Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

PlasmaWipe effects are real-time plug-in effects that use gradient image
bitmaps to create wipes and segment effects. There are 64 preset effects,
and you can create your own by creating new gradient images.

While one of the wipe effects plays, the system maintains a value called a
threshold point and changes the value gradually from black to white. All
gray tones in the gradient image that are lighter than the threshold point are
replaced by outgoing video. All gray tones in the image that are darker
than the threshold point are replaced by incoming video. As the threshold
point gets closer to white, more of the incoming video appears. The result
is a smooth, custom wipe.

The following illustration shows the black and white gradient image used
by the Horiz Twirl PlasmaWipe effect and the resulting effect, with
softness applied. This effect gives the impression of a curling spiral that
reveals the image underneath.

Outgoing footage Image used by Horiz Twirl effect Incoming footage

Three sample frames using the Horiz Twirl effect as a transition effect.

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Installing PlasmaWipe Effects

The PlasmaWipe effects installer is available in the following locations:

• On Macintosh® systems, the installer is in the Other Installers folder
on the Avid editing application installation CD-ROM.
• On Windows® systems, the installer is available on the main installer
window for the Avid editing installation program.

You must enter a password to install the PlasmaWipe effects. You can
obtain a password when you register your Avid editing application at
Avid’s Web site: www.avid.com/register.

After you install the PlasmaWipe effects and restart your Avid editing
application, several PlasmaWipe effect categories appear in the Effect
Palette.

The installation program installs a file named PlasmaWipes.pdf (this

document) at the same level as the Avid editing application.
PlasmaWipes.pdf describes how to use and to create PlasmaWipe effects.

The installation program stores a PlasmaWipes folder in the

SupportingFiles folder of your Avid editing application. The following
shows the default locations for the folder for Avid Xpress® Pro:
• (Windows) drive:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress Pro\
SupportingFiles\PlasmaWipes
• (Macintosh) Macintosh HD/Applications/Avid Xpress Pro/
Supporting Files/PlasmaWipes

c (Macintosh only) If you create additional folders for your custom

PlasmaWipe effects, back them up before you run the PlasmaWipes
installer to replace or update the PlasmaWipes folder. The installer
deletes and replaces the entire PlasmaWipes folder.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

The following illustration shows the default PlasmaWipes folder structure.

There are parallel folders for NTSC (720x486) and PAL (720x576)
resolutions. When you create your own PlasmaWipe effects you create two
versions of each effect, one for each resolution.

Using PlasmaWipe Effects

PlasmaWipe effects are two stream, real-time effects that you can use as
either transition effects or segment effects. As transition effects,
PlasmaWipe effects allow you to create custom wipes. As segment effects,
you can use PlasmaWipe effects as static wipes. For example, you could
design a PlasmaWipe effect that gives the impression of fog on the top and
bottom of the video image or a custom border for an effect similar to a
picture-in-picture effect.

n For information on the effects in the Border category, see “Using

PlasmaWipe Frame and Border Effects” on page 19.

n Although PlasmaWipe effects are real-time, they are CPU-intensive effects

and might require rendering if you combine them with other effects or
multiple video streams.

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 To use a PlasmaWipe effect:
1. Apply the PlasmaWipe effect to a transition or segment.
2. Click the Effect mode button.
3. Adjust the parameters and add keyframes (as necessary) in the Effect
Editor.

The Level value corresponds to the black and white threshold. As you
increase the value, the threshold moves closer to white and reveals more
incoming video. The following illustration shows how the threshold point
changes as the effect plays.

Outgoing footage Image used by Horiz Twirl effect Incoming footage

Changes in the Level (threshold) value and corresponding changes in the gradient image.

Corresponding changes in the image.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

Creating PlasmaWipe Effects

This section describes three approaches that you can use to create an image
for a PlasmaWipe effect:
• Create a black and white gradient image in a graphics tool such as
Adobe Photoshop®.
• Modify an existing image to create a black and white gradient image.
• Create a wipe by drawing a wide brush stroke that changes smoothly
from black to white. You can use the Pencil tool in Photoshop to create
this type of image.

n The images in the PlasmaWipes folders are raw Photoshop images. You
can open the images in Photoshop to get some ideas for new effects.

