one other person.

Access to an iNEWS system is required for the messaging feature to work. Messages can be sent
only to a user with an iNEWS account.
To send a message:

1. Click the To: field of the Message bar, and select the user to whom you want to send a
message.
All iNEWS user accounts are shown in the list. Colored dots appear next to names in the list
to indicate which users are available to receive messages through MediaCentral UX. A green
dot indicates a signed-in user, and a red dot indicates users who are not signed in.
2. Click the Enter Message Text field and type your message.

Viewing and Replying to Received Messages

3. Click Send.
After the message is sent, the bar turns pale blue.

Viewing and Replying to Received Messages
When messages are received, the Message bar turns a pale green, and a numerical value appears
near the right end of the bar to show you how many unread messages you have. The following
illustration shows 10 unread messages.

To view received messages:

Use the Arrow buttons located near the right end of the Message bar to scroll through any
received messages.

To reply to a received message:

Click in the bar where the received message is located, type your message, and click Send.

380

16 Sending to Playback
The following main topics provide information about sending a sequence to a playback device:
•

Specifying Send to Playback Settings

•

Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device

•

The Progress Pane

•

Interplay Services in the Media Services and Transfer Status Tool

Specifying Send to Playback Settings
When you are finished editing a sequence, you can transfer it to a playback device or playout
server for broadcast. This process is called send to playback, or STP. You can also send
sequences created in other Avid applications to a playback device if they are playable in
MediaCentral UX. For more information, see “Playback of Simple and Complex Sequences” on
page 195.
When you send to playback, you use a profile that is created by a MediaCentral UX
administrator.
You select a profile and other options in the Send to Playback Settings dialog box.

Specifying Send to Playback Settings

To specify send-to-playback settings:

1. Click the Pane Menu button and select Send to Playback Settings.

2. Supply the following information:
Setting

Description

Name

Automatically supplied when you select a sequence for send to playback.

Video ID

Required to send a sequence to playback.
•

Script sequences: Automatically supplied when you select a script sequence if
the video ID is already assigned to the story. The video ID is equivalent to the
tape ID in Avid editing systems.
If the Settings dialog box opens after you begin a send-to-playback operation,
and there is no video ID assigned for a script sequence, a blue link is
displayed in the Video ID field. Click this link to display and enable the Video
ID field within the story form of the corresponding story. Then enter the
correct video ID.

•
Profile

Other sequences: If there is no video ID assigned for a sequence not
associated with a story, type the video ID in the Video ID field.

Select the profile that you want to use for the send-to-playback operation. Profiles
are created by a MediaCentral UX administrator. Settings for the selected profile
are displayed in the section below the profile name.

382

Specifying Send to Playback Settings

Setting

Description

Overwrite

(Optional) Select Overwrite if you want to automatically overwrite any sequence
with the same Tape ID already sent to the playback device.

n
High Priority

If you try to send a sequence with the same Tape ID as one already sent to
the playback device, you receive an error message. Select the Overwrite
option only if you are sure you want to overwrite any sequences with the
same Tape ID.

(Optional) Select High Priority if you want the sequence to be transferred as
quickly as possible and to play on the playback device before the transfer is
finished (also known as “play while transfer”).

If the Send to Playback Settings dialog opens after you send a sequence to playback, either the
resolution of the sequence does not match the selected profile or the video ID is missing, or both.
If you supply the correct settings, you can click the Send button to start the send to playback
process.
3. Click the Close button at the top right of the dialog box or click in another area of the
application.
If a sequence is loaded in Output mode, the resolution for the selected profile is displayed in
the Video Format display. Move the mouse pointer over the display, and the complete
resolution is shown in an overlay.

Move the mouse pointer over the STP button, and a summary of the selected profile is shown
in an overlay.

383

Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device

The selected profile is also displayed in the Send to Playback option in the Media Pane
menu.

Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device
You can send a sequence to a playback device if the sequence fulfills the following requirements:
•

The media format of the sequence must match the media format specified in the selected
send-to-playback profile. The format for the currently selected STP profile is displayed in
the Video Format display. If the format of the sequence matches the format of the STP
profile, the display is black.

For a mixed-resolution Long GOP sequence, this display is red. However, you can send the
sequence to playback so long as all clips in the sequence use the same frame rate. See
“Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to a Playback Device” on page 386.
•

The sequence must have a video ID. If the sequence does not already have a video ID, you
can add one during the STP process.

The sequence does not need to be associated with an iNEWS story. You can send any sequence
to playback that fulfills these requirements.

384

Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device

If the media format of the sequence does not match the media format specified in the profile, the
Video Format display is red. To send the sequence to playback, select a different profile or
replace the media in the sequence. For more information, see “Specifying Send to Playback
Settings” on page 381.

You can preview a sequence before sending it to playback. For more information, see
“Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution” on page 211.
To send a sequence to a playback device:

1. Load a sequence into the Media pane.
You can load a sequence into Output mode or Asset mode. To load a sequence into Asset
mode from the Assets pane, right-click the sequence and select Open in Asset Mode.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Click the STP button.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Send to Playback (profile-name).

If the sequence has unsaved changes, a dialog box is displayed. Click Save to save the
sequence and continue the STP operation.
If the sequence does not have a video ID, the Send to Playback Settings dialog box opens.
Supply the correct settings and click Send.
If there is no video ID assigned for a script sequence, a blue link is displayed in the Video ID
field. Click this link to display and enable the Video ID field within the story form of the
corresponding story. Then enter the correct video ID and start the send-to-playback
operation again.
If the sequence contains gaps of video black, and your MediaCentral UX administrator has
configured the option to detect these, an error message is displayed. For more information,
see the Media Central | UX Administration Guide.
If the sequence includes a video ID, and the media formats match the requirements of the
profile, the sequence is sent to the Interplay Transfer service, from which it is sent to the
selected playback device. You can continue working while the transfer is taking place.
For information on monitoring the send-to-playback operation, see “The Progress Pane” on
page 387.

385

Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to a Playback Device

Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to
a Playback Device
There are limitations on the types of media you can add to a sequence for a successful
send-to-playback operation. In most cases, all media used in the sequence must be available in
the target resolution to start an STP operation.
However, when you select a Long GOP resolution as a target resolution, you can mix media of
different resolutions if the frame rates match. For example, if the target resolution is
XDCAM-HD 1080i, you can include both XDCAM 1080i clips and DV25 411 NTSC clips in
the same sequence. Both use an actual frame rate of 29.97 fps.
The DV25 clips do not need to be transcoded to XDCAM 1080i before the STP operation begins.
For Long GOP sequences, any necessary transcoding takes place during the STP operation.

You can determine the frame rate of a clip in the MediaCentral UX Assets pane. Open the
Interplay Production database and check the FPS column. If the column is not displayed, click
the Assets Pane menu and select Add or Remove Columns.
Note the following:
•

Video Format display: In the Media panel, the Video Format display shows the STP target
resolution. If the media format of any clip in the sequence does not match the media format
specified in the profile, the Video Format display is red.

For a mixed-resolution Long GOP sequence, this display is red. However, you can send the
sequence to playback so long as all clips in the sequence use the same frame rate.
•

Aspect ratio: There is no aspect ratio conversion. 4:3 clips are stretched to 16:9.

•

Review for Playback: In the Media panel Output mode, when you click the Review for
Playback button, all objects of the sequence that are available in the target resolution are
played in the target resolution. Objects that are not available in the target resolution are
replaced by the message “Media Offline.” To see all parts of the sequence in review mode,
clips not in the target resolution need to be transcoded to the target resolution, for example,
by using the Interplay Transcode feature in an Avid editing system.

386

The Progress Pane

For target resolutions other than Long GOP, all objects in the sequence must be available
in the target resolution before an STP operation can begin.

The Progress Pane
The Progress pane is used to monitor sequence mixdowns and send to playback processes as they
happen. If necessary, you can also cancel a process that is underway or restart a job directly from
the pane. The following illustration shows several examples of what you might encounter when
monitoring processes with the Progress pane.

q
q
w
w
e
w

Monitor button

Cancel button

Resend button

Clicking the link for successfully finished Sequence Mixdown jobs opens the folder containing
the newly created clip in the Assets pane.
Processes are grouped according to the type of job, such as Sequence Mixdown or Send to
Playback. Single job groups can be collapsed to get a better overview by selectively displaying
only one section. You can display all job groups again manually or from the Pane menu. For
example, select Show Job Groups to open all sections.
387

The Progress Pane

In the case a problem occurs, the Details link displays the error message that is reported from the
MediaCentral UX system. In case of Sequence Mixdown, this is the same error message
displayed for the failed transcode job in the Interplay Production Services and Transfer Status
tool. For send to playback (STP) this is the error message that is passed by the MediaCentral
Distribution Service.

If an STP job uses Interplay Transcode and STP Encode to prepare the job for transfer, the
Transcode and STP Encode jobs are listed in the Media Services and Transfer Status Tool. For
more information, see “Interplay Services in the Media Services and Transfer Status Tool” on
page 389.
To open the Progress pane:

Select Panes > Progress.

To cancel a process underway:

Click the Cancel button located to the right of the active process.

To retry a failed process:

Click the Resend button located to the right of the process.

To open the new master clip after a mixdown process:

Click the Monitor button located to the right of the process. For more information, see
“Transcoding Assets” on page 215.

To remove a job from the list in the Progress pane:

Right-click the finished process and select Clear Job.

To remove all non-running processes from the list in the Progress pane:

1. Click the Pane Menu button.
2. Select Clear Inactive Jobs.

388

Interplay Services in the Media Services and Transfer Status Tool

Interplay Services in the Media Services and
Transfer Status Tool
A Send to Playback (STP) job might use Interplay Transcode and STP Encode to prepare the
STP job for transfer. When this occurs, the Transcode and STP Encode jobs are listed in the
Media Services and Transfer Status Tool while processing, but are removed from the jobs list
after processing is complete. This behavior is different from typical job status reporting, in which
jobs persist after processing is complete.
A similar situation occurs for a Delivery job that uses Mark In to Mark Out. These jobs use
Interplay Consolidate and Interplay Production Services Automation to prepare the files for
delivery. An Interplay Consolidate job is deleted after processing is complete. An Interplay
Production Services Automation job persists.
For both STP and Delivery, progress of the entire job is displayed in the MediaCentral Progress
pane.

389

17 Delivering Assets and Media
The following main topics describe how to deliver assets and media from one Interplay
Production workgroup to another:
•

Understanding MediaCentral Delivery

•

Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup

•

Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup

Understanding MediaCentral Delivery
MediaCentral UX has two options for delivering assets and media:
•

Deliver to a remote workgroup. If your organization is configured to include multiple
Interplay Production workgroups, you can use MediaCentral UX to transfer assets and
media from your current workgroup to another workgroup. For information about
configuring multiple workgroups, see the Interplay Production documentation.

•

Deliver from a remote workgroup to a local workgroup. If your MediaCentral server is part
of a multi-zone environment, you can search Interplay Production databases across all
zones, view remote assets, and deliver them to your local Interplay Production workgroup.
For information about multi-zone configuration, see the Avid MediaCentral Platform
Services Installation and Configuration Guide.

Note the following:
•

If you attempt to transfer a sequence before you save it, MediaCentral UX asks if you want
to save the file. If you click yes, MediaCentral UX saves the file and then begins the transfer.

•

If the Delivery Service is not available, a message “No profiles available” is displayed
instead of the list of profiles. If the Delivery Service cannot be found, the menu options
“Deliver To” and “Deliver to Me” are grayed out.

•

You cannot play a clip or sequence in the Receiver workgroup until the delivery process is
complete.

Understanding MediaCentral Delivery

Interplay Delivery Service and Delivery Receiver Service

MediaCentral UX uses the Interplay Delivery service to perform workgroup-to-workgroup
transfers of master clips, subclips, cuts-only sequences, and their media files. The Interplay
Delivery Receiver service must be running on a server in the workgroup to which you are
delivering the assets and media. These services are installed and configured as Interplay
Production Services in an Interplay Production workgroup.

For complete information on Interplay Delivery, see “Working with the Delivery Service” in the
Interplay | Production Services Setup and User’s Guide or the Interplay | Production Help.
Deliver From Mark In to Mark Out

You can deliver a part of a clip by marking In and Out points and selecting the Deliver from
Mark In to Mark Out option. If you use this feature, MediaCentral UX uses two additional
services: Interplay Production Services Automation and Interplay Consolidate. For more
information about these services, see the Avid MediaCentral Platform Services Installation and
Configuration Guide.

n
n

Sequences and subclips are not supported for delivery from Mark In to Mark Out.
You cannot use MediaCentral Delivery to deliver Apple ProRes media if you select “Deliver
from Mark In to Mark Out.” The Consolidate service does not support ProRes as a source or
target resolution.
Delivery Profiles and Consolidate Profiles

When you use MediaCentral UX to transfer media, you select a Delivery profile that includes the
target workgroup, target video quality, and other information. An Interplay Production
administrator creates these Delivery profiles in the Production Services and Transfer Status Tool.
These profiles are created and stored in the local Interplay Production workgroup.
In some situations, a Consolidate profile is used to determine the target resolution. An Interplay
Production administrator must create at least one Consolidate profile in the Production Services
and Transfer Status Tool. This profile must be named “default_for_delivery.” The resolution
specified in this profile is displayed in the Deliver To and Deliver To Me dialog boxes.

If this default profile is not created, the parameter “Consolidate Target Video Quality” is blank.
If you attempt a delivery using Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out, the job fails with an error
message.

391

Understanding MediaCentral Delivery

The following illustration shows the Deliver To dialog box, with parameters taken from the
Delivery profile and the Consolidate profile.

q
q

w
w

e
e
r
r

Delivery profile list

Parameter from default Consolidate profile

Parameters from selected Delivery profile

Resolution for media that will be delivered

The following illustration shows two Deliver To dialog boxes:
•

The dialog box on the left is using the Delivery profile “wg1 full highest” for its information.
The highest resolution associated with the selected clip will be delivered.

•

The dialog box on the right is using the same Delivery profile but has the option “Deliver
from Mark In to Mark Out” selected. The target resolution (DV25 420) is taken from the
default Consolidate profile. Consolidate creates new media. A DV25 420 clip will be
delivered.

392

Understanding MediaCentral Delivery

For more information on creating profiles for Interplay Consolidate, see the Avid MediaCentral
Platform Services Installation and Configuration Guide.
Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out Workflows

If you select “Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out,” the Consolidate service creates new clips and
new assets, using information in the Consolidate profile. The following table describes several
different workflows.
Delivery Profile

Media Status

Consolidate Output

The Delivery profile includes a
specific Target Video Quality.

Media exists in the specified
resolution.

Consolidate creates a new asset
and new media of the specified
length.

Media does not exist in the
specified resolution.

Consolidate creates a new asset
and new media of the specified
length, in the specified resolution.
If a Consolidate profile with the
specified resolution does not
exist, it is automatically created,
using the parameters of the
default profile.

393

Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup

Delivery Profile

Media Status

The Delivery profile does not
Media exists in the resolution
include a specific Target Video
specified in the Consolidate
Quality (for example, it uses “all” profile.
or “highest”).
Media does not exist in the
resolution specified in the
Consolidate profile.

Consolidate Output

Consolidate creates a new asset
and new media of the specified
length.
Consolidate creates a new asset
and new media of the specified
length, in the specified resolution.

Note the following:
•

The new asset created by the Consolidate service is appended with “new,n.” For example, for
a clip named “myclip” the resulting target clip will be named “myclip,new,1”. Subsequent
assets created from other parts of the clip will be named “myclip,new,2”, “myclip,new,3”,
and so on.

•

Clips that are created by Mark In to Mark Out do not display headframes after they are
delivered.

Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup
If your organization is configured to include multiple Interplay Production workgroups, you can
use MediaCentral UX to transfer assets and media from your current workgroup to another
workgroup.
You can transfer assets and media from the Media pane, the Assets pane, or the Search pane.
•

In the Media pane, you can transfer from Asset mode or from Output mode. You can transfer
only the currently loaded asset. For clips, you can use the Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out
feature. Sequences and subclips are not supported for delivery from Mark In to Mark Out.

•

In the Assets pane or Search pane, you can select one asset or multiple assets.

You can track the status of the transfer in the Progress pane.

By default, a Delivery provider is configured to run one job at a time. You can change this value
by editing an .ini file. For more information, see the Interplay Delivery documentation.
To deliver to a remote workgroup from the Media pane:

1. Load an asset in either Asset mode or Output mode.
2. (Optional) If you want to deliver only part of a clip loaded in Asset mode, set In and Out
marks. You cannot set In and Out marks on sequences or subclips.
3. Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To.
394

Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup

The Deliver To dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile.

4. From the Name list, select the Delivery profile that you want to use for the transfer.
Profiles are created by an Interplay Production administrator. The video format that will be
delivered is displayed as Target Video Quality at the bottom of the dialog box.
5. (Optional) To deliver part of a clip, select Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out.
If you use this option, the Target Video Quality is taken from the Consolidate profile. See
“Understanding MediaCentral Delivery” on page 390
6. Click Deliver To.
The job is submitted. You can view the status of the delivery in the Progress pane.
To deliver to a remote workgroup from the Assets pane or the Search pane:

1. Select one or more assets.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click a selected asset and select Deliver To.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To.

The Deliver To dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile.
3. From the Name list, select the Delivery profile that you want to use for the transfer.
395

Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup

Profiles are created by an Interplay Production administrator. The video format that will be
delivered is displayed as Target Video Quality at the bottom of the dialog box.
4. Click Deliver To.
The job is submitted.
To view the status of the delivery:

In the Progress pane, click the Pane Menu button and select Show Job Groups > Delivery.

Delivery jobs that use Mark In to Mark Out use Interplay Consolidate and Interplay Production
Services Automation to prepare the files for delivery. These jobs are displayed in the Interplay
Media Services and Transfer Status tool. An Interplay Consolidate job is deleted after processing
is complete. An Interplay Production Services Automation job persists.

Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup
If your MediaCentral server is part of a multi-zone environment, you can search Interplay
Production databases across all zones, view remote assets, and deliver them to your local
Interplay Production workgroup.
When you select a profile, the list of profiles is determined by the profiles that exist on the
remote Production Services Engine and that have the local Production Services Engine set as the
target.
To deliver to a local workgroup from the Media pane:

1. Perform a search that includes another MediaCentral zone.
For more information, see “Searching for Assets” on page 257.
2. Load an asset in either Asset mode or Output mode.
3. (Optional) If you want to deliver only part of a clip loaded in Asset mode, set In and Out
marks. You cannot set In and Out marks on sequences or subclips.
4. Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To Me.
The Deliver To Me dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile.

396

Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup

5. From the Name list, select the Delivery profile that you want to use for the transfer.
Profiles are created by an Interplay Production administrator. The video format that will be
delivered is displayed as Target Video Quality at the bottom of the dialog box.
6. (Optional) To deliver part of a clip, select Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out.
If you use this option, the Target Video Quality is taken from the Consolidate profile. See
“Understanding MediaCentral Delivery” on page 390
7. Click Deliver To Me.
The job is submitted.
To deliver to a local workgroup from the Search pane:

1. Perform a search that includes another MediaCentral zone.
For more information, see “Searching for Assets” on page 257.
2. Select one or more assets.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click a selected asset and select Deliver To Me.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To Me.

The Deliver To Me dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile.
397

Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup

In the Progress pane, click the Pane Menu button and select Show Job Groups > Deliver To
Me.

398

18 Working with Interplay | MAM Processes
and Tasks
The following main topics provide information about working with processes that you created in
Interplay MAM Desktop or MediaCentral UX and the individual user tasks that are part of
MAM processes:
•

Understanding Processes, Tasks, and Actions

•

Creating Processes

•

Monitoring Processes in the Progress Pane

•

Working with Tasks

Understanding Processes, Tasks, and Actions
Processes allow flexible user activities and automated workflows to be used in Interplay MAM.
A process is a defined set of automated workflows and manual activities to achieve a specific
goal; it defines the states, tasks, and the control flow that are used to achieve the goal. For
example, you are finished creating a basic sequence, and want to send it to a reviewer to get
approval before the sequence is transferred to a editing device. You can create a process to
achieve this goal. Processes are modeled to mirror specific business workflows of customers
with specific user interactions.
Interplay MAM processes contain tasks, which are elementary steps within a process that are
carried out either automatically (based on workflow scripts) or by user actions. A task that
requires a user action and is completed by a user action is called a user task.
Actions are items that you select to create a process.

Creating Processes
Your ability to create and initiate processes depends on Interplay MAM rules. For example, the
credentials you use to sign in to the Interplay MAM database must allow creation of processes.
Beyond that, the configuration of the process in Interplay MAM determines which action can be
applied and the number and type of assets that can be attached to a process (for example basic
sequence, video or audio, or mixed attachments).

Creating Processes

When you create a process, you select the process type, which was created in Interplay MAM.
You automatically attach the asset that is open (Media pane) or selected (Assets pane, Search
pane) to the process. Use the Tasks pane if you want to create a process without attachments.
You can monitor the status of your processes in the Progress pane and track if additional user
tasks resulted from processes in the Tasks pane. See “Monitoring Processes in the Progress
Pane” on page 401 and “The Tasks Pane” on page 404.
To create a process from the Assets pane:

1. Select one or more assets.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click a selected asset and select Actions.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Actions.

The list shows all process types that you can use.
3. Select the process type.
4. (Option) If the process type provides a sub-menu, select the desired menu item; for example,
select an export target for an export process.
5. Supply the required information in the process dialog box and click OK.
The process is created and shown in the Progress pane. If the process requires you to take
additional user actions, the corresponding task is shown in the Tasks pane.
To create a process from the Search pane:

1. Conduct a search for the assets you want to use.
2. Select one or more assets in the Search Results list.
3. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click a selected asset and select Actions.

Click the Pane Menu button and select Actions.

The list shows all processes types that you can use.
4. Select the process type.
5. (Option) If the process type provides a sub-menu, select the desired menu item; for example,
select an export target for an export process.
6. Supply the required information in the process dialog box and click OK.
The process is created and shown in the Progress pane. If the process requires you to take
additional user actions, the corresponding task is shown in the Tasks pane.

400

Monitoring Processes in the Progress Pane

To create a process from the Media pane:

1. Load an asset in Asset mode or a or basic sequence in Output mode.
2. Click the Pane Menu button, select Actions and select the process type.
3. (Option) If the process type provides a sub-menu, select the desired menu item; for example,
select an export target for an export process.
4. Supply the required information in the process dialog box and click OK.
The process is created and shown in the Progress pane. If the process requires you to
complete additional user actions, the corresponding task is shown in the Tasks pane.
To create a process without attachments from the Tasks pane:

1. Click the Pane Menu button, select Create Process () and select the
process type.
2. (Option) If the process type provides a sub-menu, select the desired menu item.
3. Supply the required information in the process dialog box and click OK.
The process is created and shown in the Progress pane. If the process requires you to
complete additional user actions, the corresponding task is shown in the Tasks pane.

