- Understanding User, Project, and Site Settings
- Creating and Selecting a User Profile
- Creating, Naming, and Modifying Settings
- Using Toolsets
- Linking Toolsets to Your Custom Settings
- Using Workspaces
- Mapping Buttons to the Keyboard and Interface
- Customizing Your Interface Display
- Saving and Backing Up Your Work
- Retrieving Autosaved Versions of Your Work
- Configuring Other User Settings
- Configuring Project Settings
- Configuring Site Settings
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Customizing Your Interface Display
Interface settings enable you to control the labels, tool tips, color, shading, and styles of Xpress Pro's buttons and window elements ( Figure 3.27 ).
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Figure 3.27 Xpress Pro includes six default Interface settings that you can use as templates for your own custom versions.
The Settings tab provides six default Interface setting options, but you can also create different color options for different tasksβa color scheme for editing, a color scheme for effects work, and so onβor even for your different moods, using the Appearance tab of the Interface settings dialog. Table 3.1 summarizes the options on the Appearance tab.
Table 3.1. Appearance Options
|
Background |
Sets the color for the general background of windows. |
|
Button |
Sets the color for buttons. |
|
Button Contents |
Sets the color for the graphic symbols that appear on top of buttons. |
|
Button Highlight |
Sets the color of buttons when you select them. |
|
Button Spotlight |
Sets the background color of buttons that appear when the cursor passes over them. |
|
Text |
Sets the color of text in windows, toolbars, and tool tips. |
|
Timeline Background |
Sets the colors of the Timeline's top and bottom toolbars. |
|
Timeline V Tracks |
Sets the color of all video clips edited into the Timeline. |
|
Timeline A Tracks |
Sets the color of all audio clips edited into the Timeline. |
|
Timeline TC Tracks |
Sets the color of timecode tracks in the Timeline. |
|
Project Background |
Sets the color of the Project window's background. |
|
Bin Default Background |
Sets the background color for newly created bins. |
|
Shading Style |
Sets the shading style for buttons and other shaded interface elements. The options are Convex, Dim Radial, Convex Radial, and Bright Radial. |
|
Shading Depth |
Sets the depth of the shading set. You can choose a depth in the range 5 to 50 percent. |
|
Monitor Button Separation |
Sets the amount of space between your buttons in the Tool palette, Composer, pop-up windows, and elsewhere. The choices are Maximum, Moderate, and None. If you choose None, there will be no spacing or vertical separator lines between buttons. |
|
Timeline Button Separation |
Sets the amount of space between buttons on the Timeline. The choices are Maximum, Moderate, and None. |
|
Button Style |
Sets the shape of buttons. The choices are Oval, Octagonal, Rounded, Square, Swoosh, and Antique. |
To customize the color of an interface element:
- On the Settings tab of the Project window, double-click an Interface setting. In the Interface dialog box, select the Appearance tab.
- Click the color box to the left of the element you want to change, to open the Xpress Pro color palette.
- Select a color from the color palette (
Figure 3.28
).
Figure 3.28 Click a rectangular color swatch on the left of the Appearance tab and pick a new color from the color swatch palette.
- Click Apply to preview the result. If you're satisfied, click OK. Xpress Pro applies the new color choice throughout the interface.
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TIPS
- To restore an interface object to its default color, deactivate its color swatch by removing the check mark that appears to the right of the color box. The interface object returns to its default color (
Figure 3.29
).
Figure 3.29 Unchecking the Text color option resets the Text color to Xpress Pro's default choice.
- To preview any combination of your color and style choices, click Apply. The styles of any open interface elements will be updated, and then you can continue to make further adjustments, with the settings window still open.
- If you select a background color without selecting a button color, buttons will use the background color.
- You can change the background color of an open bin without changing the background color of the entire interface. To do so, make sure the bin is active and then choose Edit > Set Bin Background.
- You can assign a color to an object in a bin by selecting the object and choosing Edit > Set Clip Color.
)
The Track Color Alternative
You can also set Timeline track colors from the Timeline Fast menu. First deselect any track color choices on the Appearance tab of your Interface settings ( Figure 3.30 ). You can now change the color of individual Timeline tracks by selecting one or more tracks, opening the Timeline Fast menu, choosing Track Color, and picking a color from the palette that appears.
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Figure 3.30 You can use the Timeline Fast menu to color-code your video tracks, but only if track color choices are not selected on the Appearance tab of the Interface window.