The following sections describe how to create the gradient images used for
PlasmaWipe effects and the folder structure that you must use to ensure
that the Avid editing application recognizes your new effects.

n This document describes how to create gradient images using Adobe

Photoshop. However, you can use any graphic tool, such as
Jasc® Paint Shop™ Pro®, that allows you to create black and white
gradient images and save the image as a raw image file (with a .raw
extension).

n For information on the effects in the Border category, see “Using

PlasmaWipe Frame and Border Effects” on page 19.

Creating PAL and NTSC Versions of the Image

Because PAL and NTSC require different resolutions for graphic images
you must create two versions of your image as follows:
• A 720 x 576 pixel image for PAL
• A 720 x 486 pixel image for NTSC

It is better to start with a 720 x 576 image because it is the highest

resolution.

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Creating a PlasmaWipe from a Custom Image

This sample procedure uses Adobe Photoshop, but you can use any graphic
tool that creates black and white gradient images and allows you to save an
image as a raw image file.

To create a gradient image using Adobe Photoshop:

1. Create a new file with the following characteristics:
- Image size: 720 pixels (width) by 576 pixels (height)
- Resolution: 72 pixels/inch (you can use any resolution)
- Mode: Grayscale
2. Create a black and white graphic. For example, use the Gradient tool to
create a basic pattern with the following settings:
- Foreground: black
- Background: white
- Opacity: 100%
3. (Option) Use distortion filters such as Spherize, Twirl, or Ripple to
modify the image. The following illustration shows a gradient image
modified by two separate distortion operations.

Gradient image Distortion Swirl applied Distortion Ripple applied

4. (Option) Perform image operations to create different effects. For

example, you can copy different gradient images to separate layers and
experiment with blending the layers.

n For information on blending layers, see your Photoshop documentation.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

5. Save the image as a raw image file as described in “Saving the Image
for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

Creating a Wipe Using the Photoshop Pencil Tool

This procedure describes how to create a gradient image similar to the

images in the PlasmaWipes/Avid/Paint folder. The wipe effect simulates
uncovering the incoming video by wiping away the outgoing video with a
brush or cloth. The following illustration shows two examples. The darkest
part of the image is wiped away first.

Image used by Paint Strokes 1 Image used by Paint Strokes 4

This sample procedure uses Adobe Photoshop to create the gradient image.

To create a gradient image using the Pencil tool:

1. Select the lower color selection box in the Adobe Photoshop toolbox
and change the background to black.
2. Select the upper color selection box and change the foreground color
to white.
3. Create a new file with the following characteristics:
- Image size: 720 pixels (width) by 576 pixels (width)
- Resolution: 72 pixels/inch (you can use any resolution)
- Mode: Grayscale
- Contents: Background color
4. Select the Pencil tool. The pencil tool is useful for this method because
it creates hard edges.
5. Click Other Dynamics in the Brushes palette.

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 6. In the Opacity Jitter parameter area, click the Control pop-up menu
and select Fade.
7. Enter a high Step number in the Control text box (for example, 500).
This creates a pencil stroke that fades from white to black (foreground
to background color) in small increments.

n For Photoshop 6.0, select Color > Fade in the Brush Dynamics dialog box.

8. Click Brush Presets, and select a wide pencil shape, for example 100
pixels or higher.
You can also create a custom brush. For example, in Photoshop 7.0 you
can create a brush that rotates and changes size as you draw.
9. Close the Brushes palette.
10. Set Opacity to 100%.
11. Start anywhere in the image and draw back and forth across the image,
covering the entire image from top to bottom. This should create a
wide pencil mark that changes the color from white to black.
Draw the line as if you are painting the wipe backwards from white to
black. When the wipe plays, the darkest parts of the image are replaced
by incoming video first. For example, to create an effect similar to
Paint Strokes 4, start drawing in the upper left corner and draw
concentric rectangles until you reach the center. This wipe starts in the
center and spreads out in concentric rectangles. The image used for
Paint Strokes 2 creates a wipe effect with a crisscross pattern.