Monitoring Processes in the Progress Pane
The Progress pane is used to monitor the processes that you created in Interplay MAM Desktop
or MediaCentral UX and are active or were completed during the last 24 hours. If necessary, you
can also cancel a process that is underway directly from the pane. The following illustration
shows several examples of what you might encounter when monitoring MAM processes with the
Progress pane.

401

Monitoring Processes in the Progress Pane

If your user account also allows you to work with Interplay Production processes, such as
Sequence Mixdown and Send To Playback, Interplay MAM and Interplay Production processes
can be displayed in the Progress pane at the same time. For more information, see “The Progress
Pane” on page 387.
Processes are grouped according to the group property set in Interplay MAM Desktop. If a group
property is not set, processes are grouped by their process type, such as Export or Import. In
MediaCentral UX, the term “job groups” is used for process types and “job group names” are
used for process type labels. Single job groups can be hidden to get a better overview by
selectively displaying only one section. You can display all job groups again from the Pane
menu.
For each process, the Progress pane shows the process title, the number of assets that are
attached to it (if there are any), and information about its life cycle and status. For initialized and
running processes, a progress bar is also shown. For active processes that allow cancellation a
Cancel button is shown to the right of the process.
In case a problem occurs, and the Details property field is supplied in Interplay MAM, the
Details link displays the error message that is reported from the Interplay MAM system.
To open the Progress pane:

Select Panes > Progress.
The pane displays all active or completed processes that you created in Interplay MAM
Desktop during the last 24 hours.

402

Working with Tasks

To filter the displayed job groups:

Select Panes > Show Job Groups and click the job group name.
The pane hides all processes of the selected job group or displays them again if you click an
inactive (non-checked) job group name.

To cancel a process underway:

Click the Cancel button located to the right of the active process.
The Cancel button is removed. A process cancel request is send to Interplay MAM Desktop.

To remove all non-running processes from the list in the Progress pane:

1. Click the Pane Menu button.
2. Select Clear Inactive Jobs.
All completed processes are removed from the Progress pane.

Working with Tasks
The Tasks pane shows you all user tasks that require you to complete an action. These tasks can
be part of processes that you created or have been created by other users and delegated to you.
All options for working with tasks depend on Interplay MAM rules: the configuration of the
corresponding processes in Interplay MAM must allow delegating and applying actions to user
tasks. The process configuration also determines which actions are available for a task and the
results of the task execution.
To prevent different users from editing a task simultaneously, tasks are automatically locked for
other users as soon as the task is edited. The Lock Indicator icon indicates the lock status of each
selected task. The following topics provide information about the options you have when
working with user tasks:
•

“The Tasks Pane” on page 404

•

“Working in the Tasks Pane” on page 407

•

“Delegating User Tasks” on page 408

•

“Applying Actions to User Tasks” on page 409

•

“Displaying and Editing User Task Data” on page 410

•

“Adding and Editing User Task Attachments” on page 411

403

Working with Tasks

The Tasks Pane
The Tasks pane is used to show you all user tasks that require you to complete an action. You can
review and filter the displayed tasks and review the details of a selected task. If necessary, you
can also edit task data and attachments or delegate tasks directly to other users and groups or
apply other actions directly from the pane. The following illustration shows several examples of
what you might encounter when editing tasks with the Tasks pane.

q w
q
we
er
r

t
r
y
r

r
i
o
r
a
r
1r!
d
r

u
r

Display or Control

Description

List and Task button

Toggles display of the Task List and Task Details on or off.
When toggled on the button is colored orange.

You can have both the List and Task buttons
simultaneously toggled on but not toggled off. When
only one is on and you click that button, the system
automatically toggles that display off and the other
display on.

Refresh button

Refreshes the display of active tasks in the Task List.

Lock Indicator icon

Indicates if the selected task is currently locked for editing.
The task is free for editing.

404

Working with Tasks

Display or Control

Description

You are currently editing the task and it is therefore locked for
other users. As soon as you start editing a task it is locked and
the Lock Indicator icon is colored orange.
The task cannot be edited because it is already locked — for
example, because another user is already editing the task. In
this case you see a message when you hover the mouse
pointer over the Lock Indicator icon.
The lock is released after you successfully applied an action
or delegated the task, when you select another task, or close
the Tasks pane.
4

Save button

Saves the task data without leaving the edit field. See
“Displaying and Editing User Task Data” on page 410.

Pane Menu button

The Pane menu for the Tasks pane contains the following
options:

405

•

Filter. Allows you to apply a time-based or task
type-based filter to the Task List.

•

Add or Remove Columns. Shows or hides columns in the
Task List.

•

Delegate To. Allows you to delegate a selected task to
another user or group. See “Delegating User Tasks” on
page 408.

•

Create Process (): Creates a
process without attachments in the MAM system. If
several MAM system are connected to MediaCentral UX,
for each MAM system a separate Create Process menu
item is shown. See “Creating Processes” on page 399.

•

Help. Displays a Help topic describing controls in the
Tasks pane. From this topic you can access the entire
MediaCentral UX Help system.

Working with Tasks

Display or Control

Description

Task List

Displays active and finished tasks in an overview table,
depending on the filter applied to the pane. The Task List has
six columns by default:
•

Name: Displays the name of the task.

•

Process Name: Displays the name of the process the task
belongs to.

•

Process Type: Displays the type of the process the task
belongs to.

•

Task Start: Displays the date and time when the task was
started.

•

Task Due: Displays the planned end date and time of the
task (only for active tasks).

•

Task End: Displays the date and time when the task was
finished.

You can configure which columns are displayed by using the
Tasks pane menu’s Add Or Remove Columns feature.
7

Task Details

Displays details of the task selected in the Task List.
Depending on the task type, the Task Details can be split into
the Task Information and Task Attachments areas. If you
select several tasks in the Task List, the Task Details area does
not show information or is cleared.

Breadcrumbs

Show the names of the current and preceding tasks of the
process to give context information. The current task is the
last (right-most) in the list. Breadcrumbs are shown for active
and completed tasks.

Attachment count

Shows the number of attached assets. If the number of
attachments does not comply with the allowed limits, the
Attachments count is shown in red. A tooltip provides details,
including the reason why the limit is exceeded. See “Adding
and Editing User Task Attachments” on page 411.

Task Information

Displays the metadata assigned to the task. See “Displaying
and Editing User Task Data” on page 410.

406

Working with Tasks

Display or Control

Description

Task Attachments

Displays the attachments of the task as asset cards. For each
attachment, the following are shown:
•

A header frame or clip icon

•

The asset name and type

•

A remove button (optional)

Provides controls to delete attachments from and add new
attachments to an active task; allows you to open attachments
of active and completed tasks. See “Adding and Editing User
Task Attachments” on page 411.
12

Action buttons

Trigger an action on the task. Which actions are available is
determined by the task type. See “Applying Actions to User
Tasks” on page 409.

Working in the Tasks Pane
The Tasks pane is divided into the Task List and Task Details areas, which can be shown
separately or both at the same time.
To open the Tasks pane:

Select Panes > Tasks.

To show and hide the Task List and Task Details areas:

Click the List button.
The Task List area is shown.

Click the Task button.
The Task Details area is shown displaying the details of the task selected in the Task List
area.

To hide an area, click the button again.
You cannot hide both areas at the same time.

To add or remove property columns in the Task List:

1. Click the Pane Menu button in the top right corner of the Tasks pane and select Add or
Remove Columns.
The Add Or Remove Columns window opens. The list is divided in Common Properties and
MAM Tasks.
2. Select the columns you want to add or deselect the columns you want to remove.
407

Working with Tasks

You can use the search box to find a particular column.
3. Click the Close box or click anywhere outside the window to save your settings.
To sort the Task List:

1. Click the heading of the column you want to sort by.
An arrow appears in the column. How the column sorts the results depends on the content of
the column. For example, the Name column sorts results alphabetically, starting from the
lowest number and the first letter or the reverse.
2. To reverse the sorting order, click the heading of the column again.
To filter the tasks displayed in the Task List:

1. Click the Pane Menu button.
2. Select Filter.
3. Do one of the following:
t

To apply a status- and time-based filter, select “Active,” “Active and last 7 days,” or
“Active and last 30 days.” Active is selected by default and therefore only tasks that still
require an action are shown. The two other options show completed user tasks: finished
tasks that cannot be edited any longer.

To apply a task type-based filter, select or deselect one of the task types shown in the
menu (for example, Send Request or Approval). All task types are selected by default.

The filter is applied and the Task List is updated.

Delegating User Tasks
You can delegate user tasks to another user or user group. This means that you can assign an
action that has to be performed during the process execution to another user or group. Your
ability to delegate a task depends on Interplay MAM rules: the process configuration in Interplay
MAM must allow the delegation of the selected task.

408

Working with Tasks

To delegate tasks:

1. Select one or several tasks in the Task List.
2. Click the Pane Menu button.
3. Select Delegate To.
The list shows all users and groups to which the selected tasks can be delegated.

4. Select the user or group to which you want to delegate the task.
After the delegation is successfully completed for at least one task, the Task List is
refreshed. Depending on the process configuration, delegated tasks are still displayed in or
removed from the Task List. For example, if you delegate a task to a group and you are
member of that group, the task will not be removed from the Task List.

Applying Actions to User Tasks
You can apply actions to active user tasks, for example, a Send Request, Approve, or Reject
action. Which action can be applied depends on the configuration of the process to which the
task belongs in Interplay MAM.
To apply an action to a task:

1. Select a task in the Task List.
The Task Details area shows an Action button for each allowed action that can be applied. If
the task is locked by another user, the buttons are grayed out. If no actions are allowed for
the selected task, no buttons are shown.
2. Do one of the following:
t

Right-click the selected task in the Task List and select the action that you want to apply.

Click the button of the action you want to apply at the bottom of the Task Details area.

409

Working with Tasks

While the action is applied, the task is locked and all action controls are disabled. After the
action is successfully applied, the lock is released and the Task List and Task Details areas
are refreshed. Depending on the filter applied to the Tasks pane and the process
configuration, the task might be removed from the Task List or a new user task might be
created and shown.

Displaying and Editing User Task Data
You can view and edit task metadata in the Task Details area. Which metadata fields are shown
and can be edited depends on the configuration of the task template in Interplay MAM.
To display and edit the task metadata:

1. Select a task in the Task List.
The Task Details area shows the metadata fields that are configured for the task.
2. Click in a metadata field and type or edit the value; for example, type a reject reason as
shown in the following illustration.
For information on the different metadata fields, see “Viewing and Editing
Interplay | Production Metadata” on page 51.

410

Working with Tasks

3. To save your changes, do one of the following:
t

Click the Save button.

Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Macintosh).

Click outside the metadata field.

If you do not save your changes and apply an action or delegate the task, select another task,
close the Tasks pane, or log off, a message is displayed that asks you to save the changes.

Adding and Editing User Task Attachments
When you create a process, you attach at least one asset to it. If a user task results from the
process, you can edit the attachment within the context of the user task: You can view the
attached asset, remove the asset from the user task, or add new assets in the Tasks pane. Which
and how many assets can be added depends on the configuration of the process to which the task
belongs in Interplay MAM.
The Tasks pane shows for each selected task the number of attachments in the header of the Task
Details area. If the number of attachments does not comply with the allowed limits, the
“Attachments” count is shown in red. A tooltip provides details, including the reason why the
limit is exceeded.
To add media to a task and edit the task attachments:

1. Select a task in the Task List.
The Task Details area shows the number of attached assets in the header area, and attached
assets as “asset cards” in the assets area.

411

Working with Tasks

2. If want to view an media asset attached to the task, double-click the head frame in the asset
area.
The asset (video or audio clip, or basic sequence) opens in the Media pane.
3. If you want to add a media asset to the task, do one of the following:
t

Click one or several assets in the Assets pane and drag them to the asset area of the task.

Click one or several assets in the Search pane and drag them to the asset area of the task.

Click the asset displayed in the Media viewer in Asset mode and drag it to the asset area
of the task.

A head frame of the video asset or a clip icon of an audio asset is displayed in the asset area,
along with metadata describing the asset. If you dragged an invalid asset type, a message is
displayed and the asset is not attached.
4. (Option) To get information for an error condition, move the mouse pointer over the red
Attachments text.
A tooltip provides detailed information, for example, on the minimum and maximum
number of allowed attachments.
5. If you want to add a task attachment to a folder in the Assets pane, select the attachment in
the assets area, drag it to the name or icon of the folder into which you want to paste the
asset reference, and release the mouse button.
Valid asset references are pasted into the folder, and references to assets that are not allowed
as contents of the folder are not pasted. If there is already a reference to an asset with the
same identifier in the folder, a message is displayed and the asset is not pasted.
6. If you want to use a task attachment to create an association in the Associations pane, select
the attachment in the assets area, drag it to the associations of the desired association type in
the Associations pane, and release the mouse button. For more information, see “Creating
Associations” on page 348.
7. If you want to remove an attached asset, click its Remove button in the asset area. The
Remove button is not shown if the task is locked by another user, is already completed, or
does not allow deletion of attachments by configuration.
When you apply an action to the task, for example, you click the Approve or Send Request
button, the range of allowed attachments is checked. If the number of attached assets violates the
configured limit, a corresponding message is displayed.

412

19 MediaCentral | UX Mobile Application for
the iPhone
The MediaCentral UX mobile app provides a native user interface designed to run on your
iPhone and enable direct, secure access to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system
and the Interplay Production database.
The following main topics describe basic user information about the device and mobile app.
•

Connection Basics

•

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone

•

The Sidebar

•

Buttons of the User Interface

•

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings

•

Changing Roles

•

Accessing the iNEWS Database

•

Editing Stories

•

Approving Stories

•

Working with Favorites

•

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories

•

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Connection Basics
You can use the MediaCentral UX mobile application to perform many actions supported by
MediaCentral UX:
•

Create, edit and approve news stories.

•

Navigate the news directory.

•

Play video sequences associated with scripts.

Connection Basics

•

Navigate the Interplay Production directory.

•

View and play media assets from the Interplay Production database.

If your MediaCentral UX system is licensed for an iNEWS- only configuration, you cannot
preview or play sequences or other media assets.
The MediaCentral UX iPhone application uses one of several connection options, including
Wi-Fi or carrier-specific cellular service (such as 4G).

The application automatically selects the first available connection from the list of options
according to the priority shown in the list.

The iPhone
The iPhone has very few exterior buttons. You navigate content with touch gestures — for
example, tapping an icon to start an application. Some gestures perform standard functions, such
as displaying different menu icons, and some perform functions specific to an application.
Button

Description

The Home button wakes the iPhone when it is sleeping and exits applications, returning you
to the home screen.

Remember, the more applications that you have running, the more memory and battery power
your device uses. To optimize the performance of your device, try to close applications when you
finish with them.

Gestures for the Mobile Application
Applications for touchscreen mobile devices let users accomplish certain tasks utilizing various
gestures like fingertip swipes or taps. What these gestures do can differ from one application to
another. The following table describes what certain gestures do depending on where you use the
gesture within the MediaCentral UX mobile application.
Location

Gesture

Description

Sidebar

Swipe Right

Displays the sidebar.

Sidebar

Tap the Back button

Navigates to the location named on the Back
button.

Sidebar

Touch and hold the Back
button

Navigates back to the Launch pane, regardless
of your position in the file structure.

414

Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone

Location

Gesture

Description

Sidebar

Tap stars (while in edit mode) Selects or deselects items as Favorites.

Launch pane

Tap name of a Favorite item
(while in edit mode)

Lets you modify the item’s name as it appears in
the Favorites list.

Sidebar

Tap and hold the story title
(while in edit mode)

Lets you modify the story’s title (slug) as it
appears in the queue.

Script Editor

Swipe Left

Displays the Cue List.

Script Editor

Tap and hold

Opens a menu allowing you to cut, copy, and
paste text, as well as modify text formats.

Script Editor (Cue List Tap a production cue or
sub-section)
machine control instruction

Auto-scrolls the story text so that the associated
production cue marker comes into view.

Script Editor (Story
sub-section)

Tap a production cue marker

Auto-scrolls the cue list so that the production
cue or machine control instruction associated
with that marker comes into view.

Media Viewer

Touch and drag in the timeline Moves to new position in viewer’s video
playback timeline.

Media Viewer

Tap in the timeline

Media Viewer

Pinch in on full screen viewer Minimizes viewer back to original size and
position within the Script Editor.

Moves the Playhead to that position on the
timeline.

Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone
The following procedure assumes licensing, setup, and configuration of the MediaCentral and
iNEWS servers have already been completed.
To install MediaCentral UX on the iPhone:

1. Open iTunes (the Apple market).
2. Locate the MediaCentral UX application.
3. Tap Download.
When the MediaCentral UX application is installed on your touch-screen device, an icon
representing the application is also installed on the home screen. You can move it to another
position or a new screen like icons for other applications.

415

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone
When you install MediaCentral UX, an icon representing the application displays on your
iPhone’s home screen. If you previously set your Interplay Production account, you can connect
to MediaCentral UX by selecting the MediaCentral icon on your device. To browse iNEWS or
Interplay Production assets, you can sign in with your MediaCentral UX credentials.
MediaCentral UX supports iNEWS communities. The iNEWS Community feature allows
customers with multiple iNEWS systems to share content and collaborate on stories.
MediaCentral UX requires you to supply credentials to sign in to one iNEWS system. This
system is considered your local system. If your local system is configured in an iNEWS
community, you are able to automatically sign in to other systems in the community. These
systems are considered your remote systems. In the MediaCentral UX Launch pane, your local
iNEWS system is listed first, followed by the remote systems. To connect to a remote system, tap
the system name.
For more information on iNEWS Community, see “Support for iNEWS Communities” on
page 37.
If you lose your connection to MediaCentral UX after you have signed in, a dialog box asks you
if you want to reconnect to the server, to sign out of MediaCentral UX, or to work offline. If you
want to work offline, you can view cached queues or stories listed in the Favorites list. For more
detail, see “Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories” on page 438.
You can also choose to work offline. This allows you to view queues and stories listed in the
Favorites list that you have cached locally on your device. If you select ‘Work Offline” in the
sign in screen, MediaCentral UX uses the credentials last used to sign in to MediaCentral UX.
For more information, see “Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories” on page 438.
If your connection to MediaCentral UX is restored, you can sign in by tapping the Actions button
and selecting Sign In.
To start MediaCentral UX:

1. Select the MediaCentral icon to start the mobile application.
The sign-in screen appears.

416

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone

2. Type the MediaCentral UX Server name.
3. Type your MediaCentral UX user name and password.
4. Do one of the following:
t

Tap the Sign In button.
After you sign in, MediaCentral UX connects to the selected Interplay Production server
or iNEWS system. All servers display in the Sidebar.

If your MediaCentral UX credentials are incorrect or missing in your MediaCentral UX
account, you receive a message: “Authentication Failed: The user name or password you
entered is incorrect.” When you click OK, the sign-in screen appears and allows you to enter
valid credentials.
t

Tap the Work Offline button.
MediaCentral UX uses the credentials you used the last time you signed in, and it
displays any cached queues and stories in the Favorites list.

To view the help system:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Select Help.
To sign out:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Select Sign Out.

417

The Sidebar

To exit the application:

1. Press the Home button.
2. Select Close.

The Sidebar
After you sign in to the MediaCentral UX mobile application on an iPhone, you can view the
sidebar, located along the left side of the screen when displayed. This allows you to navigate
various systems integrated with MediaCentral UX, such as an iNEWS newsroom computer
system or an Interplay Production database The Launch pane also includes any iNEWS projects
and iNEWS servers that are part of an iNEWS community.
The top level of the sidebar contains the Launch pane. The following illustration shows the
Launch pane with an available Interplay Production database and an iNEWS newsroom
computer system, as well as a couple of user-defined Favorites.

From the Launch pane, you can navigate through the file structure and open assets. After
opening assets, you can view the sidebar at any time by swiping your finger across the screen to
the right. You can also use the Show/Hide button to toggle the display of the sidebar.

The look of this button changes depending on the display status of the sidebar.

418

Buttons of the User Interface

Button

Description

Tap this button to display a list of available roles and to select a different role from the menu.

Tap this button to display the sidebar.

Tap this button to hide the sidebar.

Tap the Refresh button to refresh the list of queues, stories, and media assets.

You can use the Refresh button to update the queues and stories displayed in the iNEWS
database or the media assets displayed in the Interplay Production database by clicking the
Refresh button. This allows you to view any changes made to stories or any new iNEWS or
Interplay Production assets.
In edit mode, the plus symbol located at the bottom of the sidebar operates as the Add Story
button. Users can tap it to create a new blank story.

Buttons of the User Interface
The MediaCentral UX mobile application provides a small toolbar of buttons in the top right
corner area of the user interface. The following table describes the buttons and their uses.
Button

Description

The Approve Story button lets a user approve stories within that queue. The user must have
write access to the queue.

The Approve Story button’s icon appears orange for an approved story and white for an
unapproved story.

The Edit Story button enables editing of an opened story by displaying the Edit toolbar and a
virtual keyboard.

The Edit Story button’s icon appears orange when you activate edit mode and white if
you do not activate Edit mode.

The Open Sequence button opens the sequence for viewing in full-screen size. The button
becomes enabled when a video sequence has been associated with a script.

419

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings

Button

Description

The Actions button opens a menu of options that include: Reload, Send Log, Help, and Sign
Out. The Send Log option displays only if you enable logging in the MediaCentral UX
settings. For more information, see “Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings” on page 420.

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings
You can modify some settings in MediaCentral UX.
To modify MediaCentral UX mobile application settings on the iPhone:

1. Start MediaCentral UX.
2. Tap the Settings icon.
3. Select MediaCentral UX in the list of applications.
The following table provides information about general settings.
General Settings

Description

Version

For display purposes only, this value shows the currently installed version of
the mobile application.

Logging

If set to On, MediaCentral UX keeps logs on session activities, which you can
use to troubleshoot issues.
If you tap the Actions button, a Send Log option appears that lets you e-mail the
logs directly to Avid. If the log file is more than 15 MB, you cannot send it
directly. Use the iTunes File Sharing feature as described later in this topic.
If set to Off (default), logging and the Send Log option are disabled.

Logging Level

This setting determines how much information is logged if you enable logging.
Options include: Verbose, Info, Warn, and Error.

Request Timeout

Options are intervals of 10, 20, or 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes.

Keep me signed in

Set to On if you want MediaCentral UX to keep you signed in after you first
sign in.

420

Changing Roles

The following table provides information about the settings for editing.
Editing Settings

Description

Autosave Stories

If set to On, MediaCentral UX automatically saves a story if you navigate away
from the modified story to other assets in the system. If set to Off,
MediaCentral UX prompts you to save your modifications. The default setting
is On.

To send log files to Avid:

1. Connect your device to a Macintosh computer.
2. Open iTunes and navigate to Device > Apps.
3. In the Apps list, select MediaCentral UX.
4. In the MediaCentral UX Documents list, select the Logs folder.
5. Click “Save to” or drag the folder to a location on your computer.
6. Zip the folder and send it to Avid as an e-mail attachment.

Changing Roles
Depending on your MediaCentral UX configuration and license, you might have more than one
role with which you can work on your project. Each role has a set of layouts and permissions
associated with it. If you have multiple roles available, you can change your current role from the
Roles button in the Launch pane.
For more information about roles, see the MediaCentral UX Administrator’s Guide.
To change your role, do the following:

Tap the Roles button, and then select a new role from the menu.

421

Accessing the iNEWS Database

Accessing the iNEWS Database
The iNEWS database is the backbone of your iNEWS system. You save the data created in your
newsroom — stories, scripts, and rundowns — in the database on the iNEWS Server. Queues
contain stories, and directories (also known as folders) store the queues.
When viewed with the mobile application, available iNEWS systems appear in the sidebar, along
with any of their directories and queues. For MediaCentral UX v1.7 and later, queues marked to
automatically refresh when changes are made display without pagination in the sidebar. You can
scroll continuously to view all stories in these queues.

If the queue contains more than 1000 stories, it might take some time for MediaCentral UX to
receive and display them. You might need to increase the Request Timeout value in the
MediaCentral UX settings. For more information, see “Customizing MediaCentral | UX
Settings” on page 420.

422

Accessing the iNEWS Database

The application uses different icons to distinguish between directories, queues, and stories.
Icon

Description

Destinations in the iNEWS system directory selected for the Favorites list have a gold star on
their icons.
The following illustration shows an example of an iNEWS system directory with two directories
marked as favorite destinations.

While viewing the top level of an iNEWS system directory in the sidebar, the Back button displays
the word Launch, which means you can tap it to return to the previous view of the Launch pane.
However, the button’s name changes the further you navigate down the system directory.

423

Accessing the iNEWS Database

You can open directories, queues, and stories from the MediaCentral UX mobile application.
Directories and queues open within the sidebar. Stories open to the right of the sidebar in the
Script Editor.

If you want to open an iNEWS story that has a key lock applied to it, you must type in the
appropriate password for the story.
To open a directory:

1. Navigate to the directory.
2. Tap a folder on screen to open it.

As you navigate the system’s directory structure, the application displays your path or location
within the database at the top of the screen.
The following illustration shows the Wires directory opened to view numerous queues
containing incoming wire stories.

Wires directory on the MUCINEWS iNEWS server, with the back button at the top of the list

To back out of a directory or queue:

Tap the Back button.

The Back button does not display the word “Back” on it, but rather the name on the button
changes as a user navigates further into the directory.
424

Accessing the iNEWS Database

To open a queue:

1. Navigate to the queue inside a directory.
2. Tap the queue to open it.
The following illustration shows an example of a rundown queue.

To open an existing story:

1. Navigate to the story in a queue.

A story icon with a check mark indicates that the story has been “approved.” You can approve
stories from an iNEWS workstation or from MediaCentral UX.
2. Tap the story to open it.
The story opens in the Script Editor, which has two sections:
425

Accessing the iNEWS Database

The Story, which contains the text of the story, any presenter instructions, and
production cue markers.

The Cue List, which contains any production cues or machine control instructions.

The following illustration shows the Script Editor open with the Story section displayed
containing a story with production cue markers identified numerically.

Presenter instructions appear as red text in the body of the story.
3. While viewing the story, swipe left to view the Cue List.

426

Accessing the iNEWS Database

The numerical production cue markers within the story align with production cues and
machine control instructions displayed in the Cue List to the right of the story. Black text
indicates production cues. Blue text indicates machine control instructions (if any).

Because of limited screen size on the iPhone, the mobile application does not display the sidebar
with the Script Editor. To view the sidebar at any time, swipe right from the Story section or use
the Show/Hide button (see “The Sidebar” on page 418).
To reload a story:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Tap Reload.
To add a new story:

1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar.
2. Tap the story in the queue below which you want to insert the new story.
3. Tap the Add Story button, located at the bottom of the sidebar.
4. Modify the story title in the sidebar. For more information, see the procedure for editing the
story title in “Editing Stories” on page 428.
5. Tap Done.

Viewing Video Associated with a Script
When sequences have been associated with stories in the MediaCentral UX Web application, you
can preview the stories in the media viewer in MediaCentral UX.

If your MediaCentral UX system is licensed for an iNEWS- only configuration, you cannot
preview or play sequences or other media assets.
When you associate video with a script, you use the Open Sequence button to open the viewer
full screen and preview sequences. The following table describes buttons available to open and
use the media viewer.
Button

Description

The Play button plays the sequence so you can preview the video associated with the story.
This button changes to a Pause button while the sequence plays.
The Playhead allows you to navigate to a new position in the viewer’s video playback
timeline.
The Maximize button expands the viewer to full screen. This button changes to the
Minimize button when the viewer expands to full screen.

427

Editing Stories

Button

Description

The Open Sequence button opens the viewer to full screen.

You can view video sequences created in the following way:

•

You created and modified the sequence in MediaCentral UX.

•

You created the sequence in MediaCentral UX and modified it in NewsCutter or Media
Composer. In this case, you might not see some effects in the media viewer.

•

You created the sequence in Instinct and modified it in MediaCentral UX.

You cannot view video sequences created directly in NewsCutter or Media Composer, and you
cannot play back shotlists created in Interplay Assist or Interplay Access.
To view video sequences associated with a script:

1. Tap the Open Sequence button — or the Maximize button in the viewer — to open the
viewer full screen. Then tap the Play button.
2. (Optional) If you expand the viewer, you can tap the Minimize button to restore the viewer
to its original size and location within the Script Editor.
To regenerate the sequence video proxy for playback:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Tap Reload.

Editing Stories
Using the mobile application, you can create a new story or edit an existing one. You can also
change the title of story.
The system obtains an edit lock when you edit a story, which prevents other users from altering a
story while you work on it. The edit lock applies only to the story body when you edit the body,
and it applies only to the story title (the slug) when you edit the title in the sidebar or when you
approve a story. When you start a new story, the edit lock applies both to the story body and the
story title. Saving and closing the story, or discarding your changes, releases the edit lock.

If you want to open an iNEWS story that has a key lock applied to it, you must type in the
appropriate password for the story.

428

Editing Stories

MediaCentral UX supports the standard editing features found in most text editing applications,
including cut, copy, and paste.

You can use cut, copy, and paste to move text around within a single story or from one story to
another. When cutting or copying text, the system stores the text in the clipboard. The clipboard
stores only one block of text at a time, so whenever you cut or copy something new, the clipboard
overwrites the previously stored text.
To edit an existing story:

1. Navigate to the existing story in the queue and open it.
2. Tap the Edit Story button.
When the color of the icon on the Edit Story button changes from white to orange, edit mode
becomes active and you can edit the story. An edit lock prevents others from changing the
story while you edit.
3. Tap in the story to begin editing the text.
4. After you complete your modifications, save the story. For more information, see “Ways of
Saving Stories” on page 431.

429

Editing Stories

To edit text:

1. Tap and hold in the story, and then tap either Select or Select All.
2. Select one of the following:
t

Select Cut.

Select Copy.

Select Paste.

To add a new story:

1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar.
2. Tap the Add Story button, located at the bottom of the sidebar.

The Add Story button only appears in the sidebar after you tap the Edit button in the sidebar.
A blank story is added to the current queue with edit mode already activated for the story. An
edit lock prevents others from changing the story while you edit.The cursor moves to the
blank title field.
When in edit mode (in the Script Editor), the application displays a virtual keyboard.

The MediaCentral UX application can also be used with a Bluetooth keyboard.
3. Type the title of your story.
4. (Optional) Enter any production cues or machine control instructions.
5. Save the story. For more information, see “Ways of Saving Stories” on page 431.
To edit the title (slug) of a story:

1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar.
2. From the queue in the sidebar, tap and hold the story title you want to edit.
3. When cursor appears, you can change the name of the story.

4. Tap Done.
430

Editing Stories

Ways of Saving Stories
You can save newly created stories or change existing stories by tapping the Edit Story button
after modifying a story while in edit mode. A message appears asking you to confirm whether to
save the changes. You can choose to save the story or exit edit mode without saving your
changes.
Your story also is saved when the following occurs:
•

You change to another app or send MediaCentral UX to the background by pressing the
Home button.

•

Your device goes to sleep due to Auto-Lock timeout.

If you enable Autosave Stories in the MediaCentral UX Settings, you can save newly created
stories or change existing stories in multiple ways:
•

The application automatically saves a modified story when you tap on a different story in the
queue.

•

The application automatically saves a modified story when you select an asset from the
Interplay Production server to view.

•

The application automatically saves a modified story when you change your role from
Launch pane.

•

The application automatically saves a modified story when you sign out of the application.

Formatting a Script
When you write a story, text appears in the default text style. However, you can alter the look of
the text, such as changing the default font to bold. When formatting a story as a script for a news
broadcast, you often distinguish certain text by using various specialized styles of text, such as
instructions for presenters or closed captioning.
You use presenter instructions commonly as brief, special instructions to news presenters (also
known as news anchors). The text for presenter instructions appear red, in reverse video on the
teleprompter. This text does not affect how the system calculates the read time.
You use closed captioning commonly for sound-bite transcription. The text for closed captioning
appears green, and the system sends it to a closed caption encoder if your station uses such a
device to broadcast scripts for the hearing-impaired. Closed captioning text does not appear in
the teleprompter, nor does it affect how the system calculates the read time.

The system sends the default text style to both the teleprompter and to any closed caption
encoder used at the station.

431

Editing Stories

In the mobile application, a menu provides buttons that let you modify the format of the text into
bold text, italicized text, and underlined text, and lets you format text specialized for broadcast
scripts.

To format text, select the appropriate text and do one of the following:

To bold text, tap and hold. and then select the B button.

To italicize test, tap and hold, and then select the I button.

To underline text, tap and hold, and then select the U button.

To mark text as a presenter instruction, tap and hold, and then select P for presenter.

To mark text as a closed captioning text, tap and hold, and then select CC for closed
captioned.

To mark text as a normal text, tap and hold, and then select N for normal.

You can choose the format before typing your text as well. Any new text you type appears in the
format you selected. To change the format of the text you type at any time, select another format.

Adding Production Cues
When you format a story as a script for a news broadcast, you can add production cues to provide
valuable information to technical staff as well as machine control commands for devices, such as
character generators.
In the mobile application on an iPhone, the menu provides a the Plus (+) button that lets you add
this information to scripts.
You add production cues to scripts from the Story area and edit them in the Cue List area of the
Script Editor. When added to a script, each production cue has an associated number. The
number appears as a production cue marker in the script, which corresponds to the insertion
location of the production cue’s text box in the Cue List. You can select each marker and move it
within or remove it from the story if necessary. If moved or deleted, the text associated with the
marker moves or is deleted.

432

Editing Stories

To insert a production cue into a script:

1. Position your cursor in the story where you want to insert the production cue marker.
2. Tap and hold, and then select the Plus button.
MediaCentral UX adds a production cue marker with a number into the story at the cursor
position. The marker corresponds to the production cue with the same number located in the
Cue List
3. Swipe left to view the Cue List and edit the production cue.
4. Enter the production cue information — for example, Take VO, On Camera, Take SOT, or
Take Live.

The application automatically saves information in the newly inserted production cue when you
navigate elsewhere within the application. If you attempt to sign out or close the application, a
message appears prompting you to either save or discard your changes.

To move a production cue in a script:

Select the production cue marker, and then cut it and paste it in another location within the
script.

To delete a production cue from a script, do one of the following:

Position cursor to the right of the production cue marker and press the Delete key.

Select the production cue marker and tap the Delete key.

Adding Machine Control Instructions
If your station integrates with a broadcast control system, such as iNEWS Command, the
production cues might include machine control instructions.

433

Editing Stories

You should precede these instructions with an asterisk (*) and write them in a format that begins
with a command for a device — for example, CG for a character generator. After the command
the format specifies a particular item or template, such as 2line for a template that contains two
lines for fulfillment data. Additional information or comments follow on succeeding lines in the
same production cue text box.
The following procedure uses the example of a machine control instruction for a 2-line character
generator graphic. The first line calls up the correct template and the subsequent lines of text
provide the fulfillment data that appears in the graphic.
To add machine control instructions for a CG event:

1. Add or open a production cue in the script.
2. Swipe left to view the Cue List with your production cue.
3. Type your machine control command — for example, *CG 2line — and then press Return.

Typing an asterisk (*) automatically switches the text you type from Normal to Machine Control
format, which appears as blue font. The menu also has an MC option that you can select to
format text as a machine control instruction within a production cue.
4. Type the first line of text that should appear on the 2-line CG graphic — for example, John
Smith — and then press Return.
5. Type the second line of text for the 2-line CG graphic — for example, Pleasantville,
USA.
Your CG machine control instruction appears in blue font.

Working with Links in Stories
A story can contain more than simple text. It can contain a URL to a Web page or an e-mail
address to a contact you might need. When Web links or e-mail addresses are included in stories,
they become dynamic links. You can use them to open your device’s browser or to open an
e-mail window.
To open a Web link from a story:

Tap the link in the story.
The device’s Web browser opens and loads the Web page.

434

Approving Stories

To call a phone number from a story:

1. Tap and hold on a phone number in the story.
A dialog box appears.

2. Tap the number to dial the number. You can also select Add to Contacts to add the number to
your phone’s directory, and you can copy and paste the number into another document.
To e-mail a contact from a story:

1. Tap the e-mail address in the story.
The application opens an e-mail window, using your device’s default e-mail application.
2. Write your e-mail.
3. Tap Send.

Approving Stories
Endorsing or approving stories allows news producers to identify which scripts in a show have
been reviewed prior to broadcast. You can approve stories from an iNEWS workstation or from
the MediaCentral UX application on an iPad or an iPhone.

The ability to approve stories requires write access to the queue for the selected story.
To approve a story from the mobile application:

1. Open the story you want to approve.
2. Tap the Approve Story button, and then tap Approve.

435

Working with Favorites

To remove approval for a story from the mobile application:

1. Open the story for which you want to remove approval.
2. Tap the Approve Story button and then tap Unapprove.

Working with Favorites
To make navigation easier, you can designate certain locations in the newsroom system or
Interplay Production as Favorites, which appear in a list on the Launch pane.

436

Working with Favorites

From the mobile application, you can use your Favorites list to navigate quickly to your most
often used assets, directories, queues, or stories. You can edit your Favorites list by creating new
ones, editing their names, or deleting existing ones from the list.
To create a Favorite:

1. Tap the Edit button.
2. Tap the gray star next to the directory, asset, queue, or story you want to designate as a
favorite destination. Gold stars indicate chosen destinations; gray stars indicate destinations
not chosen. You can select more than one at a time.
3. Tap the Done button.
All selections appear in your Favorites list in the Launch pane. A gold star appears over each
icon of favorite destinations in the system directory.
To edit the name of a Favorite:

1. Tap the Edit button.
2. Tap the name in the list you want to edit.
3. When the cursor appears, you can change the name.

For example, if you plan to have multiple rundown queues in your Favorites list, some might
share the same queue name. You can edit each one in the list to distinguish which rundown
applies to the morning show, midday show, and evening newscast.
4. Tap the Done button.
The name of the Favorite changes. This does not affect the name of the asset, story, queue, or
rundown in iNEWS or Interplay Production.
To delete a Favorite:

1. Tap the Edit button.
2. Tap to the left of the directory, queue, or story you want to remove as a favorite destination.
You can select more than one at a time.
The selected item displays a check mark next to the title; gray circles indicate those not
chosen.

437

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories

3. Tap the Done button.

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories
You can use the MediaCentral UX mobile application to view queues and stories cached locally
to your mobile device without being connected to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer
system.
The Launch panel displays cached queues and stories in the Favorites list when you work in
offline mode.
The following notes apply to caching queues and stories:
•

You can work in presenter mode from a cached queue in offline mode.

•

Caching a queue might take some time, depending on the length of the queue. You can
manually cancel a cache operation. For more information, see “Caching Queues and Stories”
on page 439.

•

If you manually cancel a cache operation, no part of the queue or story is saved.

•

You can cache a queue of up to 1000 stories. If a queue contains more than this limit,
MediaCentral UX caches only the first 1000 stories.

•

If an error occurs while caching stories — for example, if you lose your connection to the
server or if you lock your device — the cache operation is interrupted.

•

MediaCentral UX updates the cache contents only in the case of an successful operation. If
you have cached the same queue or story before, you can still access the old cache.

•

If a story or part of a story has been deleted from a queue marked for caching, it is skipped
by the cache operation.

•

If you designate both a queue and a story from the queue as favorites, the cache operation
creates two separate cached versions of the story, one within the cached queue and another
for the individually-cached story.

438

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories

Caching Queues and Stories
To view queues and stories in offline mode, you must set them as Favorites before they can be
cached locally and viewed when you do not have a connection to server (see “Working with
Favorites” on page 436).
You can delete a cache for a queue or story by deleting the item from the Favorites list.
To cache a queue or story in the Favorites list:

1. In the Launch pane, tap the Edit button, and tap to the left of the queue or story in the
Favorites list you want to cache. You can select more than one queue or story at a time.
The queue or story displays a check mark next to the title.

2. Tap the Cache button.
A progress bar indicates the status of the cache operation. To stop the cache operation, tap
the Cancel button.

When the caching completes, a dialog box appears with the results of the operation.
3. Click OK.
To remove a cache from your device:

1. In the Launch pane, tap the Edit button, and then select the queue or story in the Favorites
list you want to delete.
The queue or story displays a check mark next to the title.

2. Tap the Trash button.

439

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

The queue or story is removed from the Favorites list and the cache is deleted.

Viewing Queues and Stories in Offline Mode
When you lose your connection to MediaCentral UX, you can choose to work offline. This
allows you to view queues and stories that have been cached on your mobile device.
To view cached queues and stories after your lose your connection to MediaCentral UX:

1. In the Connection Failure dialog box, tap Work Offline.

MediaCentral UX displays the Launch pane, with all cached queues and stories in the
Favorites list.
2. Tap a queue or story to open it.

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production
You can access media assets stored in an Interplay Production database, such as video clips,
audio clips, and graphics. When viewed with the mobile application, available Interplay
Production systems appear in the sidebar, along with any of their directories and media assets.
Different icons are used to identify Interplay Production assets:
Icon

Description

Directories hold media assets or other subdirectories.

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Icon

Description

A subclip references a selected portion of a master clip.

A sequence represents an edited program, partial or complete, that you create from other
clips.
An effect clip references an unrendered effect that you create. You cannot preview an effect
clip in the Media viewer.
A group clip contains two or more grouped clips, strung together sequentially according to
common timecodes.

Destinations in the Interplay Production system directory selected for the Favorites list have a
gold star on their icons.

While viewing the top level of an asset directory in the sidebar, the Back button displays the word
Launch, which means you can tap it to return to the previous view of the Launch pane. However,
the button’s name changes the further you navigate down the system directory.

Viewing Media Assets with MediaCentral | UX
You can open directories and media assets stored in the Interplay Production database using
MediaCentral UX. Directories and a list of assets open within the sidebar. You can view and play
assets in the Media viewer.

441

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Asset list and Media viewer — left screen: selected directory, Show/Hide button, selected asset; right screen: Action
button, Media player, media controls

To open a directory:

1. Navigate to the directory.
2. Tap a folder on screen to open it.

As you navigate the system’s directory structure, the application displays your path or location
within the database at the top of the screen.

442

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

The following illustration shows the Scuba Diver directory opened to view one subdirectory
and multiple media assets.

Scuba Diver directory on the Interplay Production server, with the back button at the top of the list indicating
the parent directory

To back out of a directory:

Tap the Back button.

The Back button does not display the word “Back” on it, but rather the name on the button
changes as a user navigates further into the directory.

443

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

To open and play a media asset:

1. Navigate to the asset in a directory.
2. Tap the video or audio asset.
The asset opens in the Media viewer, which replaces the asset list in the sidebar.

Media controls: Play button, position indicator, Full Screen button

3. Tap the Play button to play the asset.
4. If you want to scrub through the media asset, or if you want to jump to a specific position in
the clip, tap and hold the position indicator and drag it to a new location.
5. If you want to view a video clip in full screen mode, tap the Full Screen button.
The Media viewer expands to fill the device screen and the video clip starts playing.
To reload an asset:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Tap Reload.

444

20 MediaCentral | UX Tablet Application for
the iPad
The MediaCentral UX tablet app provides a native user interface designed to run on your iPad
tablet and enable direct, secure access to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system and
the Interplay Production database.
The following main topics describe basic user information about the device and tablet app.
•

Connection Basics

•

Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPad

•

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Tablet

•

The Sidebar

•

Buttons of the User Interface

•

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings

•

Changing Roles

•

Accessing the iNEWS Database

•

Editing Stories

•

Approving Stories

•

Entering Presenter Mode

•

Working with Favorites

•

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories

•

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Connection Basics
You can use the MediaCentral UX tablet app to perform many actions supported by the
MediaCentral UX Web application:
•

Create, edit and approve news stories.

•

Navigate the news directory.

Connection Basics

•

Play video sequences associated with scripts.

•

View a show's scripts in presenter mode while signed in to your station’s iNEWS newsroom
computer system.

•

Navigate the Interplay Production directory.

•

View and play media assets from the Interplay Production database.

If your MediaCentral UX system is licensed for an iNEWS- only configuration, you cannot
preview or play sequences or other media assets.
MediaCentral UX uses one of several connection options, including Wi-Fi or carrier-specific
cellular service (such as 4G).

The app automatically selects the first available connection from the list of options according to
the priority shown in the list.

The iPad
The iPad has very few exterior buttons. You navigate content with touch gestures — for example,
tapping an icon to start an app. Some gestures perform standard functions, such as displaying
different menu icons, and some perform functions specific to an app.
Button

Description

The Home button wakes the tablet when it is sleeping and exits apps, returning you to the
home screen.

Remember, the more apps that you have running, the more memory and battery power your
tablet uses. To optimize the performance of your tablet, try to close apps when you finish with
them.

446

Connection Basics

Gestures for the Tablet App
Apps for touchscreen tablets let users accomplish certain tasks utilizing various gestures like
fingertip swipes or taps. What these gestures do can differ from one app to another. The
following table describes what certain gestures do depending on where you use the gesture
within the MediaCentral UX mobile app.
Location

Gesture

Description

Sidebar

Two Finger Swipe to the Right Displays or hides the sidebar.
or Left

Sidebar

Tap the Back button

Navigates to the location named on the Back
button itself.

Sidebar

Touch and hold the Back
button

Navigates back to the Launch pane regardless of
how far down the file structure you’ve gone.

Sidebar

Tap stars (while in edit mode) Selects or deselects items as Favorites.

Launch pane

Tap name of a Favorite item
(while in edit mode)

Lets you modify the item’s name as it appears in
the Favorites list.

Sidebar

Tap and hold the story title
(while in edit mode)

Lets you modify the story’s title (slug) as it
appears in the queue.

Script Editor

One Finger Swipe to the Right Navigates backward or forward to previous or next
or Left
story in a rundown.

Script Editor

Tap and hold

Opens a menu allowing you to cut, copy, and paste
text, as well as modify text formats.

Script Editor (Cue
List sub-section)

Tap a production cue or
machine control instruction

Auto-scrolls the story text so that the associated
production cue marker comes into view.

Script Editor (Story
sub-section)

Tap a production cue marker

Auto-scrolls the cue list so that the production cue
or machine control instruction associated with that
marker comes into view.

Media Viewer

Touch and drag in the timeline Moves to new position in viewer’s video playback
timeline.

Media Viewer

Tap in the timeline

Media Viewer

Pinch out on viewer embedded Expands the viewer to full screen.
in the Script Editor above the
Cue List sub-section

Moves the Playhead to that position on the
timeline.

447

Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPad

Location

Gesture

Description

Media Viewer

Pinch in on full screen viewer Minimizes viewer back to original size and
position within the Script Editor.

Presenter Mode

Swipe left or tap on right edge Navigates to next page.
of screen

Presenter Mode

Swipe right or tap on left edge Navigates to previous page.
of screen

Presenter Mode

Pinch in on full screen

Exits full screen presenter mode.

Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPad
The following procedure assumes licensing, setup, and configuration of the MediaCentral UX
and iNEWS servers have already been completed.
To install MediaCentral UX on the iPad:

1. Open iTunes (the Apple market).
2. Locate the MediaCentral UX mobile app.
3. Tap Download.
When the MediaCentral UX app is installed on your touch-screen tablet, an icon
representing the app is also installed on the home screen. You can move it to another
position or a new screen like icons for other apps.

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Tablet
When you install MediaCentral UX, an icon representing the app displays on your iPad’s home
screen. If you previously set your Interplay Production account, you can connect to the
MediaCentral UX server by selecting the MediaCentral icon on your device. To browse iNEWS
or Interplay Production assets, you can sign in with your MediaCentral UX credentials.
MediaCentral UX supports iNEWS communities. The iNEWS Community feature allows
customers with multiple iNEWS systems to share content and collaborate on stories.
MediaCentral UX requires you to supply credentials to sign in to one iNEWS system. This
system is considered your local system. If your local system is configured in an iNEWS
community, you are able to automatically sign in to other systems in the community. These
systems are considered your remote systems. In the MediaCentral UX Launch pane, your local
iNEWS system is listed first, followed by the remote systems. To connect to a remote system, tap
the system name.
448

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Tablet

For more information on iNEWS Community, see “Support for iNEWS Communities” on
page 37.
If you lose your connection to MediaCentral UX after you have signed in, a dialog box asks you
if you want to reconnect to the server, to sign out of MediaCentral UX, or to work offline. If you
want to work offline, you can view cached queues or stories listed in the Favorites list. For more
detail, see “Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories” on page 471.
You can also choose to work offline. This allows you to view queues and stories listed in the
Favorites list that you have cached locally on your device. If you select ‘Work Offline” in the
sign in screen, the MediaCentral UX mobile app uses the credentials last used to sign in to the
MediaCentral UX Web application. For more information, see “Working Offline with Cached
Queues and Stories” on page 471.
If your connection to MediaCentral UX is restored, you can sign in by tapping the Actions button
and selecting Sign In.
To start MediaCentral UX:

1. Select the MediaCentral icon to start the tablet app.
The sign-in screen appears.

2. Type the MediaCentral UX Server name.
3. Type your MediaCentral UX user name and password.
4. Do one of the following:
t

Tap the Sign In button.
After you sign in, MediaCentral UX connects to the selected Interplay Production server
or iNEWS system. All servers display in the Sidebar.

449

The Sidebar

Tap the Work Offline button.
MediaCentral UX uses the credentials you used the last time you signed in, and it
displays any cached queues and stories in the Favorites list.

To view the help system:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Select Help.
To sign out:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Select Sign Out.

The Sidebar
After you sign in to MediaCentral UX on an iPad, you can view the sidebar, located along the
left side of the screen when displayed. This allows you to navigate various systems integrated
with MediaCentral UX, such as an iNEWS newsroom computer system or an Interplay
Production database. The Launch pane also includes any iNEWS projects and iNEWS servers
that are part of an iNEWS community.
The top level of the sidebar contains the Launch pane. The following illustration shows the
Launch pane with an available Interplay Production database and an iNEWS newsroom
computer system, as well as two user-defined Favorites.

450

Buttons of the User Interface

From the Launch pane, you can navigate through the file structure and open assets. You can hide
the sidebar at any time to increase the screen real estate for viewing assets on the tablet. You can
also use the Show/Hide button to toggle the display of the sidebar.

The look of this button changes depending on the display status of the sidebar.

Button

Description

Tap this button to display a list of available roles and to select a different role from the menu.

Tap this button to display the sidebar.
Tap this button to hide the sidebar.

Tap the Refresh button to refresh the list of queues, stories, and media assets.

Buttons of the User Interface
When you browse or edit stories in MediaCentral UX, a small toolbar of buttons displays in the
top right corner area of the user interface. The following table describes these buttons and
describes their uses.
Button

Description

The Approve Story button lets a user approve stories within that queue. The user must have
write access to the queue.

The Approve Story button’s icon appears orange for an approved story and white for
an unapproved story.

451

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings

Button

Description

The Edit Story button enables editing of an opened story by displaying the Edit toolbar and a
virtual keyboard.

The Edit Story button’s icon appears orange when you activate edit mode and white if
you do not activate Edit mode.

The Open Sequence button opens the sequence for viewing in full-screen size. The button
becomes enabled when a video sequence has been associated with a script.
The Presenter Mode button opens a show's rundown of stories in presenter mode to the
current selected story in the sidebar. This button is enabled only for queues set to
automatically refresh.
The Actions button opens a menu of options that include: Reload, Send Log, Help, and Sign
Out. The Send Log option displays only if you enable logging in the MediaCentral UX
settings. For more information, see “Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings” on page 452.

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings
You can modify some settings in MediaCentral UX.
To modify MediaCentral UX settings on the iPad:

1. Start MediaCentral UX.
2. Tap the Settings icon.
3. Select MediaCentral UX in the list of apps.
The following table provides information about general settings.
General Settings Description

Version

For display purposes only, this value shows the currently installed version of the
tablet app.

Logging

If set to On, MediaCentral UX keeps logs on session activities, which you can use
to troubleshoot issues.
If you tap the Actions button, a Send Log option appears that lets you e-mail the
logs directly to Avid. If the log file is more than 15 MB, you cannot send it directly.
Use the iTunes File Sharing feature as described later in this topic.
If set to Off (default), logging and the Send Log option are disabled.

Logging Level

This setting determines how much information is logged if you enable logging.
Options include: Verbose, Info, Warn, and Error.

452

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings

General Settings Description

Request Timeout

Options are intervals of 10, 20, or 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes.

Keep me signed in

Set to On if you want MediaCentral UX to keep you signed in after you first sign in.

The following table provides information about the settings for editing.
Editing Settings Description

Autosave Stories

If set to On, MediaCentral UX automatically saves a story if you navigate away
from the modified story to other assets in the system. If set to Off, MediaCentral UX
prompts you to save your modifications. The default setting is On.

The following table provides information about the settings for presenter mode.
Presenter Mode Settings

Description

Font Size

Options for presenter mode are 18, 22, 26, 32, and 38.

Normal Text

Normal text is the default text format of the story. Options are Black on
White or White on Black.

Presenter Text

Presenter text is most often used for special instructions to presenters in
scripts. Options are White on Black, Black on White, or Red on White.

Closed Captioning Text

Closed captioning is text sent to a closed caption encoder if your station
uses such a device to broadcast text for the hearing-impaired. Options
are White on Black, Black on White, or Green on White.

Skip Blank Stories

If set to On, presenter mode skips any stories that have no text or
production cues.

To send log files to Avid:

453

Changing Roles

Changing Roles
Depending on your MediaCentral UX configuration and license, you might have more than one
role with which you can work on your project. Each role has a set of layouts and permissions
associated with it. If you have multiple roles available, you can change your current role from the
Roles button in the Launch pane.
For more information about roles, see the Avid MediaCentral | UX Administrator’s Guide.
To change your role, do the following:

Tap the Roles button, and then select a new role from the menu.

Accessing the iNEWS Database
The iNEWS database is the backbone of your iNEWS system. You save the data created in your
newsroom — stories, scripts, and rundowns — in the database on the iNEWS server. Queues
contain stories, and directories (also known as folders) store the queues.
When viewed with the tablet app, available iNEWS systems appear in the sidebar, along with any
of their directories and queues. For MediaCentral UX v1.7 and later, queues marked to
automatically refresh when changes are made display without pagination in the sidebar. You can
scroll continuously to view all stories in these queues.

454

Accessing the iNEWS Database

Description

Destinations in the iNEWS system directory selected for the Favorites list have a gold star on
their icons.

455

Accessing the iNEWS Database

You can open directories, queues, and stories from MediaCentral UX. Directories and queues
open within the sidebar. Stories open to the right of the sidebar in the Script Editor.

If you want to open an iNEWS story that has a key lock applied to it, you must type in the
appropriate password for the story.
To open a directory:

1. Navigate to the directory.
2. Tap a folder on screen to open it.

As you navigate the system’s directory structure, the app displays your path or location within
the database at the top of the screen.
The following illustration shows the Wires directory opened to view numerous queues
containing incoming wire stories.

Wires directory on the MUCINEWS iNEWS server, with the back button at the top of the list

To back out of a directory or queue:

Tap the Back button.

The Back button does not display the word “Back” on it, but rather the name on the button
changes as a user navigates further into the directory.

456

Accessing the iNEWS Database

To open a queue:

1. Navigate to the queue inside a directory.
2. Tap the queue to open it.
The following illustration shows an example of a rundown queue.

To open an existing story:

1. Navigate to the story in a queue.

Accessing the iNEWS Database

The Cue List, located on the left side, which contains any production cues or machine
control instructions.

The Story, located on the right side, which contains the text of the story, any presenter
instructions, and production cue markers.

You can hide the sidebar to expand the view and show only the Script Editor.
The following illustration shows the Script Editor with a story containing production cue
markers identified numerically. These markers align with production cues and machine
control instructions displayed in the Cue List to the left of the story. Blue text indicates
machine control instructions. Black text indicates production cues. Red text in the body of
the story indicates presenter instructions.

To navigate to the next or previous story in the queue:

Swipe your fingertip across the screen from left to right or right to left.

You cannot use this method to navigate to another story when you are working on a story in edit
mode.

458

Accessing the iNEWS Database

To reload a story:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Tap Reload.
To add a new story:

Viewing Video Associated with a Script
When sequences have been associated with stories in the MediaCentral UX Web application, you
can preview the stories in the media viewer in the MediaCentral UX mobile app.

If your MediaCentral UX system is licensed for an iNEWS- only configuration, you cannot
preview or play sequences or other media assets.
In landscape mode, a small media viewer appears above the Cue List sub-section of the Script
Editor, but you can expand the viewer to full screen. In portrait mode, you must the Open
Sequence button to open the viewer full screen and preview sequences.

The viewer appears in landscape mode. and the Open Sequence button is enabled in either mode,
only when a video script sequence is associated with the open story.
The following table describes buttons available to open and use the media viewer.
Button

Description

459

Accessing the iNEWS Database

You can view video sequences created in the following way:

•

You created and modified the sequence in MediaCentral UX.

•

You created the sequence in MediaCentral UX and modified it in Avid NewsCutter or Avid
Media Composer. In this case, you might not see some effects in the media viewer.

•

You created the sequence in Instinct and modified it in MediaCentral UX.

You cannot view video sequences created directly in NewsCutter or Media Composer, and you
cannot play back shotlists created in Interplay Assist or Interplay Access.

To view video sequences associated with a script:

1. Do one of the following:
t

Tap the Play button in the viewer located above the Cue List sub-section of the Script
Editor. (This option applies to landscape mode only, not portrait mode.)

Tap the Open Sequence button — or the Maximize button in the viewer — to open the
viewer full screen. Then tap the Play button.

2. (Optional) If you expand the viewer, you can tap the Minimize button to restore the viewer
to its original size and location within the Script Editor.

460

Editing Stories

To regenerate the sequence video proxy for playback:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Tap Reload.

Editing Stories
Using the tablet app, you can create a new story or edit an existing one. You can also change the
title of story.
The system obtains an edit lock when you edit a story, which prevents other users from altering a
story while you work on it. The edit lock applies only to the story body when you edit the body,
and it applies only to the story title (the slug) when you edit the title in the sidebar or when you
approve a story. When you start a new story, the edit lock applies both to the story body and the
story title. Saving and closing the story, or discarding your changes, releases the edit lock.

If you want to open an iNEWS story that has a key lock applied to it, you must type in the
appropriate password for the story.
MediaCentral UX supports the standard editing features found in most text editing applications,
including cut, copy, and paste.
You can use cut, copy, and paste to move text around within a single story or from one story to
another. When cutting or copying text, the system stores the text in the clipboard. The clipboard
stores only one block of text at a time, so whenever you cut or copy something new, the clipboard
overwrites the previously stored text.
To edit an existing story:

461

Editing Stories

To edit text:

1. Tap and hold in the story, and then tap either Select or Select All.
2. Select one of the following:
t

Select Cut.

Select Copy.

Select Paste.

To add a new story:

1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar.
2. Tap the Add Story button, located at the bottom of the sidebar.

The Add Story button only appears in the sidebar after you tap the Edit button in the sidebar.
A blank story is added to the current queue with edit mode already activated for the story. An
edit lock prevents others from changing the story while you edit. The cursor moves to the
blank title field.
When in edit mode (in the Script Editor), the app displays a virtual keyboard.

The MediaCentral UX mobile app can also be used with a Bluetooth keyboard.
3. Type the title of your story.
462

Editing Stories

4. (Optional) Enter any production cues or machine control instructions.
5. Save the story. For more information, see “Ways of Saving Stories” on page 463.
To edit the title (slug) of a story:

1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar.
2. From the queue in the sidebar, tap and hold the story title you want to edit.
3. When cursor appears, you can change the name of the story.

And edit lock on the story form in iNEWS prevents others from changing the story title
while you edit.
4. Tap Done.

You change to another app or send MediaCentral UX to the background by pressing the
Home button.

•

Your device goes to sleep due to Auto-Lock timeout.

•

If you use a Smart Cover and close the cover, sending the device to sleep.

If you enable Autosave Stories in the MediaCentral UX Settings, you can save newly created
stories or change existing stories in multiple ways:
•

The app automatically saves a modified story when you tap on a different story in the queue.

•

The app automatically saves a modified story when you tap the Presenter Mode button.

•

The app automatically saves a modified story when you select an asset from the Interplay
Production server to view.

463

Editing Stories

•

The app automatically saves a modified story when you change your role from Launch pane.

•

The app automatically saves a modified story when you sign out of the app.

The system sends the default text style to both the teleprompter and to any closed caption
encoder used at the station.
In the tablet app, the Edit toolbar provides buttons that let you modify the format of the text into
bold text, italicized text, and underlined text, and lets you format specialized for broadcast
scripts.

When selected, the fourth formatting button in the toolbar offers specialized format options. The
letter icons on the button change based on the selected format or to reflect the format of the text
at the current cursor location. Whenever you select a format, the buttons on the toolbar appear
orange.
To format text, select the appropriate text and do one of the following:

To bold text, tap and hold. and then select the B button.

To italicize test, tap and hold, and then select the I button.

To underline text, tap and hold, and then select the U button.

To mark text as a presenter instruction, tap and hold, and then select P for presenter.

464

Editing Stories

To mark text as a closed captioning text, tap and hold, and then select CC for closed
captioned.

To mark text as a normal text, tap and hold, and then select N for normal.

You can choose the format before typing your text as well. Any new text you type appears in the
format you selected. To change the format of the text you type at any time, select another format.

You add production cues to scripts from the Story area and edit them in the Cue List area of the
Script Editor. When added to a script, each production cue has an associated number. The
number appears as a production cue marker in the script, which corresponds to the insertion
location of the production cue’s text box in the Cue List. You can select each marker and move it
within or remove it from the story if necessary. If moved or deleted, the text associated with the
marker moves or is deleted.
To insert a production cue into a script:

1. Position your cursor in the story where you want to insert the production cue marker.
2. Tap the Plus button.
3. Enter the production cue information — for example, Take VO, On Camera, Take SOT, or
Take Live.
465

Editing Stories

The app automatically saves information in the newly inserted production cue when you
navigate elsewhere within the app. If you attempt to sign out or close the app, a message appears
prompting you to either save or discard your changes.
To move a production cue in a script:

Select the production cue marker, and then cut it and paste it in another location within the
script.

To delete a production cue from a script, do one of the following:

Position cursor to the right of the production cue marker and press the Delete key.

Select the production cue marker and tap the Delete key.

Adding Machine Control Instructions
If your station integrates with a broadcast control system, such as iNEWS Command, the
production cues might include machine control instructions.
You should precede these instructions with an asterisk (*) and write them in a format that begins
with a command for a device — for example, CG for a character generator. After the command
the format specifies a particular item or template, such as 2line for a template that contains two
lines for fulfillment data. Additional information or comments follow on succeeding lines in the
same production cue text box.
The following procedure uses the example of a machine control instruction for a 2-line character
generator graphic. The first line calls up the correct template and the subsequent lines of text
provide the fulfillment data that appears in the graphic.
To add machine control instructions for a CG event:

1. Add or open a production cue in the script.
2. (Optional) With your cursor in the production cue area, tap the fourth formatting button in
the Edit toolbar and select MC (machine control).

466

Editing Stories

Typing an asterisk (*) automatically switches the text you type from Normal to Machine Control
format, which appears as blue font.
3. Type your machine control command — for example, *CG 2line — and then press Return.
4. Type the first line of text that should appear on the 2-line CG graphic — for example, John
Smith — and then press Return.
5. Type the second line of text for the 2-line CG graphic — for example, Pleasantville,
USA.
Your CG machine control instruction appears in blue font.

Working with Links in Stories
A story can contain more than simple text. It can contain a URL to a Web page or an e-mail
address to a contact you might need. When Web links or e-mail addresses are included in stories,
they become dynamic links. You can use them to open your tablet’s browser or to open an e-mail
window.
To open a Web link from a story:

Tap the link in the story.
The tablet’s Web browser opens and loads the Web page.

To e-mail a contact from a story:

1. Tap the e-mail address in the story.
The tablet opens an e-mail window, using your tablet’s default e-mail application.
2. Write your e-mail.
3. Tap Send.
467

Approving Stories

The ability to approve stories requires write access to the queue for the selected story.
To approve a story from the tablet app:

1. Open the story you want to approve.
2. Tap the Approve Story button, and then turn on the Approve option.

To remove approval for a story from the tablet app:

1. Open the story for which you want to remove approval.
2. Tap the Approve Story button and turn off the Approve option.

Entering Presenter Mode
The MediaCentral UX mobile app lets users view a show's scripts in a page-by-page layout,
similar to printed scripts used by news presenters. This method of viewing stories from a
rundown is known as presenter mode. When in presenter mode, MediaCentral UX automatically
updates stories and story positions in a rundown, although it ignores updates for the currently
viewed story. If a different user makes changes to the stories in the rundown, MediaCentral UX
automatically updates them in the background.
Also, MediaCentral UX caches stories locally on the tablet for offline use while you work in
presenter mode. This allows you to continue working if you lose your connection to the server as
long as you remain in presenter mode. However, if you lose the connection to your server,
updates do not occur.
To enter presenter mode:

1. Open a show's rundown.
2. Tap the Presenter Mode button.
468

Working with Favorites

Presenter mode opens on the story selected by the user in the sidebar. The app displays a
progress dialog as it loads the rest of the stories in the rundown in order to cache them
locally on your device. When the cache operation completes, the progress dialog closes.
Stories load in the following order:
-

Load the previous story — the one before the selected story in the rundown.

Load the next story — the one after the selected story in the rundown.

Load the second story after the selected story in the rundown.

Continue incrementally after throughout the rest of the rundown.

Load the second story before the selected story in the rundown.

Continue incrementally before throughout the rest of the rundown.

To navigate through scripts in presenter mode:

Swipe left or tap right edge of the touch screen to go to the next page.

Swipe right or tap the left edge of the touch screen to go to the previous page.

To exit presenter mode:

Pinch in on the screen.

You can customize the appearance of text in presenter mode by modifying some
MediaCentral UX settings. Additionally, you can opt to skip blank stories while in presenter
mode. For more information, see “Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings” on page 452.

Working with Favorites
To make navigation easier, you can designate certain locations in the newsroom system or
Interplay Production as Favorites, which appear in a list on the Launch pane.

469

Working with Favorites

From the tablet app, you can use your Favorites list to navigate quickly to your most often used
assets, directories, queues, or stories. You can edit your Favorites list by creating new ones,
editing their names, or deleting existing ones from the list.
To create a Favorite:

1. Tap the Edit button.
2. Tap the gray star next to the directory, asset, queue, or story you want to designate as a
favorite destination. Gold stars indicate chosen destinations; gray stars are not chosen. You
can select more than one at a time.
3. Tap the Done button.
All selections appear in your Favorites list in the Launch pane. A gold star appears over each
icon of favorite destinations in the system directory.
To edit the name of a Favorite:

1. Tap the Edit button.
2. Tap the name in the list you want to edit.
3. When the cursor appears, you can change the name.

470

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories

3. Tap the Done button.
The app deletes the selected items from your Favorites list.

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories
You can use the MediaCentral UX mobile app to view queues and stories cached locally to your
mobile device without being connected to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system.
The Launch panel displays cached queues and stories in the Favorites list when you work in
offline mode.
The following notes apply to caching queues and stories:
•

You can work in presenter mode from a cached queue in offline mode.

•

Caching a queue might take some time, depending on the length of the queue. You can
manually cancel a cache operation. For more information, see “Caching Queues and Stories”
on page 472.

•

If you manually cancel a cache operation, no part of the queue or story is saved.

•

You can cache a queue of up to 1000 stories. If a queue contains more than this limit,
MediaCentral UX caches only the first 1000 stories.
471

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories

•

If an error occurs while caching stories — for example, if you lose your connection to the
server or if you lock your device — the cache operation is interrupted.

•

MediaCentral UX updates the cache contents only in the case of an successful operation. If
you have cached the same queue or story before, you can still access the old cache.

•

If a story or part of a story has been deleted from a queue marked for caching, it is skipped
by the cache operation.

•

Caching Queues and Stories
To view queues and stories in offline mode, you must set them as Favorites before they can be
cached locally and viewed when you do not have a connection to server (see “Working with
Favorites” on page 469).
You can delete a cache for a queue or story by deleting the item from the Favorites list.
To cache a queue or story in the Favorites list:

2. Tap the Cache button.
A progress bar indicates the status of the cache operation. To stop the cache operation, tap
the Cancel button.

When the caching completes, a dialog box appears with the results of the operation.
3. Click OK.

472

Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories

To remove a cache from your device:

1. In the Launch pane, tap the Edit button, and then select the queue or story in the Favorites
list you want to delete.
The queue or story displays a check mark next to the title.

2. Tap the Trash button.
The queue or story is removed from the Favorites list and the cache is deleted.

1. In the Connection Failure dialog box, tap Work Offline.

MediaCentral UX displays the Launch pane, with all cached queues and stories in the
Favorites list.
2. Tap a queue or story to open it.

473

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production
You can access media assets stored in an Interplay Production database, such as video clips,
audio clips, and graphics. When viewed with the tablet app, available Interplay Production
systems appear in the sidebar, along with any of their directories and media assets.
Different icons are used to identify Interplay Production assets:
Icon

Description

Directories hold media assets or other subdirectories.

An audio clip references audio media files formed from captured audio or imported files.
Audio clips display in the Media viewer as an audio clip icon.
A master clip references audio and video media files formed from captured footage or
imported files.
A subclip references a selected portion of a master clip.
A sequence represents an edited program, partial or complete, that you create from other
clips.
An effect clip references an unrendered effect that you create. You cannot preview an effect
clip in the Media viewer.
A group clip contains two or more grouped clips, strung together sequentially according to
common timecodes.

Destinations in the Interplay Production system directory selected for the Favorites list have a
gold star on their icons.

474

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Media viewer — top: selected directory, Show/Hide button, Action button; middle: selected asset, Media player;
bottom: Media controls

To open a directory:

1. Navigate to the directory.
2. Tap a folder on screen to open it.

As you navigate the system’s directory structure, the app displays your path or location within
the database at the top of the screen.

475

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

The following illustration shows the Scuba Diver directory opened to view one subdirectory
and multiple media assets.

Scuba Diver directory on the Interplay Production server, with the back button at the top of the list indicating
the parent directory

To back out of a directory:

Tap the Back button.

The Back button does not display the word “Back” on it, but rather the name on the button
changes as a user navigates further into the directory.

476

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

To open and play a media asset:

1. Navigate to the asset in a directory.
2. Tap the video or audio asset.
The asset opens in the Media viewer.

Media controls: Play button, position indicator, Full Screen button

3. Tap the Play button to play the asset.
4. If you want to scrub through the media asset, or if you want to jump to a specific position in
the clip, tap and hold the position indicator and drag it to a new location.
5. If you want to view a video clip in full screen mode, tap the Full Screen button.
The Media viewer expands to fill the tablet screen and the video clip starts playing.
To reload an asset:

1. Tap the Actions button.
2. Tap Reload.

477

21 MediaCentral | UX for Android Devices
MediaCentral UX provides a native user interface designed to run on your Android device and
enable direct, secure access to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system.
The following main topics describe basic user information about the device and mobile
application.
•

Connection Basics

•

Installing MediaCentral | UX on Your Android Device

•

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Android Device

•

The Navigation Drawer and Directory Panel

•

Buttons of the User Interface

•

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings

•

Accessing the iNEWS Database

•

Viewing Video Associated with a Script

•

Working with Stories

•

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Connection Basics
You can use the MediaCentral mobile application to browse your iNEWS database and to view
rundowns and stories.
You can use the MediaCentral mobile application to perform many actions supported in a
MediaCentral workflow:

•

Navigate the news directory.

•

Edit news stories.

•

Navigate the Interplay Production directory.

•

View and play media assets from the Interplay Production database.

If your MediaCentral UX system is licensed for an iNEWS- only configuration, you cannot
preview or play sequences or other media assets.

Connection Basics

The MediaCentral Android application uses one of several connection options, including Wi-Fi
or carrier-specific cellular service (such as 4G).

The application automatically selects the first available connection from the list of options
according to the priority shown in the list.

Android Devices
Android devices usually include very few exterior buttons. You navigate content with touch
gestures — for example, tapping an icon to start an application. Some gestures perform standard
functions, such as displaying different menu icons, and some perform functions specific to an
application.

Gesture

Description

Navigation drawer

Tap the name of an iNEWS
server.

Opens the Directory panel, which allows you
to navigation queues and open rundowns and
stories.

Directory panel

Tap the Back button on your
Android device.

Navigates to the last location selected in the
Directory panel.

Body tab

Swipe left.

Displays the Production Cues tab.

Production Cues tab

Swipe left.

Displays the Sequence tab.

Body tab

Swipe right.

Displays the navigation drawer. You can
swipe left to hide the navigation drawer.

Production Cues tab

Swipe right.

Displays the Body tab.

Sequence tab

Swipe right.

Displays the Production Cues tab.

Directory panel

Tap the Up button or swipe
right.

Displays the navigation drawer, regardless of
your position in the directory structure.

479

Installing MediaCentral | UX on Your Android Device

Location

Gesture

Description

Body or Production Cues
tab

Tap the Up button.

Displays the navigation drawer. You can
swipe left to hide the navigation drawer.

Navigation drawer

Tap the Back button on your
Android device.

Closes the MediaCentral mobile app.

Script Editor

Swipe Left

Displays the Cue List.

Script Editor

Tap and hold

Selects the word you tap and allows you to
select text and modify text formats.

Media Viewer

Touch and drag in the timeline Moves to new position in viewer’s video
playback timeline.

Media Viewer

Tap in the timeline

Moves the Playhead to that position on the
timeline.

Installing MediaCentral | UX on Your Android Device
The following procedure assumes licensing, setup, and configuration of MediaCentral have
already been completed.
To install MediaCentral UX on the Android device:

1. Open the Android Play Store.
2. Locate the MediaCentral UX application in the Apps section.
3. Tap Install.
When MediaCentral UX is installed on your Android device, an icon representing the
application is also installed on the home screen. You can move it to another position or a new
screen like icons for other applications.

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Android Device
When you install MediaCentral UX, an icon representing the application displays on your
Android device’s home screen. If you previously set your MediaCentral account, you can
connect to your MediaCentral server by selecting the MediaCentral UX icon on your device. To
browse iNEWS or Interplay Production, you can sign in with your MediaCentral credentials.

The current version of the MediaCentral UX app for Android was designed for mobile phones.
The app displays and functions the same on both Android phones and tablets.

480

Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Android Device

MediaCentral UX supports iNEWS communities. The iNEWS Community feature allows
customers with multiple iNEWS systems to share content and collaborate on stories.
The MediaCentral mobile application requires you to supply credentials to sign in to one iNEWS
system. This system is considered your local system. If your local system is configured in an
iNEWS community, you are able to automatically sign in to other systems in the community.
These systems are considered your remote systems. In the MediaCentral UX navigation drawer,
your local iNEWS system is listed first, followed by the remote systems. To connect to a remote
system, tap the system name.
For more information on iNEWS Community, see “Support for iNEWS Communities” on
page 37.
If you lose your connection to MediaCentral after you have signed in, a dialog box asks you if
you want to reconnect to the server or to sign out of MediaCentral.
If your connection to MediaCentral is restored, you can sign in by tapping the Action overflow
button and selecting Sign In.
To start MediaCentral UX:

1. Select the MediaCentral UX icon to start the mobile application.
The sign-in screen appears.

2. Type the MediaCentral server name.
3. Type your MediaCentral user name and password.
4. Tap the Sign In button.

481

The Navigation Drawer and Directory Panel

If your MediaCentral credentials are incorrect or missing in your MediaCentral account, you
receive a message: “Authentication Failed: The user name or password you entered is
incorrect.” When you click OK, the sign-in screen appears and allows you to enter valid
credentials.
If you are signing in with the MediaCentral mobile application for the first time and use
incorrect credentials, you might not see an error message and the navigation drawer does not
display any iNEWS servers. You must log out of the app and then log in again with the correct
credentials.
After you sign in, the MediaCentral mobile application connects to the selected Interplay
Production or iNEWS system. All servers display in the navigation drawer.
To view the help system:

1. Tap the Action overflow button.
2. Select Help.
To sign out:

1. Tap the Action overflow button.
2. Select Sign Out.
To exit the application, do the following:

Tap the Home button on your Android device.

The Navigation Drawer and Directory Panel
After you sign in to MediaCentral on your Android device, you can view the navigation drawer,
located along the left side of the screen when displayed. From the navigation drawer, you can
connect to various systems integrated with MediaCentral, such as iNEWS newsroom computer
systems or an Interplay Production database. The navigation drawer also includes any iNEWS
servers that are part of an iNEWS community.
The following illustration shows the navigation drawer.

482

The Navigation Drawer and Directory Panel

The navigation drawer with the Up button, the Action overflow button, and the Android Back button

From the navigation drawer, you can open the Directory panel to navigate through the directory
structure and open assets. After opening assets, you can view the navigation drawer at any time
by swiping your finger across the screen to the right or by tapping the Up button.
You can tap the Action overflow button and select Reload to update the queues and stories
displayed in the iNEWS database. This allows you to view any changes made to stories or any
new iNEWS assets.

483

Buttons of the User Interface

Buttons of the User Interface
The MediaCentral mobile application provides buttons in the user interface that allow you to
access the features of the app. The following table describes the buttons and their uses.
Button

Description

The Up button lets users return to the navigation drawer when browsing the iNEWS or
Interplay Production database. It also lets users show the navigation drawer when a queue,
story, or asset is open.
The Edit Story button enables editing of an opened story by displaying the Edit toolbar and a
virtual keyboard.

The Edit Story button’s icon appears purple when you activate edit mode and gray if you
do not activate Edit mode.

The Action overflow button opens a menu of options:
•

Reload — refreshes the display to reflect any changes in the stories or queues (see
“Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Android Device” on page 480).

•

Edit Slug — allows the user to edit the story title (the slug). This option only appears in edit
mode.

•

New Story — allows the user to add a new story to the active queue.

•

Send Log — allows the user to send a log file to Avid Customer Support to help
troubleshoot any issues (see “Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings” on page 484).

•

Legal Notices — displays the copyright notices for Avid’s Android application.

•

Sign Out — allows the user to end the current session (see “Starting MediaCentral | UX on
the Android Device” on page 480).

•

Settings — opens the Preferences dialog box (see “Customizing MediaCentral | UX
Settings” on page 484).

•

Help — opens the online help system (see “Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Android
Device” on page 480).

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings
You can modify some settings in the MediaCentral mobile application.
To modify MediaCentral UX settings on an Android device:

1. Start MediaCentral UX.
2. Tap the Action overflow button, and then select Settings.

484

Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings

3. Select the appropriate settings option.
The following table provides information about general settings.
General Settings

Description

Version

For display purposes only, this value shows the currently installed version of
the mobile application.

Keep me signed in

Set to On if you want MediaCentral UX to keep you signed in once you first
sign in to MediaCentral.

Logging

If selected, MediaCentral UX keeps logs on session activities, which you can
use to troubleshoot issues.
If you tap the Action overflow button, a Send Log option appears that lets you
e-mail the logs directly to Avid.
If the option is deselected (default), logging is disabled.

Logging Level

This setting determines how much information is logged if you enable logging.
Options include: Verbose, Info, Warn, and Error.

Request Timeout

Options are intervals of 10, 20, or 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes.

The following table provides information about the settings for editing.
Editing Settings Description

Autosave Stories

If set to On, MediaCentral UX automatically saves a story if you navigate away
from the modified story to other assets in the system. If set to Off, MediaCentral UX
prompts you to save your modifications. The default setting is On.

To send log files to Avid:

1. Click the Action overflow button and select Send Log.
The MediaCentral Log dialog box opens, displaying your e-mail and text options.
2. Tap the icon for the app you want to use to send the log.
The app opens on your Android device.
3. Depending on the app, you can add a note or comment, and then send the log to Avid.

485

Accessing the iNEWS Database

Accessing the iNEWS Database
The iNEWS database is the backbone of your iNEWS system. You save the data created in your
newsroom — stories, scripts, and rundowns — in the database on the iNEWS server. Queues
contain stories, and directories (also known as folders) store the queues.
When viewed with the mobile application, available iNEWS systems appear in the navigation
drawer. Tapping the name of a server opens the Directory panel, which displays directories and
queues. Queues marked to automatically refresh when changes are made display without
pagination in the Directory panel. (Automatic updating of iNEWS stories is not supported with
this version of the MediaCentral mobile application.) You can scroll continuously to view all
stories in these queues.

If the queue contains more than 1000 stories, it might take some time for the MediaCentral
mobile application to receive and display them. You might need to increase the Request Timeout
value in the MediaCentral mobile application settings. For more information, see “Customizing
MediaCentral | UX Settings” on page 484.
The application uses different icons to distinguish between directories, queues, and stories.
Icon

Description

Directories hold queues or other subdirectories. Unlike queues, directories do not directly
contain stories. For example, the Wires folder contains queues with incoming wire stories.
Queues let you organize stories in detailed categories. A show’s rundown is one example of
a queue.
Stories — for example, wire stories — contain text, such as contact information or a
description of a news event. Any story can become a script for a show. Scripts contain
additional data beyond text, including production cues, machine control instructions,
presenter instructions, and associated video sequences.
Floated stories are stories kept in the queue but which have removed the stories’ time from
the show timing, causing them to be ignored by machine control and the network prompters.
Break stories have designated rows in their queues that form a “break” in the show — for
example, a commercial break.
Approved stories have been endorsed for broadcast. Only individuals authorized by the
iNEWS system administrator can approve a story.

486

Accessing the iNEWS Database

The following illustration shows an example of the iNEWS Directory panel with queues and
folders displayed.

While viewing an iNEWS system directory in the Directory panel, you can tap the Up button to
display to the navigation drawer. You can also tap the Back button to navigate back through the
directory.
You can open directories, queues, and stories from the MediaCentral mobile application.
Directories and queues open within the Directory panel. When you tap a story, it displays in
Story view in the Body tab.

In this version of the MediaCentral mobile application, you cannot open an iNEWS story that
has a key lock applied to it.

487

Accessing the iNEWS Database

To open a directory:

1. Navigate to the directory.
2. Tap a folder on screen to open it.
The following illustration shows the Wires directory opened to view numerous queues
containing incoming wire stories.

To back out of a directory or queue:

Tap the Back button on your Android device.

488

Accessing the iNEWS Database

To open a queue:

1. Navigate to the queue inside a directory.
2. Tap the queue to open it.
The following illustration shows an example of a rundown queue.

To open an existing story:

1. Navigate to the story in a queue.

A story icon with a check mark indicates that the story has been “approved.” You can approve
stories from an iNEWS workstation.

489

Accessing the iNEWS Database

2. Tap the story to open it.
The story opens in Story view in the Body tab.
The following illustration shows the Body tab containing a story with production cue
markers identified numerically.

Presenter instructions appear as red text in the body of the story.

490

Accessing the iNEWS Database

3. While viewing the story, do one of the following to view the Production Cues tab.
t

Tap the Production Cues tab.

Swipe Left.

The numerical production cue markers within the story align with production cues and
machine control instructions displayed in the Production Cues tab. Black text indicates
production cues. Blue text indicates machine control instructions (if any).

Because of limited screen size on Android devices, the mobile application does not display the
Directory panel with the story. To view the Directory panel at any time, swipe right from the
Body or the Production Cues tab or use the Up button (see “The Navigation Drawer and
Directory Panel” on page 482).
To reload a story:

1. Tap the Action overflow button.
2. Tap Reload.

491

Viewing Video Associated with a Script

If your MediaCentral system is licensed for an iNEWS- only configuration, you cannot preview
or play sequences or other media assets.
When you open a story with an associated video with a script, you use the Sequence tab to open
the viewer and preview the sequence. The Sequence tab displays only for stories that have an
associated sequence.

Button

Description

492

Viewing Video Associated with a Script

Button

Description

The Maximize button expands the viewer to full screen.

You can view video sequences created in the following way:

•

A sequence created and modified the sequence in MediaCentral UX.

•

A sequence created in MediaCentral UX and modified it in NewsCutter or Media Composer.
In this case, you might not see some effects in the media viewer.

•

A sequence created in Instinct and modified it in MediaCentral UX.

1. Tap the Sequence tab to open the viewer.

493

Working with Stories

2. Tap the Play button.
The sequence plays in the viewer. You can rotate your Android device to view the video in
landscape or portrait mode. The viewer controls do not display after 3 seconds of play. The
controls display when you tap the device screen or pause playback.
3. (Optional) If you expand the viewer, the orientation adjusts to display the video in landscape
mode. You can tap the Minimize button on the viewer or the Back button on your device to
restore the original size and orientation within the Sequence tab.
To regenerate the sequence video proxy for playback:

1. Tap the Action overflow button.
2. Tap Reload.

Working with Stories
Using the mobile application, you can create a new story or edit an existing one. You can also
change the title of story.
The system obtains an edit lock when you edit a story, which prevents other users from altering a
story while you work on it. The edit lock applies only to the story body when you edit the body,
and it applies only to the story title (the slug) when you edit the title. When you start a new story,
the edit lock applies both to the story body and the story title. Saving and closing the story, or
discarding your changes, releases the edit lock.

The MediaCentral UX mobile app can also be used with a Bluetooth keyboard.
Using the edit toolbar, you can cut, copy, and paste text, production cues, and segment breaks
within the story while in edit mode.
To edit an existing story:

1. Navigate to an existing story in the queue and open it.
2. Tap the Edit Story button.
The story opens in edit mode. An edit lock prevents others from changing the story while
you edit.

494

Working with Stories

3. Tap in the story to begin editing the text.
4. If you want to cut, copy, or paste text, do the following:
a.

Tap and hold in the story where you want to edit the text.
The selection arrows and the edit toolbar display.

Edit mode, with the edit toolbar with Select All, Cut, Copy, and Paste buttons.

495

Working with Stories

Tap and hold the selection arrows, and then drag them to highlight the text you want to
edit or to place them at the location in the text where you want to perform an edit. You
can cut, copy, and paste any text in the story, including production cues and segment
breaks.

Tap the appropriate button in the edit toolbar.

5. After you complete your modifications, tap the Edit Story button to save the story. For more
information, see “Ways of Saving Stories” on page 497.
To add a new story:

1. Tap Action overflow button.

The Action overflow button is not accessible in Edit mode.
2. Tap New Story.
A blank story is added to the current queue with edit mode already activated for the story. An
edit lock prevents others from changing the story while you edit.The cursor moves to the
blank title field.
When in edit mode (in the Script Editor), the application displays a virtual keyboard.
3. Type the title of your story.
4. (Optional) Enter any production cues or machine control instructions.
5. Save the story. For more information, see “Ways of Saving Stories” on page 497.
To edit the title (slug) of a story:

1. Navigate to an existing story in the queue and open it.
2. Tap Action overflow button.

The Action overflow button is not accessible in Edit mode.
3. Tap Edit Slug.
The Edit Slug dialog box opens, and the application displays a virtual keyboard.

496

Working with Stories

4. Edit the story title, and then tap OK.

You can also edit the story title while in Edit mode.

Ways of Saving Stories
You can save newly created stories or change existing stories by tapping the Back button or the
Up button after modifying a story while in edit mode. You can also save your story when you
change to another app or send the MediaCentral mobile application to the background by
pressing the Home button. A message appears asking you to confirm whether to save the
changes. You can choose to save the story or exit edit mode without saving your changes.

497

Working with Stories

If you enable Autosave Stories in the MediaCentral UX Settings, you can save newly created
stories or change existing stories in multiple ways:
•

The application automatically saves a modified story when you tap the Edit Story button or
the Back button.

•

The application automatically saves a modified story when you change to another app or
send the MediaCentral mobile application to the background by pressing the Home button.

•

The application automatically saves a modified story when you sign out of the application.

The system sends the default text style to both the teleprompter and to any closed caption
encoder used at the station.
In the mobile application, a toolbar provides buttons that let you modify the format of the text
into bold text, italicized text, and underlined text, and lets you format text specialized for
broadcast scripts.

498

Working with Stories

To format text, tap and hold to select the appropriate text and do one of the following:

To bold text, and then select the B button.

To italicize test, and then select the I button.

To underline text, and then select the U button.

To mark text as a normal text, and then select N for normal.

To mark text as a presenter instruction, and then select P for presenter.

To mark text as a closed captioning text, and then select CC for closed captioned.

You can choose the format before typing your text as well. Any new text you type appears in the
format you selected. To change the format of the text you type at any time, select another format.
The application automatically saves the changes when you navigate elsewhere within the
application. If you attempt to sign out or close the application, a message appears prompting
you to either save or discard your changes.

Adding Production Cues
When you format a story as a script for a news broadcast, you can add production cues to provide
valuable information to technical staff as well as machine control commands for devices, such as
character generators.
You add production cues to scripts from the Story area and edit them in the Cue List area of the
Script Editor. When added to a script, each production cue has an associated number. The
number appears as a production cue marker in the script, which corresponds to the insertion
location of the production cue’s text box in the Cue List.
To insert a production cue into a script:

1. Position your cursor in the story where you want to insert the production cue marker.
2. Tap and hold, and then select the Plus button.
The MediaCentral mobile application adds a production cue marker with a number into the
story at the cursor position. The marker corresponds to the production cue with the same
number located in the Cue List.
3. Swipe left to view the Cue List and edit the production cue.
499

Working with Stories

4. Enter the production cue information — for example, Take VO, On Camera, Take SOT, or
Take Live.
The application automatically saves information in the newly inserted production cue when
you navigate elsewhere within the application. If you attempt to sign out or close the
application, a message appears prompting you to either save or discard your changes.

Adding Machine Control Instructions
If your station integrates with a broadcast control system, such as iNEWS Command, the
production cues might include machine control instructions.
You should write your instructions in a format that begins with a command for a device — for
example, CG for a character generator. After the command the format specifies a particular item
or template, such as 2line for a template that contains two lines for fulfillment data. Additional
information or comments follow on succeeding lines in the same production cue text box.
The following procedure uses the example of a machine control instruction for a 2-line character
generator graphic. The first line calls up the correct template and the subsequent lines of text
provide the fulfillment data that appears in the graphic.
To add machine control instructions for a CG event:

1. Add or open a production cue in the script.
2. Swipe left to view the Cue List with your production cue.
3. Select MC, and then type your machine control command — for example, CG 2line — and
then press Return.
An asterisk (*) is automatically added and your text appears as blue font.
4. Type the first line of text that should appear on the 2-line CG graphic — for example, John
Smith — and then press Return.
5. Type the second line of text for the 2-line CG graphic — for example, Pleasantville,
USA.
Your CG machine control instruction appears in blue font.

500

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Working with Links in Stories
A story can contain more than simple text. It can contain a URL to a Web page. When Web links
are included in stories, they become dynamic links. You can use them to open your device’s
browser.

You cannot add a link to a Web page using the MediaCentral mobile app.
To open a Web link from a story:

Tap the link in the story.
The device’s Web browser opens and loads the Web page.

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production
You can access media assets stored in an Interplay Production database, such as video clips,
audio clips, and subclips. When viewed with the mobile app, available Interplay Production
systems appear in the sidebar, along with any of their directories and media assets.
Different icons are used to identify Interplay Production assets:
Icon

Description

Directories hold media assets or other subdirectories.

A sequence represents an edited program, partial or complete, that you create from other
clips.
A clip that references an effect media file generated when you render an effect. You cannot
preview an effect clip in the Media viewer.

501

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Icon

Description

An effect clip that references an unrendered effect that you create, including motion effects.
You cannot preview an effect clip in the Media viewer.
A group clip contains two or more grouped clips, strung together sequentially according to
common timecodes. You cannot preview a group clip in the Media viewer.
A graphics clip references an image imported from a graphics file. You cannot preview a
graphics clip in the Media viewer.
An in-progress (edit while capture) clip references a clip you create using Frame Chase
capture capabilities, either on an Avid editing application or with a line feed or ingest device
such as an Avid AirSpeed.

While viewing an Interplay Production directory in the Directory panel, you can tap the Up
button to display to the navigation drawer. You can also tap the Back button to navigate back
through the directory.
You can open directories and media assets from the MediaCentral mobile application.
Directories open within the Directory panel. When you tap a media asset, it displays in the
Media viewer.

502

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

Viewing Media Assets with MediaCentral | UX
You can open directories and media assets stored in the Interplay Production database using
MediaCentral UX. Directories and a list of assets open within the Directory panel. You can view
and play assets in the Media viewer.

Media viewer — top: Up button, Action overflow button; middle: Media player; bottom: Media controls

503

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

To open a directory:

1. Navigate to the directory.
2. Tap a folder on screen to open it.
The following illustration shows the Workflows directory opened to view multiple
subdirectories and media assets.

To back out of a directory:

Tap the Back button on your Android device.

504

MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production

To open and play a media asset:

1. Navigate to the asset in a directory.
2. Tap the video or audio asset.
The asset opens in the Media viewer.

Media controls: Play button, position indicator, Full Screen button

505

A User Settings
You can access and modify user settings in the User Settings dialog box. To open the User
Settings dialog box, select Home > User Settings.After you change a user setting, click Apply to
save your changes.
The following table describes these user settings.
Settings Group

Setting

Description

General

Language

Controls the language used for the Web application
user interface. Select the language you want from the
drop-down menu. This setting also affects the date
and time format that is displayed in most components
of MediaCentral UX:
•

English:
month/date/year hours:minutes:seconds AM/PM

•

French and Spanish:
date/month/year hours:minutes:seconds

•

German:
date.month.year hours:minutes:seconds

•

Chinese:
year-month-date hours:minutes:seconds

•

Japanese:
year/month/date hours:minutes:seconds

•

Korean:
year. month. date AM/PM hours:minutes:seconds

The next two settings affect how dates and times are
displayed in indexed search results.

Settings Group

Setting

Description

Time Zone

Controls the display of dates and times. This setting
is used by the indexed search in MediaCentral UX to
display dates and other formatted data according to
your selection. Select the time zone you want from
the drop-down menu.

n
Date Format

Works with the time zone setting to display dates and
times according to your selection. Select the format
you want from the drop-down menu.

iNEWS

The default time zone is set by the
MediaCentral UX administrator in the System
Settings.The default setting is “Use System
Timezone,” which uses the time zone that is set
by the computer’s operating system.

The default date format is set by the
MediaCentral UX administrator in the System
Settings.

Password

Changes the password for your MediaCentral UX
account. The new credentials are not in effect until
you sign out and sign in again.

iNEWS Credentials

Sets the user name and password for access to the
Avid iNEWS server. The user name and password
must match the user name and password of an
iNEWS account.
An option lets you set your MediaCentral UX user
name and password to access the iNEWS server.

Sequence: Autoload Sequence

Determines if a script sequence is automatically
opened in the Sequence pane and Media pane if its
associated iNEWS story is opened.

Interplay | Production Interplay Production credentials

Sets the user name and password for access to the
Interplay Production server. The user name and
password must match the user name and password of
an Interplay Production account.
An option lets you set your MediaCentral UX user
name and password to access the Interplay
Production server.

507

Settings Group

Setting

Description

Search Result Filter: Show only one
representation for each asset found

Sets that only one representation (link) for an asset
should be shown in the Interplay Production search
results. Selecting this option can improve the search
response time.

Search Criteria: Time Range

Sets the time range for an asset’s created or modified
date when you perform a search of the Interplay
Production database. The default setting is “Last 14
days.” A small time range can improve the search
response time.
This setting is used for a search unless you specify a
range using the search criteria Modified Date. For
more information, see “Conducting a Search” on
page 263.

Referenced Assets

Determines if referenced assets are displayed in the
Assets tab. Referenced assets are assets that are
referenced by another asset in the same Interplay
Production folder, such as clips that are included in a
sequence. The default is to hide referenced assets.

User Profile Name

Lists the Media Distribute profiles for publication
types — for example, Twitter or Facebook. You can
use this settings group to create personal accounts for
Media Distribute publication.

Messages and Sharing Email Forwarding

Enables or disables e-mail forwarding. When you use
the Messages pane to send messages, e-mail
forwarding allows you to receive messages at the
specified e-mail address when you are not logged in
to MediaCentral UX.

MOS

Enables use of MOS plug-ins, such as the Avid Deko
Select plug-in.

Media | Distribute

MOS: MOS enabled

For more information on plug-ins, see “Using
Plug-ins and MOS Integration” on page 36 and the
documentation for your plug-in.
Sequence

Effects: Dissolve Duration

Sets the default duration for video dissolves that can
be used to transition between segments in a sequence.
By default, the duration is set to 20 frames. You can
override the default when you apply a dissolve to a
sequence.

508

B Keyboard Shortcuts
The following main topics provide information about keyboard shortcuts:

n
n

•

Queue/Story Pane Shortcuts

•

Assets Pane Shortcuts

•

Media Pane Shortcuts

•

Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts

•

Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts

•

Sequence Pane Shortcuts

•

Closed Captioning Pane Shortcuts

These keyboard shortcuts can be used on Windows systems or Macintosh systems, unless
otherwise noted. The Macintosh generally uses the Command key in place of the CTRL key,
however, you can still use the CTRL key shortcut. For example, on a Macintosh, you can save a
story by pressing either CTRL+S or Command+S.
Safari on the Macintosh currently has a known issue with Command (CMD) keyboard shortcuts.
In some cases complex key combinations with more that one additional key (CMD+J+K) fail to
register correctly when one of the additional keys is held for a longer time. This should not occur
if all keys are pressed approximately at the same time and released immediately.
Using the Tab Key in a Browser Window

By default, the Tab key works differently in Chrome and Safari:
•

In both browsers, you can use the Tab key to move from one text field to the next text field.

•

In Chrome, you can also use the Tab key to move from one screen object to the next, such as
tabbing from a text field to a button. To match this behavior in Safari, do one of the
following:
-

Use Option+Tab

In the Preferences > Advanced settings panel, select the following setting: “Press Tab to
highlight each item on a Webpage.”

The behavior described for Chrome also applies to Chrome Frame in Internet Explorer.

Queue/Story Pane Shortcuts

Queue/Story Pane Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts available when working in the Queue/Story pane are listed in the following
table. Some keystroke combinations only work when the cursor is located in a certain section of
the pane; the Focus column in the table specifies the section of the pane when that is the case.
For more information on the pane and its sections, see “The Queue/Story Pane” on page 81.
Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+S

Save story

Queue/Story pane

Ctrl+E

Toggle the story’s edit lock on and off

Queue/Story pane

Shift+Left Arrow

Select text one character at a time moving backward

Story

Shift+Right Arrow

Select text one character at a time moving forward

Story

Shift+Up Arrow

Select text one line at a time moving upward

Story

Shift+Down Arrow

Select text one line at a time moving downward

Story

Ctrl+]

Split the segment

Story

Ctrl+X

Cut selection

Story

Ctrl+C

Copy selection

Queue/Story pane

Ctrl+V

Paste selection

Story

Ctrl+Z

Undo previous change

Queue/Story pane

Ctrl+Y

Redo previous change

Queue/Story pane

Ctrl+B

Set selected text to bold

Story

Ctrl+I

Italicize selected text

Story

Ctrl+U

Underline selected text

Story

Ctrl+Alt+P

Turn on Presenter Instruction mode or mark selected
text as presenter instructions

Story

Alt+Insert

Insert production cue

Story

Ctrl+Alt+M

Mark selected text as machine control instructions

Cue List

Ctrl+Alt+C

Turn on Closed Captioning mode or mark selected text Story
as closed captioning text

Ctrl+Alt+N

Turn on Normal text mode or change selected text to
normal font
510

Story

Assets Pane Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+Alt+G

Create a Story Group

Queue/Story pane

Ctrl+Alt+V

Dissolve a Story Group

Queue/Story pane

Tab

Move to next form field

Story Form

Shift+Tab

Move to previous form field

Story Form

Assets Pane Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts available when working with the Assets pane are listed in the following
table. For more information on the pane and its sections, see “Working with Assets” on page 40.

n
n

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Up Arrow

Move the selection highlight up and select an item.

Assets pane

Down Arrow

Move the selection highlight down and select an item. Assets pane

Right Arrow

Expand a folder

Assets pane

Left Arrow

Collapse a folder

Assets pane

F2 (Windows)
Return (Macintosh)

Rename an asset or folder.

Assets pane

In MediaCentral UX V1.2 and earlier, pressing the Return key on a Macintosh loaded a selected
asset into the Media Pane. In MediaCentral UX V1.3 and later, pressing the Return key lets you
rename an item.
In MediaCentral UX V1.3 and later, there is currently no keyboard shortcut for loading a
selected asset into the Media pane (Windows or Macintosh). Double-click the asset to load it into
the Media pane.

511

Media Pane Shortcuts

Media Pane Shortcuts
Shortcuts with Focus in the Media Pane

The following table lists shortcuts you can use when the focus is in the Media pane.
Shortcut

Description

Focus

Space bar

Play or pause play.

Media pane

Home
fn+Left Arrow (MacBook)

Move to the beginning of a clip or sequence.

Media pane

End
Move to the end of a clip or sequence.
fn+ Right Arrow (MacBook)

Media pane

I
E

Insert an In point.

Media pane

O
R

Insert an Out point.

Media pane

Left Arrow

Move 1 frame back

Media pane

Right Arrow

Move 1 frame forward

Media pane

Down Arrow

Zoom in to a section of the timeline by 50 percent.

Media pane

Up Arrow

Zoom out from a section of the timeline by 50 percent. Media pane

Shift+Up Arrow

Zoom to show the entire sequence

Media pane

J, K, L

See “Using the J-K-L Keys for Playback” on
page 192.

Media pane

Shift+Left Arrow

Go to the previous marker.

Media pane

Shift+Right Arrow

Go to the next marker.

Media pane

Alt+Left Arrow

Move 10 seconds back

Media pane

Alt+Right Arrow

Move 10 seconds forward

Media pane

Alt+E
Alt+I
Q

Go to In point

Media pane

Alt+R
Alt+O
W

Go to Out point

Media pane

512

Media Pane Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Enter (Windows)
Return (Macintosh)

Select the timecode display to enable keyboard entries. Media pane

Open the Select Folder for Subclip dialog box.

Media pane

Select the active angle of a group clip. These
keystrokes apply only to camera angles 1 through 9.

Media pane

Group clip shortcuts
Alt+1 through Alt+9

In a multi-angle view, camera angles are
numbered from upper left and left to right.

Alt+Up Arrow

Select the previous angle of a group clip in the current Media pane
bank.

Alt+Down Arrow

Select the next angle of a group clip in the current
bank.

Media pane

Alt+, (comma)

Display the previous bank of camera angles

Media pane

Alt+. (period)

Display the next bank of camera angles

Media pane

Shortcuts with Focus Outside the Media Pane

The following table shows keyboard shortcuts you can use to control playback when focus is not
in the Media pane, for example, when you are logging in the Logging pane.

Some keyboard shortcuts work differently when you are working in the Logging pane in edit
mode. See “Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts” on page 515.

Some keyboard shortcuts work differently when you are working in the Sequences pane. See
“Sequence Pane Shortcuts” on page 523.

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl +space bar

Play or pause play.

Global

Ctrl+Home
fn+Left Arrow (MacBook)

Move to the beginning of a clip or sequence.

Global

Ctrl+End
fn+Right Arrow (MacBook)

Move to the end of a clip or sequence.

Global

Ctrl+I

Insert an In point.

Global

513

Media Pane Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+O

Insert an Out point.

Global

Ctrl+Left Arrow

Move 1 frame back

Global

n
Ctrl+Right Arrow

On Macintosh systems, to use Ctrl+Left Arrow
or Ctrl+Right Arrow to move 1 frame, you need
to deselect the Mission Control option in
System Settings > Keyboard. By default, Ctrl+
arrow key will switch you one space in the
direction of the arrow key selected.
This shortcut does not work when you are
typing text into a marker (edit mode).

Move 1 frame forward

Global

This shortcut does not work when you are
typing text into a marker (edit mode).

Ctrl+Down Arrow

Zoom in to a section of the timeline by 50 percent.

Global

Ctrl+Up Arrow

Zoom out from a section of the timeline by 50
percent.

Global

Ctrl+J, Ctrl+K, Ctrl+L

See “Using the J-K-L Keys for Playback” on
page 192.

Global

Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Go to the previous marker.

Global

Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Go to the next marker.

Global

Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow

Move 10 seconds back

Global

Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow

Move 10 seconds forward

Global

Ctrl+Alt+E, Ctrl+Alt+I

Go to In point

Global

Ctrl+Alt+R, Ctrl+Alt+O

Go to Out point

Global

514

Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts

Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts
For shortcuts that you can use to control playback while logging, see “Shortcuts with Focus
Outside the Media Pane” on page 513.
Shortcuts for Working with Markers

Some of the following keystroke combinations work when the cursor is anywhere in the
application and others work only when the cursor is located in the Logging pane. The Focus
column in the table describes the focus required for each keystroke combination.
Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+M (Windows and Macintosh)
Command+M (Macintosh)

Create a new marker

Global

Ctrl +number (top-row or numeric
keypad)

Create a marker and set the icon color as
follows:

Global

•

Ctrl+0: Last color picked. If no previous
color was selected in a session, the color is
white.

•

Ctrl+1: White

•

Ctrl+2: Black

•

Ctrl+3: Red

•

Ctrl+4: Green

•

Ctrl+5: Blue

•

Ctrl+6: Cyan

•

Ctrl+7: Magenta

•

Ctrl+8: Yellow

The NumLock state must be enabled to use these
commands on the numeric keypad.
Delete key (Windows)
Backspace key (Macintosh)
fn+Backspace key (MacBook)

Delete the selected marker or markers

Logging pane

Up Arrow

Move to and select previous marker

Logging pane

Down Arrow

Move to and select next marker

Logging pane

Left Arrow

Move left one column and then up to next
marker

Logging pane

515

Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Right Arrow

Move right one column and then down to next
marker

Logging pane

Enter

Enter edit mode

Logging pane

Ctrl+Enter (Windows and Macintosh) Exit edit mode and save
Command+Enter (Macintosh)

Logging pane

Esc

Exit edit mode without saving

Logging pane

Ctrl+S (Windows and Macintosh)
Command+S (Macintosh)

Save markers and text without exiting edit mode Logging pane

Reload the content of the Logging pane

Logging pane

Shortcuts for Working with Marker Text

The following table lists keyboard shortcuts that you use while working with marker text in edit
mode.

“Edit mode” refers to the mode in which the Notes column is selected and the insert bar is
displayed.

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Enter, Alt+Enter

Create a line break

Logging pane

Ctrl+Left Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Left Arrow (Macintosh)

Go to previous word

Logging pane

Ctrl+Right Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Right Arrow (Macintosh)

Go to next word

Logging pane

Up Arrow

Go to previous line

Logging pane

Down Arrow

Go to next line

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Up Arrow (Macintosh)

Select previous paragraph

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Down Arrow (Macintosh)

Select next paragraph

Logging pane

516

Logging Pane (Interplay | Production) Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+Shift+Home (Windows)
Ctrl+Shift+Pos1 (Windows)
Command+Shift+Up Arrow
(Macintosh)

Select text from the beginning to the current
position

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+End (Windows)
Command+Shift+Down Arrow
(Macintosh)

Select text from the current position to the end

Logging pane

Shift+Left Arrow

Select text one character at a time moving
backward

Logging pane

Shift+Right Arrow

Select text one character at a time moving
forward

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Left Arrow (Macintosh)

Select text one word at a time moving backward Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Right Arrow (Macintosh)

Select text one word at a time moving forward

Logging pane

Shift+Up Arrow

Select text one line at a time moving upward

Logging pane

Shift+Down Arrow

Select text one line at a time moving downward Logging pane

Ctrl+A (Windows)
Command+A (Macintosh)

Select all text

Logging pane

Delete key

Delete one letter or space forward

Logging pane

Backspace key

Delete one letter or space backward

Logging pane

Ctrl+X

Cut selection

Logging pane

Ctrl+C

Copy selection

Logging pane

Ctrl+V

Paste selection

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+D (Windows)

Change the direction of the text (right-to-left or
left-to-right)

Logging pane

Command+Shift+D (Macintosh)

For more information on the Logging pane and its sections, see “The Logging Pane for
Interplay | Production Assets” on page 288.

517

Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts

Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts
For shortcuts that you can use to control playback while logging, see “Media Pane Shortcuts” on
page 512.
Shortcuts for Working with Segments

Description

Ctrl+M (Windows and Macintosh)
Command+M (Macintosh)

Create a new segment with the given In and Out Global
marks

Ctrl+Shift+M

Create a new segment: Sets the In mark at the
Global
current playhead position but does not define an
Out mark

Ctrl+Alt+M

Close the segment by setting an Out mark at
current the playhead position

Tab key

Create a new segment with the given In and Out Logging pane
marks

Ctrl+E

Split segment

Logging pane

Ctrl+Z

Undo segment operation

Logging pane

Ctrl+Y

Redo segment operation (see above)

Logging pane

Insert key

Opens the Tag selector window to add a tag to a Logging pane
single segment or multiple segments at once
(requires selecting multiple segments first using
Ctrl+click or Shift+Click)

Delete key (Windows)
Backspace key (Macintosh)
fn+Backspace key (MacBook)

Delete the selected segment or segments

Logging pane

Up Arrow

Move to and select previous segment

Logging pane

Down Arrow

Move to and select next segment

Logging pane

518

Focus

Global

Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Left Arrow

If the segment contains several properties, move Logging pane
to the previous property field
If the segment contains only one property field,
move to and select previous segment

Right Arrow

If the segment contains several properties, move Logging pane
to the next property field
If the segment contains only one property field,
move to and select next segment

Enter

Enter edit mode (text field) or open Tags selector Logging pane
window (tags field)

Ctrl+Enter (Windows and Macintosh) Exit edit mode and save (when the focus is in a
Command+Enter (Macintosh)
text field)

Logging pane

Esc

Exit edit mode or close Tag selector window
without saving

Logging pane

Ctrl+S (Windows and Macintosh)
Command+S (Macintosh)

Save segment and text without exiting edit mode Logging pane

Reload the content of the Logging pane

Logging pane

Shortcuts for Working with Segment Text

The following table lists keyboard shortcuts that you use while working with segment text in edit
mode.

“Edit mode” refers to the mode in which the text field of a segment is activated for text input
(indicated by white field color).

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Enter

Create a line break

Logging pane

Up Arrow

Go to previous line

Logging pane

Down Arrow

Go to next line

Logging pane

Home or Pos1 (Windows)

Go to the beginning of the current line

Logging pane

End (Windows)

Go to the end of the current line

Logging pane

519

Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Up Arrow (Macintosh)

Select previous paragraph

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Down Arrow (Macintosh)

Select next paragraph

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Home (Windows)
Ctrl+Shift+Pos1 (Windows)
Command+Shift+Up Arrow
(Macintosh)

Select text from the beginning to the current
position

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+End (Windows)
Command+Shift+Down Arrow
(Macintosh)

Select text from the current position to the end

Logging pane

Shift+Left Arrow

Select text one character at a time moving
backward

Logging pane

Shift+Right Arrow

Select text one character at a time moving
forward

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Left Arrow (Macintosh)

Select text one word at a time moving backward Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow (Windows)
Alt+Shift+Right Arrow (Macintosh)

Select text one word at a time moving forward

Logging pane

Shift+Up Arrow

Select text one line at a time moving upward

Logging pane

Shift+Down Arrow

Select text one line at a time moving downward Logging pane

Ctrl+A (Windows)
Command+A (Macintosh)

Select all text

Logging pane

Delete key

Delete one letter or space forward

Logging pane

Ctrl+Delete key

Delete one word forward

Logging pane

Backspace key

Delete one letter or space backward

Logging pane

Ctrl+Backspace key

Delete one word backward

Logging pane

Ctrl+X

Cut selection

Logging pane

Ctrl+C

Copy selection

Logging pane

Ctrl+V

Paste selection

Logging pane

Ctrl+Shift+D

Change the direction of the text (right-to-left or
left-to-right)

Logging pane

520

Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts

Shortcuts for Working with Segment Tags

The following table lists keyboard shortcuts that you use while working with segment tags.
Shortcut

Description

Focus

Down Arrow

Set focus from search field into list of
properties/tags selecting the first item in the
(filtered) list

Tags selector
window

Enter

Open input control for the selected property

Tags selector
window

Esc

Close Tags selector window without inserting a
tag

Tags selector
window

Enter

Insert selected value as tag

All input
controls

Alphabetic key

Navigate to the first element beginning with the Thesaurus
typed letter

Tab

Autocomplete the typed word

Thesaurus

Up Arrow

Select previous thesaurus entry

Thesaurus

Down Arrow

Select next thesaurus entry

Thesaurus

Right Arrow

Expand thesaurus node

Thesaurus

Left Arrow

Collapse thesaurus node

Thesaurus

Alphabetic key

Navigate to the first element beginning with the Legal list
typed letter

Tab

Autocomplete the typed word

Legal list

Up Arrow

Select previous list entry

Legal list

Down Arrow

Select next list entry

Legal list

Alphabetic key

Navigate to the first element beginning with the Master data
typed letter

Up Arrow

Select previous list entry

Master data

Down Arrow

Select next list entry

Master data

Down Arrow

Opens the calendar control

Date or
Date/Time
field

521

Logging Pane (Interplay | MAM) Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Spacebar

Insert current day

Calendar

Ctrl+Up Arrow

Go to previous year

Calendar

Ctrl+Down Arrow

Go to next year

Calendar

Ctrl+Left Arrow

Go to previous month

Calendar

Ctrl+Right Arrow

Go to next month

Calendar

Up Arrow

Select the highlighted day a week ago

Calendar

Down Arrow

Select the highlighted day next week

Calendar

Left Arrow

Select previous day

Calendar

Right Arrow

Select next day

Calendar

Up Arrow

Increase the figures by one unit

Integer or
Floating point
field

Down Arrow

Decrease the figures by one unit

Integer or
Floating point
field

For more information on the Logging pane and its sections, see “Logging Interplay | MAM
Assets” on page 307.

522

Sequence Pane Shortcuts

Sequence Pane Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts available when working with the Sequence pane are listed in the following
table. For more information on the pane and its sections, see “Using the Sequence Pane” on
page 112.
Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+S (Windows)
Command+S (Macintosh)

Save the sequence.

Sequence pane

Delete
Backspace (Windows)

Delete the selected segment.

Sequence pane

backslash (\)

Insert a video dissolve.

Sequence pane

Ctrl+E (Windows)
Command+E (Macintosh)

Split a segment into two segments

Sequence pane

Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows)
Command+Shift+X
(Macintosh)

Extends a segment into another timing block.

Sequence pane

Perform an overwrite edit

Sequence pane

Perform a replace edit.

Sequence pane

Shift+drag

In an insert edit, override snap (sticky) points.

Sequence pane

Up arrow

Zoom out of a sequence

Sequence pane

Down arrow

Zoom in to a sequence

Sequence pane

Alt+drag zoom handle

Enlarge or reduce one end of the zoom region
(asymmetrical zoom)

Sequence pane

Right arrow

Move 1 frame forward

Sequence pane

Left arrow

Move 1 frame back

Sequence pane

Space bar

Play or pause play

Sequence pane

Ctrl+Z (Windows)
Command+Z (Macintosh)

Undo an action

Sequence pane

Ctrl+Y (Windows)
Command+Y (Macintosh)

Redo an action

Sequence pane

With trim indicators active
M

Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier. Sequence pane
523

Closed Captioning Pane Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

comma (,)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame earlier.

Sequence pane

period (.)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame later.

Sequence pane

slash (/)

Trim the segment’s selected end 10 frames later.

Sequence pane

Shift+[

Trim from start of segment to the position indicator
(trim top).

Sequence pane

Shift+]

Trim from the position indicator to the end of a
segment (trim tail).

Sequence pane

With double-sided trim
indicators active
Shift+M

Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier. Sequence pane

Shift+ comma (,)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame earlier.

Sequence pane

Shift+period (.)

Trim the segment’s selected end one frame later.

Sequence pane

Shift+slash (/)

Trim the segment’s selected end 10 frames later.

Sequence pane

Closed Captioning Pane Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Focus

Ctrl+. (period) (Windows)
Command|+. (Macintosh)

(In and Out mode) Creates a closed-caption segment
using In and Out marks

Closed
Captioning
pane

Ctrl+Shift+. (period)
Command+Shift_. (Macintosh)

(Playhead position mode) Creates a closed caption
with an In point only.

Closed
Captioning
pane

Ctrl+Alt+.(period)

(Playhead position mode) Creates an Out point for a
closed caption.

Closed
Captioning
pane

Ctrl+E (Windows) Command+E. Divides a closed-caption segment into two, based on Closed
(Macintosh)
the location of the position indicator. The complete
Captioning
text for the segment is copied to the new segment, and pane
you need to edit the text as desired.

524

C Icons
This topic provides a quick reference guide to icons or buttons you might encounter when using
MediaCentral UX. They are grouped in the following topics:
•

Pane Type Icons

•

Launch Pane Icons

•

Assets Pane Icons

•

Associations Pane Icons

•

Media Pane Icons

•

Logging Pane Icons (Interplay | Production Assets)

•

Logging Pane Icons (Interplay | MAM Assets)

•

Progress Pane Icons

•

Sequence Pane Icons

•

Tasks Pane Icons

•

Media | Distribute Icons

Pane Type Icons
The follow icons are used to identify the various types of panes you might have open in the
MediaCentral UX user interface. For more information about these panes, see “Understanding
the Application Layouts” on page 23.
Icon

Description

Assets pane
Associations pane
Audio pane
Combined Messages pane (Media Distribute)

Pane Type Icons

Icon

Description

Help pane
Launch pane
Logging pane
Media pane
Messages pane
Metadata pane
Progress pane
Project/Story pane
Queue/Story pane
Search pane
Sequence pane
Social Messages pane (Media Distribute)
Tasks pane
Thumbnails pane
Web Story pane (Media Distribute)

526

Launch Pane Icons

Launch Pane Icons
The following icons are used in the Launch pane.
Icon

Description

Connected Interplay Production system
Disconnected Interplay Production system
Connected Interplay MAM system
Connected iNEWS system
Disconnected iNEWS system
Project in the iNEWS database
iNEWS Project (not started)
iNEWS Project (expired)

Assets Pane Icons
Various icons are used distinguish between the different types of assets accessible via
MediaCentral UX. Other icons are used to show the state of an asset. These type and status icons
are displayed in the Assets pane in either the Name or State columns.
Interplay | Production Assets

Icons for Interplay Production assets appear in the Name and State columns.
Icon

Description

Column

Audio asset

Name

Video asset: master clip.

Name

Video asset: subclip

Name

527

Assets Pane Icons

Icon

Description

Column

Video asset: sequence

Name

Video asset: in-progress clip (Edit While Capture)

Name

Video asset: group clip

Name

Video asset: effect

Name

Remote asset: downward-pointing arrow for each asset type

Name

Supported

State

Reservation

State

Restriction

State

iNEWS Assets

All icons for iNEWS assets appear in the Name column.
Icon

Description

Directory or subfolder in the iNEWS database
Indexed Directory
Queue in the iNEWS database
Indexed Queue (also BUCKET queue)
Locked Queue
Indexed and Locked Queue
Facet in the iNEWS database
Facet (not started)

528

Assets Pane Icons

Icon

Description

Facet (expired)
QUERY Search Queue

Interplay | MAM Assets

Icons for Interplay MAM assets appear in the Name, Thumbnail, and Rights columns.
Icon

Description

Column

Audio asset

Name

Commercial or Commercial Version asset

Name

Document asset

Name

Episode or Episode Version asset

Name

Feature or Feature Version asset

Name

File asset or Default placeholder icon

Name

Graphics asset

Name

Image asset

Name

Season asset

Name

Sequence asset (audio or video)

Name

Series asset

Name

Stock Footage asset

Name

Trailer asset

Name

Video or Rushes asset

Name

Audio asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific image Thumbnail
is assigned as a thumbnail.

529

Assets Pane Icons

Icon

Description

Column

Basic Sequence asset placeholder icon.

Thumbnail

Episode or Episode Version asset placeholder icon. Is shown
until a specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Feature or Feature Version asset placeholder icon. Is shown
until a specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

File asset or Default placeholder icon. Is shown until a
specific image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Graphics asset placeholder icon. Is shown until a specific
image is assigned as a thumbnail.

Thumbnail

Usage right “Free for use”

Rights

Usage right “Not evaluated so far”

Rights

530

Associations Pane Icons

Icon

Description

Column

Usage right “Parts need to be licensed”

Rights

Usage right “Contains restricted parts”

Rights

Associations Pane Icons
The following icons are used in the Associations pane.
Icon

Description

The Back and Next buttons toggle the current view to the previous view and next
view in the pane.
Refreshes the current view in the pane.
Toggles pinning of the current asset on or off. When pinning is toggled on the
button is colored orange.
Expand All button expands all associations types and shows all associations in the
pane. Collapse All button hides all associations from the pane and shows only the
Association types.

Media Pane Icons
The following icons are used in the Media pane.
Buttons

Description

The Asset and Output buttons let you switch between a loaded asset and a loaded
sequence.
Plays the asset or the story sequence. The Play button changes to a Pause button while
the asset or story sequence is being played.
Plays from an In point to an Out point.
Moves the position indicator to the In point.

531

Media Pane Icons

Buttons

Description

Marks an In point.
Marks an Out point
Moves the position indicator to the Out point.
Plays the last three seconds before the Out point.
Steps back 10 seconds.
Steps back 1 second
Steps back 1 frame
Steps forward 1 frame
Steps forward 1 second
Steps forward 10 seconds
Displays the Audio pane
Displays the voice-over controls
Displays the selected sequence to review for playback in the target resolution
Loads a master clip that contains a selected frame of a sequence or subclip (Match
Frame).
Displays a group clip in single-angle view (1x1)
Displays a group clip in a 2x2 grid.
Displays a group clip in a 3x3 grid.

532

Logging Pane Icons (Interplay | Production Assets)

Logging Pane Icons (Interplay | Production Assets)
The following icons are used in the Logging pane.
Icon

Description

Insert Marker and Select Marker Color
Add Restriction
Refresh
Cancel

Logging Pane Icons (Interplay | MAM Assets)
The following icons are used in the Logging pane.
Button

Description

Lets you select the stratum for editing
Creates a new segment (In and Out mode): Sets the In and Out marks at the
positions you defined in the Media Timeline (Gaps Allowed mode only).
Creates a new segment (Playhead position mode): Sets the In mark at the current
playhead position but does not define an Out mark (Gaps Allowed mode only).
Refresh
Indicates the lock status of the stratum and lets you manually lock and unlock the
stratum
Exports stratified annotation and all other metadata

533

Progress Pane Icons

Progress Pane Icons
The following icons are used in the Progress pane.
Icon

Description

Open in Media pane
Cancel
Resend/Retry

Sequence Pane Icons
The following icons are used in the Sequence pane.
Icon

Description

Adds a dissolve
Divides a segment into two segments at the position indicator.
Performs an Overwrite edit.
Performs a Replace edit.
Deletes the segment
Shows Audio pane
Saves the sequence
Extends or retracts a segment.
Shows or hides empty timing blocks

534

Tasks Pane Icons

Tasks Pane Icons
The following icons are used in the Tasks pane.
Icon

Description

Toggles display of the Task List and Task Details on or off.
The Lock Indicator icon indicates if the selected task is currently locked for
editing. If a task is free for editing, the icon shown in the table is displayed. If a
task is locked by you, the Lock Indicator icon is colored orange. If a task is locked
by another user, the Lock Indicator icon is grayed out.
Refresh

Media | Distribute Icons
The following icons are used in Media Distribute:
Icon

Description

Shows the Social Messages pane.
Shows the Web Story pane.
Shows the Combined Messages pane.
Indicates a system profile, which contains credentials for a target — for example,
a corporate Twitter account — associated with a corporate or group house account
and accessible by multiple users.
Indicates a user profile, which contains credentials for a specific target — for
example, a personal Facebook account — and associated with a specific user.

535

MediaCentral Glossary

A
Administrators group

A default group used for MediaCentral UX user management that contains users with
administrative privileges.
active angle

In a group clip, the camera angle selected for single-angle view and the angle displayed when
you add the clip to a sequence.
advanced sequence

A sequence you create in MediaCentral UX that includes a timeline with one video track and
user-specified audio tracks. By default, these tracks are named NAT, SOT, and VO for use with
iNEWS stories. However, you can rename these and use the sequence independently from an
iNEWS story
angle

In a group clip, one of the individual clips, each of which has a different camera angle.
area

A section of the MediaCentral UX Web application. You can customize the application to reduce
or expand the number of areas. Also referred to as a pane area.
asset

An object that you can use to create stories and sequences. There are different types of assets,
such as video media, audio media, graphics, images, and text. Asset usually refers to objects or
also lists of objects, such as rundowns, that are stored in an asset management database.
Asset mode

If you click the Asset button in the Media pane, you can view media for the currently loaded
asset and use controls that apply specifically to assets, such as controls for setting In and Out
points. Compare with the definition of Output mode.
536

Assets pane

A pane in the client application that displays assets. These assets can result from a search or from
browsing. Assets are displayed in a folder hierarchy, if applicable to the assets displayed.
associations

Relations between assets that help structure your Interplay MAM assets. Associations also allow
easy and quick navigation (without searching) between assets. The associations available are
determined by the underlying Interplay MAM data model.
Associations pane

A pane in the client application that shows all assets that are associated with the selected
Interplay MAM asset. You can review, change, and delete the displayed associations and
navigate and browse the associated assets.
audio follows video

An audio setting that allows the audio mapping for a track in a group clip to automatically
“follow” any active angle change and use the audio from the new active angle.
authentication provider

A server that checks the credentials (user name and password) of a user and allows access. A
MediaCentral UX administrator designates an authentication provider for imported users, such
as a Windows Domain server.

B
basic sequence

A sequence you create in MediaCentral UX that includes a timeline with one video track and one
audio track. This single audio track represents all source audio tracks. Typically you use it to
create a simple sequence (sometimes referred to as a cut list, a shotlist, or an EDL).

C
Closed Captioning pane

A pane that displays closed captions for the Interplay Production asset loaded in the Media pane.
The Closed Captioning pane lists timecode and text for the closed captions and includes controls
for importing, exporting, editing, and positioning.
537

Contacts list

In the Message bar, a list of iNEWS users from which you can select a recipient of a message.
Cue List

The area in the Script Editor in which the journalist adds or edits production cues and machine
control events, such as those for a character generator (CG).

D
Details pane

A pane in the Users layout and the System Settings layout that displays information and settings
for a selected item.
drop zone

The part of an area into which you can move a pane. Each area has five drop zones: center, top,
bottom, left, and right.

E
Edit Decision List (EDL)

Basic sequence created in Interplay MAM Desktop. See basic sequence.
edit while capture (EWC)

See Frame Chase editing.

F
facet

A subtopic of an iNEWS project that provides additional granularity. Any stories associated to a
facet are automatically associated to that facet’s parent project. See also project.
federated search

A search that uses the search capabilities of the MediaCentral Platform to provide the full search
functionality that individual databases provide.

538

file-based playback

Playback mode where media is downloaded to your workstation for playback. File-based
playback provides good quality in low-bandwidth situations.
frame-based playback

Playback mode where media is streamed directly from the server for playback. Frame-based
playback provides high quality but requires a higher bandwidth than file-based playback.
Frame Chase editing

A feature that lets you view and edit media while it is being captured from a line feed or ingest
device. Also known as edit while capture (EWC).

G
group clip

A master clip created in Media Composer or another Avid editing application by syncing a group
of clips based on common source timecode, auxiliary timecode, or marks placed in the footage.

I
indexed search

A search that queries a central index synced with multiple databases and finds anything stored in
the index. It does not directly search Interplay Production databases. See also Media | Index

J
J-K-L play

The J-K-L keys on the keyboard allow you to play and shuttle through media at varying speeds.
This feature is also referred to as three-button play or variable-speed play.

539

L
Launch pane

A pane in the client application from which you navigate to various locations. This pane displays
remote file systems, local files systems, and other locations for assets.
Layout

A collection of panes designed for a specific purpose, such as a layout for journalists or a layout
for administrators.
Layout selector

A list from which you select the layout that you want to work in.
L-cut

A split edit between two clips in which the video transition and the audio transition do not occur
simultaneously. The audio transition can occur before the video transition or the video transition
can occur before the audio transition.
locator

See marker.
Log layout

A layout that a media logger or journalist uses to view and create markers.
logging

1. Interplay Production: Adding information to clips, subclips, and sequences. This
information includes markers, restrictions, and text, which can be used for reference during
story creation and media editing.
2. Interplay MAM: Segmenting strata and adding information to them. This information
includes text and other properties.
Logging pane

A pane that provides a media logger or journalist with an arrangement of controls defined for use
in logging Interplay Production assets or Interplay MAM assets. The layout of the Logging pane
adapts automatically depending on the asset open.

540

M
marker

An indicator added to a selected frame to mark a particular location in a clip, subclip, or
sequence. Markers can be different colors and can be associated with user-defined text. Markers
are displayed in the Media Timeline and marker text is displayed as an overlay in the Media
viewer. Formerly called locator.
master clip

A media object that contains pointers to media files in which the actual digital video and audio
data is stored.
Match Frame

A feature that lets you load a source clip, a portion of which is contained in a sequence.
MediaCentral Distribution Service (MCDS)

An Interplay Production service that coordinates jobs with Interplay Production Services for
send to playback.
MediaCentral Platform

The software infrastructure that supports MediaCentral products and services
MediaCentral User Management Service (UMS)

One of the MediaCentral Platform services. It provides the ability to create and manage users
and groups and authenticate users across multiple systems.
MediaCentral Zone

A MediaCentral zone consists of the following configuration:
•

One MediaCentral server or MediaCentral cluster server

•

One Interplay | Production engine, one iNEWS database, or both

•

One or more ISIS storage systems

By default, a MediaCentral system is configured as a single zone. Large organizations can
combine two or more single-zone systems into a multi-zone environment.

541

Media Distribute layout

A layout that displays different options for publishing to multiple platforms. The layout includes
the Social Message, Web Story, and Packages panes used for publishing media packages.
Media controls

In the Media pane, controls that let you play and move through an asset and edit an asset for use
in creating a sequence. Which controls are displayed depends on the selected asset.
Media | Index

A search engine that allows users to search a central index for multiple Interplay Production
databases over multiple zones. See also indexed search.
Media pane

A pane in the client application in which you can view and edit media assets, using the Media
controls.
Media viewer

The section of the Media pane used to view an asset.
Media Timeline

In the Media pane, a graphical representation of the length and time spans of an asset or
sequence.
Media zoom bar

In the Media pane, a control located below the Media Timeline that lets you enlarge a section of
the Media Timeline so you can work more easily with long clips. See also Sequence zoom bar.
Message bar

A section of the client application in which you can send and receive messages. The Message bar
consists of the To field, the Message field, and the Send button.
Menu bar

A section of the client application from which you can select various menu options.
Message History

In the Message bar, arrow buttons are provided to let you read recent messages. A numerical
indicator appears when multiple unread messages exist.
542

Messages pane

A pane in the client application that displays a message box for sending both text messages and
media asset links to other MediaCentral UX users. It also lists all received messages.
metadata

Data that describes an asset. Metadata includes properties, reservations, restrictions, and other
information.
Metadata pane

A pane that displays properties that are associated with a selected asset in an Interplay MAM or
Interplay Production database, such as Start Timecode or Comments.
mixdown

A process in which multiple video tracks, multiple audio tracks, and effects are combined into a
new master clip with one video track and a reduced number of audio tracks.

N
NAT (natural sound)

Audio recorded at the same time as the video, often by a microphone built in to a camera.
Compare with the definition of SOT (sound on tape).

O
Output mode

If you click the Output button in the Media pane, you can view media for the currently loaded
sequence and use controls that apply specifically to sequences, such as voice-over controls.
Compare with the definition of Asset mode.

P
package

In Media Distribute, a collection of text (messages or stories), images, video, and audio, all
associated with a common iNEWS story and Interplay Production master clip or sequence.

543

Packages pane

A pane in the client application that displays a history of packages ready for publication and
already published. The pane also allows you to review and approve packages submitted for
publication.
pagination

A system setting the specifies the maximum number of items listed in the Queue/Story pane or
the Project/Story pane.
pane

A section of the MediaCentral UX Web application. An area contains one or more panes.
Multiple panes can be layered within an area, with the names of each pane appearing on tabs that
the user can select to view.
Pane menu

A menu of commands that are available for each pane. To access the menu, click the Pane Menu
button.
position indicator

A vertical bar in the Media Timeline that indicates the location of the frame displayed in the
Media viewer. The Sequence Timeline also includes a position indicator, which can be vertical or
horizontal, depending on the orientation of the Sequence pane. You can drag the position
indicator to scrub through a clip or sequence.
presenter mode

A feature of the MediaCentral UX tablet application lets users view a show’s scripts in a
page-by-page layout, similar to printed scripts used by news presenters.
production cue

An object in an iNEWS story that provides important information to technical staff as well as
machine control commands for devices, such as character generators.
process

In Interplay MAM, a defined set of automated workflows and manual activities to achieve a
specific goal; it defines the states, tasks, and the control flow that are used to achieve the goal.

544

Progress pane

A pane in the client application that displays the progress and status of MediaCentral UX
processes such as sequence mixdown and send to playback.
Project/Story pane

A pane in the client application that displays the contents of a project, its facets, and any
associated stories.
project

An iNEWS term for a group of stories categorized by topic so that news teams working on a
particular topic can find everything related to it in a single place. See also facet.

Q
Queue/Story pane

A pane in the client application that displays the contents of a queue with the contents of the
story, including the story form.
queue

A subfolder in an iNEWS database that contains stories.

R
read-only sequence

1. A sequence that you open from an Interplay Production folder but cannot edit or save
because you do not have a read/write role for the folder.
2. A sequence that you open from an Interplay MAM database for which you do not have write
permission or that represents an external sequence.
You can play the sequence but you cannot edit or save it. See also uneditable sequence.
restriction

A set of two markers that indicate clips whose use is limited in some way, such as through
intellectual property rights management or content compliance.

545

role

A set of features, privileges, and layouts that are assigned to a user by a MediaCentral UX
administrator. An administrator can create MediaCentral UX roles based on roles within an
organization.
rundown

A lineup or timed list of scripts indicating the order in which they will be aired during a news
program.
Rundown layout

A layout that a journalist uses to edit and create stories.

S
script

The text that is read on air. Also the content for organizing a feature.
Script Editor

A section of the Queue/Story pane in which a journalist creates and organizes the elements of a
story. There are four sub-sections of the Script Editor: Story Form, Cue List, Story, and Sequence
Timeline.
script sequence

A series of video, audio, and images that you compose in the Sequence pane and play in the
Media pane. Script sequences are saved in the Interplay Production database and can be sent to a
playback device.
Search bar

A section of the client application in which you can conduct a search for assets that match
specific criteria.
Search pane

1. A pane that lets a user search for information and assets.
2. A pane in the Users layout that lets an administrator search for MediaCentral UX groups and
users.

546

Send button

In the Message bar, the button you click to send a message.
segment

1. In a rundown, a portion of the show aired between commercial breaks.
2. A portion of the story body/text. A journalist uses segments to time the text and integrate it
with video, audio, and production cues. Multiple timed segments are combined to form the
overall story.
3. In a sequence, a portion of media contained on a track.
4. In a stratum, a portion of media defined by an In and Out mark. Segments contain annotation
that is associated to a sequence of frames.
send to playback (STP)

The process of transferring a sequence to a playback device or playout server for broadcast.
sequence

Video, images and audio clips, or any combination, arranged in a series. See also basic sequence
and advanced sequence.
Sequence pane

A pane in which you can work with video and audio clips to create or edit a sequence. You can
associate the sequence with a new story as a script sequence or store it as an independent asset in
an Interplay Production database.
Sequence Timeline

The area of the Sequence pane that hold the video and audio clips. The Sequence Timeline
includes a video track, one or three audio tracks, and a timing track.
Sequence zoom bar

The Sequence zoom bar is located below the Sequence Timeline for horizontal orientation or to
the right of the timeline for vertical orientation. You can use the zoom bar to enlarge a section of
the Sequence Timeline so that you can work more easily with long sequences or make precise
edit decisions. See also Media zoom bar.
Settings pane

A pane in the System Settings layout from which you can select a group of settings to view or
edit.
547

shuttle

To view media at speeds slower or faster than real time. In MediaCentral UX you can use the J,
K, and L keys to shuttle through a clip or sequence.
sidebar

A feature of the MediaCentral UX mobile application from which you can navigate various
systems integrated with MediaCentral UX, such as an iNEWS newsroom computer system
simple sequence

See basic sequence.
Social Message pane

A pane in the client application that allows you to create packages for publication to social media
sites, such as Facebook or Twitter.
SOT (sound on tape)

Audio recorded at the same time as the video, often by a microphone separate from the one built
in to a camera. Compare with the definition of NAT (natural sound).
source clip

A video clip or audio clip that is used as part of a sequence.
story

A compilation of elements that includes the script that is sent to the teleprompter and read on air,
any video and audio that is broadcast with the script, as well as production cues and machine
control instructions associated with the queue. A story can also be created as a feature that uses
the script to organize the feature.
Story Form

A section of the Script Editor that provides story information in fields that are predetermined by
the iNEWS system administrator for each queue in the database.
Story layout

A layout that a journalist uses to edit and create stories that include video and audio.
STP (send to playback)

The process of transferring a sequence to a playback device or playout server for broadcast.
548

strata

Annotation layers that build the basis for logging Interplay MAM assets. Each stratum allows
you to view information about an asset from a specific perspective.
subclip

A clip created by marking IN and OUT points in a master clip and saving the frames between the
points. The subclip does not contain pointers to media files. The subclip references the master
clip, which contains pointers to the media files.
System Settings layout

A layout that a MediaCentral UX administrator uses to specify various configuration settings.

T
task

An elementary step within a process that is carried out either automatically (based on workflow
scripts) or by a user action.
Tasks pane

A pane in which a user can view and edit user tasks of Interplay MAM processes created by him
or user tasks that have been assigned to him by other users.
Thumbnails pane

A pane that displays small images of an asset that is loaded in the Asset mode of the Media pane.
Images are displayed by timecode, marker, or both.
Timecode displays

In the Media pane, displays that provide timecode information for the loaded asset or sequence.
timing block

A section of a script sequence that corresponds in duration to the read rate of a story segment. A
timing block serves as a container for editing actions.
track selector

In the Audio pane, a drop-down menu that lets you map an audio track of a group clip to the
corresponding audio track of any other angle in the group clip.
549

trim indicator

In the Sequence Timeline, a mark that appears at the beginning or end of a clip in the video
column or audio column when hovering over that area with the mouse pointer. You can trim
video and audio together, or you can trim them separately to create an L-cut.

U
Unassigned group

A default group used for MediaCentral UX user management that includes users that were
removed from a group but are not members of any other groups.
uneditable sequence

A sequence created on Media Composer or another Avid editing application that cannot be
edited in MediaCentral UX, such as a sequence that includes rendered effects. Uneditable
sequences are colored dark red in the Sequence Timeline. See also read-only sequence.
User Management Service (UMS)

See MediaCentral User Management Service (UMS).
user task

A task that requires a user action and is completed by a user action. See task.
User Tree pane

A pane in the Users layout that displays groups and users in a hierarchical layout.
Users layout

A layout for MediaCentral UX user management that a MediaCentral UX administrator uses to
import, create, and manage users and group.

V
Voice-over controls

Controls that let you record a voice-over and adjust its volume.

550

W
Web Story pane

A pane in the client application that allows you to create packages for publication to Web
Content Management Systems.
window

The primary user interface element of the application.

Z
zoom bar

See Media zoom bar and Sequence zoom bar.

551

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Index

A
About menu option 34
Actions
applying to tasks 409
Active-X plug-ins 36
Adding
attachments to tasks 411
Advanced sequence
described 116
group clips 256
Android application for MediaCentral UX 478
Annotating
segments 330
segments using tags 332
Annotation
speech-to-text 89
Applying actions to tasks 409
Approve stories
MediaCentral mobile app 468
MediaCentral UX mobile app 435
Areas 29
Aspect ratio 194
Asset mode
described 181
displays and controls 182
Assets
adding to folder 61
aspect ratio 194
described 40
duplicating 50
moving and copying 50, 63
navigating using associations 348
opening associated 346
playing 191
recently viewed 194
removing 64

renaming 50, 64
resusing associated 347
stepping through 193
working with Interplay Production 46
working with MAM 56
working with news 44
Assets pane
described 40
keyboard shortcuts 511
list of icons 527
navigating 41
Associations
creating 348
deleting 350
opening connected assets 346
reusing assets 347
understanding 342
using for navigation 348
viewing connected assets 346
Associations pane
described 343
list of icons 531
working in 345
Audio
advanced sequence 228
basic sequence 224
disabling NAT tracks 165
ducking audio 228
enabling a track 162
enabling NAT tracks 165
enabling scrubbing 178
overriding default NAT and SOT tracks 231
panning for advanced sequences 234
panning for assets and basic sequences 227
reference level 235
swapping NAT and SOT tracks 231
types of audio tracks 228

Index

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Audio dissolves
automatic creation 228
Audio gain
adjusting 228
adjusting for advanced sequence 233
automatic adjustment 228
Audio levels
setting 228
Audio mix 235
Audio monitoring
setting preferences 225
Audio pane
described 220
Audio track
enabling 162
Audio-only segment 166
Audio-only sequences 128, 129
Auto-Save
sequences 131
stories 110
Avid
online support 20
training services 20
Avid Central
adding machine control instructions 500
adding production cues 499
formatting a script 498
saving stories 497
working with links 501
Avid iNEWS
described 21
Avid Instinct
associated sequences 127

B
Banks
for group clips 245
Basic sequence
described 116
group clips 254

C
Captions
displaying in Media pane 205
CCCS (Closed Caption Conversion Service) 359
553

Clips
moving and deleting 164
transcoding and mixing down 215
Closed Captioning pane 360
Closed captions
CCCS 359
Closed Captioning pane 360
creating segments 365
editing position 366
editing text 366
editing timing 369
extracting and repackaging 364
importing and exporting 363
keyboard shortcuts 524
overview 351
workflows 354
Colors
for segments 116
Communities
iNEWS 37
Complex sequence
defined 195
Creating
associations 348
processes 399
segments with gaps 321, 322
Cue List
described 84

D
Dead queue 95
Defining
merge rules 339
Delegating user tasks 408
Deleting
associations 350
segments 328
Delivery service
described 390
to local workgroup 396
to remote workgroup 394
Dictation
speech-to-text 89
Dissolves
audio 228
video 176

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Double-sided trim 172
Drop zones
described 29
Dual-roller trim 172
Ducking
for audio tracks 228

E
Easy locks 98
Edit locks 98
Edit while capture (EWC)
in-progress clips 218
logging clips 328
Editing
attachments of tasks 411
data of tasks 410
Interplay MAM metadata 65, 69
E-mail forwarding
configuring for messages 377
using with messages 378
Exporting
markers 301
MP4 video 219
strata 340

F
Facet
associating story with 79
described 44
opening 76
opening a facet associated with a story 79
Favorites 436, 469
Federated search 258
File-based playback 198
Floating a Story 100
Folder
adding asset 61
creating Interplay | MAM 59
creating Interplay | Production 50
deleting 61
moving and copying 60
opening for an asset 214
renaming 60
Frame-based playback 198

Index

G
General
user settings 506
Group clips
audio monitoring 249
banks 245
changing angle 245
creating basic sequence 254
described 239
for advanced sequence 256
markers and restrictions 252
match frame 253
playing 248
selecting active angle 246
sending to playback 256
timecode 248
working with 241
Grouping stories 96

H
Help
viewing 39
Highest resolution
playback 213
Hits
selecting 63
Horizontal sequence
selecting 118

I
Icons
Assets pane 527
Associations pane 531
Launch pane 527
Logging pane (Interplay MAM) 533
Logging pane (Interplay Production) 533
Media | Distribute 535
Media pane 531
pane types 525
Progress pane 534
Sequence pane 534
Tasks pane 535
Image
creating from a video frame 219
554

Index

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

In point
marking 202
Indexed search 258
iNEWS
database 44
described 21
MediaCentral mobile app on a tablet 454
MediaCentral UX mobile application for Android
devices 486
MediaCentral UX on an iPhone 422
navigating database 46
project 76
script templates 101
support for communities 37
user settings 506
iNEWS links
creating and sending 109
In-progress clips 218
Instinct
associated sequences 127
Interplay | MAM
asset types 57
moving and copying assets 63
moving and copying folders 60
navigating Workspace 57
removing assets 64
renaming assets 64
renaming folders 60
viewing thumbnails 72
working with associations 342
Interplay | Production
asset types 47
described 21
duplicating assets 50
moving and copying assets 50
navigating database 48
property columns 48
renaming assets 50
user settings 506
Interplay MAM
editing metadata 65, 69
property types and input controls 66
Interplay Production
MediaCentral mobile app 475, 503
MediaCentral UX mobile app 441
iPad
custom settings 452
555

gestures 447
Home button 446
MediaCentral mobile app 445

J
J-K-L playback 192
JPG file
creating from a video frame 219

K
Key locks 98
Keyboard shortcuts
Assets pane 511
Closed Captioning pane 524
Logging 515
Logging Interplay MAM assets 518
Media pane Pane 512
Queue/Story pane 510
Sequence pane 523

L
Latency
adjusting for 197
Launch pane 35
list of icons 527
Layouts
Logging 287
working with 26
L-cut 172
Links
in Avid Central 501
in the MediaCentral mobile app 467
in the MediaCentral UX mobile app 434
Locators 204
Locking
basic sequence 148
story 98
stratum 319
Locks, types of 98
Log layout
described 287
Logging
Edit whle capture (EWC) 328
keyboard shortcuts 515

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
right-to-left languages 303, 331
workflows 282
Logging Interplay MAM assets
keyboard shortcuts 518
Logging pane (Interplay MAM)
described 310
keyboard shortcuts 518
list of icons 533
Logging pane (Interplay Production)
288
described 288
keyboard shortcuts 515
list of icons 533
LTR (left to right) 88

M
Machine control instructions
adding 94
adding in Avid Central 500
adding in the MediaCentral mobile app 466
adding in the MediaCentral UX mobile app 433
Markers
adding 291
adding to sequence 175
cutting, copying, pasting text 299
deleting 291
described 284
exporting 301
group clips 252
navigating by 300
saving 291
text in right-to-left languages 303
Unicode support 304
Match Frame 214
Match frame
group clips 253
Media
adding to a basic sequence 148
adding to an advanced sequence 150
playback quality 197
updating status 195
viewing in mobile app 427
viewing in mobile application 492
viewing in tablet app 459
Media | Distribute
list of icons 535

Index

Media Index
indexed search 258
Media pane
Asset mode 182
group clip 186
keyboard shortcuts 512
list of icons 531
menu options Asset mode 184
menu options Output mode 189
Output mode 187
Media timeline
described 209
Media viewer
size of video 195
MediaCentral | UX
described 21
MediaCentral mobile app
accessing iNEWS 454
accessing Interplay Production 475, 503
accessing media assets 474, 501
adding machine control instructions 466
adding production cues 465
approving stories from iPad 468
buttons 451
caching queues and stories 472
connection basics 445
custom settings 452
favorites 469
formatting a script 464
installing on a iPad 448
presenter mode 468
saving stories 463
sidebar 450
starting 448
view video sequences 459
viewing queues and stories offline 471, 473
working offline 471
working with links 467
MediaCentral UX
deep links 371
MediaCentral UX Android application 478
MediaCentral UX mobile application 478
mobile app. See MediaCentral mobile app
sending links 371
MediaCentral UX mobile app
accessing iNEWS 422
accessing Interplay Production 441
556

Index

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

accessing media assets 440
adding machine control instructions 433
adding production cues 432
approving stories from iPhone 435
buttons 419
caching queues and stories 439
connection basics 413
custom settings 420
favorites 436
formatting a script 431
gestures 414
installing on a iPad 415
saving stories 431
starting 416
the sidebar 418
view video sequences 427
viewing queues and stories offline 440
working offline 438
working with links 434
MediaCentral UX mobile application
accessing iNEWS 486
buttons for Android devices 484
connection basics for Android devices 478
custom settings for Android devices 484
gestures for Android devices 479
installing on an Android device 480
starting on an Android device 480
the navigation drawer 482
view video sequences 492
MediaCentral UX mobile appn
viewing queues and stories offline 438
Menu bar
described 34
Merge rules for segments 339
Merging
segments 327
Messages
e-mail forwarding 377
forwarding messages 378
Media Central | UX messages 371
Messages pane 371, 374
sending 379
sending messages with the Message pane 374
sending messages with the Messages pane 374
using the Message pane 371
viewing and replying to 380
viewing messages in the Messages pane 373
557

Metadata pane
property types and input controls 66
Metadatas pane 51
Metadats pane 65
Mix Mode 235
Mixdown 215
Monitoring
processes 401
MOS
inserting placeholders 102
user settings 506
MOS integration 36
MP4 file
creating from a sequence 219
Multi-angle views
group clips 241
Multicamera workflows
described 239
MultiRez button
highest resolution 213
STP target resolution 211
Mute
track in advanced sequence 230
track in asset or basic sequence 225

N
NAT column 150
NAT tracks
changing the default 231
described 228
disabling 165
enabling 165
swapping with SOT tracks 231
Navigating
using associations 348
Navigation drawer, described 482
NewsCutter
associated sequences 127
NRCS tool
associated sequences 127

O
Online support 20
Opening
associated assets 346

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Ordering a Queue 97
Out point
marking 202
Output mode
described 181
displays and controls 187
Overwrite edit
Advanced sequences 154

P
Panes
Asset 40
Associations 343
Audio 220
Launch 35
list of 23
list of icons 525
Logging (Interplay MAM) 310
Media 181
Metadata 51, 65
Progress 401
Project/Story 76
Queue/Story 81
Search 261
Tasks 404
Thumbnail 54, 72
working with 29
Panning
for advanced sequences 234
for assets and basic sequences 227
Playback
frame-based and file-based 198
simple and complex sequences 195
Playback latency
adjusting for 197
Playback quality 197
Plug-ins
working with 36
PNG file
creating from a video frame 219
Position indicator
described 84
Presenter mode 468
custom settings 420, 452
Procedures
using story groups 96

Index

Processes
creating 399
monitoring 401
understanding 399
Production cue
adding 92
adding in Avid Central 499
adding in the MediaCentral mobile app 465
adding in the MediaCentral UX mobile app 432
Progress pane
described 387, 401
list of icons 534
Project
associating story with 79
described 44, 76
opening 76
opening a project associated with a story 79
Property columns
adding and removing 48
moving 49
resizing 49
Proxy video
maximum size 195

Q
Queue/Story pane
described 81
keyboard shortcuts 510
toolbar 82
Queues
caching 439, 472
creating story groups in 96
in Assets pane 44
viewing offline 440, 473

R
Recovered files
sequences 131
stories 110
Redoing
in the Sequence pane 164
Reference level
setting audio 235
Referenced assets
displaying or hiding 51
558

Index

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Remote assets
working with 201
Replace edit 158
Resizing
overlapping segments 325
segments 323, 324
Resolution
highest for playback 213
Restrictions
adding 298
defined 293
deleting 298
described 284
group clips 252
overview 293
saving 298
Reusing associated assets 347
Reviewing
for playback 211
Right-to-Left languages
entering marker text 303
entering segment text 331
RTL (right-to-left) 88
Rundowns
creating story groups in 96

S
SCC file
importing and exporting closed captions 363
Script
formatting 91
Script Editor
described 84
Script sequence
editing 135
rules for creating 127
Script sequences
creating 123, 124
Script templates 101
Scrubbing
enabling audio 178
Search bar 260
Search pane 261
Searching
advanced criteria 269
advanced syntax 274
559

federated search 258
for assets 263
indexed search 258
indexed search examples 274
overview 257
simple syntax 274
Segment
described 116
Segmentation
understanding 315
Segmented edit locks 98
Segments
annotating tags 332
annotating text 330
creating (gaps allowed) 321, 322
deleting 328
described 86, 309
displaying in Media pane 205
merge rules 339
merging 327
moving and deleting in timeline 164
navigating by 329
resizing 323, 324
resizing overlapping 325
splitting 174, 326
text in right-to-left languages 331
text-only 107
Selecting
hits 63
Send to playback (STP)
group clips 256
selecting a profile 381
sending a script sequence 384
Sequence pane
described 113
displaying 112
list of icons 534
Sequence Timeline
described 84
Sequences
adding markers 175
adding media from saved sequence 163
adding media to advanced 150
adding media to basic 148
associated in Instinct and NewsCutter NRCS 127
audio-only 128, 129
basic and advanced 116

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
creating 123
creating Interplay MAM 128
creating Interplay Production 124
editing 147
enabling audio tracks 162
horizontal and vertical 118
inserting dissolves 176
opening existing sequence 133
opening sequence associated with story 134
playing 191
recovering 131
saving 130
saving a copy 131
script sequences 127
simple and complex 195
splitting segments 174
stepping through 193
transcoding and mixing down 215
trimming clips 168
trimming segments 168
user settings 506
video-only 128
viewing in mobile app 427
viewing in mobile application 492
viewing in tablet app 459
viewing information 122
Settings menu option 34
Shortcuts
adding to Launch pane 42
keyboard 509
Sidebar, described 418, 450
Signing in 22
Signing out 22
Simple sequence
defined 195
Snapping
in the timeline 167
Solo
track in advanced sequence 230
track in asset or basic sequence 225
SOT column 150
SOT tracks
changing the default 231
described 228
swapping with NAT tracks 231
Speech-to-Text 89
Split edit 172

Index

Splitting
segments 326
Start timecode
modifying 178
Stories
Floating 100
grouping 96
Story
approving from iPad 468
approving from iPhone 435
caching 439, 472
creating 85
deleting 95
described 84
editing 90
inserting script templates 101
locking and unlocking 98
opening sequence 134
recovering 95, 110
right-to-left languages 88
saving from tablet app 431, 463
saving from tablet application 497
segments 86
text-only segments 107
timing 102
viewing offline 440, 473
Story Form
described 84
Strata
annotating 330, 332
creating segments with gaps 321, 322
deleting segments 328
described 309
exporting 340
locking 319
merge rules for segments 339
merging segments 327
resizing overlapping segments 325
resizing segments 323, 324
splitting segments 326
understanding 307

560

Index

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Tab key
in browser window 509
Tags
using for annotation 332
Tasks
adding and editing attachments 411
applying actions 409
delegating 408
editing data 410
understanding 399
Tasks pane
described 404
list of icons 535
working in 407
Templates, for scripts 101
Thumbnails pane 54, 72
Timecode
groups clips 248
modifying start 178
using to cue a frame 207
Timecode displays 206
Timing blocks
editing media into 141
extending segment into 142
manually adjusting 145
overview 137
showing and hiding 144
timing displays 138
Timing taglines 102
Training services 20
Transcode
clips and sequences 215
Transitions, dissolves 176
Trimming
advanced sequence 170
basic sequence 169
double-sided trim 172
segments in timeline 168
top or tail of a segment 171
Troubleshooting 20
TTML file
exporting closed captions 363

Understanding
associations 342
processes and tasks 399
strata 307
Undoing
in the Sequence pane 164
Unicode
support for marker text 304
Unlocking
story 98
Unrstanding
segmentation principles 315
Update Media Status command 195
User Settings 506

561

V
V column 150
Vertical sequence
selecting 118
Video dissolves 176
Video sequences
view from Android mobile application 492
view from mobile app 427
view from tablet app 459
Video-only sequences 128
Viewing
associations 346
Voice tracks
described 228
Voice-over
recording 236
Volume
setting 228

Z
Zoom bar, Media
described 210
with in-process clips 218
Zoom bar, Sequence
described 119

Avid

Technical Support (USA)

Product Information

75 Network Drive
Burlington, MA 01803-2756 USA

Visit the Online Support Center at
www.avid.com/support

For company and product information,
visit us on the web at www.avid.com

Source Exif Data:

File Type                       : PDF
File Type Extension             : pdf
MIME Type                       : application/pdf
PDF Version                     : 1.6
Linearized                      : No
Author                          : Avid
Create Date                     : 2015:06:25 16:49:02Z
Modify Date                     : 2015:12:08 17:20:12-05:00
Language                        : en
XMP Toolkit                     : Adobe XMP Core 5.2-c001 63.139439, 2010/09/27-13:37:26
Creator Tool                    : FrameMaker 11.0
Metadata Date                   : 2015:12:08 17:20:12-05:00
Format                          : application/pdf
Title                           : Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide
Creator                         : Avid
Producer                        : Acrobat Distiller 10.1.7 (Windows)
Document ID                     : uuid:9db7ba8f-0885-4f4d-8957-eb05141fd3e6
Instance ID                     : uuid:a0180a8b-a500-4e2f-9d5a-408bf3bbdf74
Page Mode                       : UseOutlines
Page Count                      : 562
Warning                         : [Minor] Ignored duplicate Info dictionary

EXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools

Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide Media Central 2.3 UG V2 3 EN

Navigation menu

Versions of this User Manual:

Views

Navigation