Image used by Paint Strokes 4 Image used by Paint Strokes 2

12. (Optional) Apply filters to the image to change the edges. For example,
select Distortion > Ripple to apply a Ripple effect.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

13. Save the image as a raw image file as described in “Saving the Image
for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

n When you resize the image for NTSC, select Nearest Neighbor in the
Resample Image menu. This maintains the sharp edges in the image.

Creating a PlasmaWipe Effect from an Existing Image

This sample procedure describes how to create a gradient image from an

existing image using Adobe Photoshop. You can use any graphic, but
images with rich texture often give the best results.

Image used by Falling Text Image used by Lava Flow 3

To create a gradient image from an existing image:

1. Open an existing graphics file.
2. Select Image > Image Size.
The Image Size dialog box appears.
3. Change the image size to 720 pixels x 576 pixels.
4. Deselect Constrain Proportions.
5. Click OK.
6. Select Image > Mode > Grayscale.
7. Select Image > Histogram and use the histogram to ensure that the
image uses the full range of gradient values. For more information on
using histograms, see “Tips for Working with Gradient Images” on
page 10.
8. Click OK.

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 9. Save the image as a raw image file as described in “Saving the Image
for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

Tips for Working with Gradient Images

The following tips apply to working with gradient images:

• Keep the graphic smooth without too many hard edges. This increases
the number of levels (gradients) and creates a smoother wipe.
• Do not use dithering or antialiasing because they might add artifacts to
the wipe. For example, when a graphics application performs
antialiasing, it smooths out the edge of a line by blending the colors
along the edge. These blended colors might force small portions of the
incoming or outgoing video to appear at inappropriate times.
• If you use Photoshop, use the histogram to view the gradient levels of
the image. This allows you to ensure that the image uses all the
available gradient values and that the effect plays smoothly.

To use the Adobe Photoshop histogram:

t Select Image > Histogram.

The Histogram shows the area of coverage as the wipe appears. The
following tips apply to using the histogram:
• The wider the range of gradient values (levels), the smoother the
resulting animation. For example, the following illustrations show two
histograms. The one with the wide range of gradient values will create
a smoother animation.

Image does not use all available Image uses all available gradient
gradient values. values.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

• A horizontally smooth histogram results in an animation that doesn’t

have abrupt changes. If the histogram has a wide vertical range, the
wipe might come in quickly then slow down. The following
illustrations show two histograms. The image with the peak creates an
animation that starts quickly, slows down as it gets to the middle of the
effect, and then speeds up again. The image with the smooth histogram
creates an animation with a constant speed.

Image does not use all available Image uses all available gradient
gradient values. values.

Depending on the effect you want to create, the image associated with
either type of histogram can create an acceptable animation as long as
it uses the full range of gradients.

n If you want to change the speed of the wipe, you can use keyframes to
control the Level parameter. You can also use the Acceleration parameter
in the Effect Editor to change the speed.

To use the histogram to change the image:

1. Select Image > Histogram to view the range of gradients (levels) used
by the image. For example, the following histogram shows that the
image does not use all of the available gradient values (the histogram
shows no gradient levels on the right side of the graph).

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 You can use a command like Equalize, Auto Levels, or Auto Contrast
to increase the range of gradient values.
2. Select Image > Adjustment > Equalize. The following illustration
shows the resulting histogram.

This histogram uses a wider range of gradients but has many gaps. In a
short wipe effect the gaps are not noticeable. In a long effect, the gaps
might create doubled frames in the animation. You can use a blur effect
to smooth out the range.
3. Select Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and enter a value of 2.0. The
following illustration shows the resulting histogram.

This image creates a smooth wipe effect.

You often need to use a combination of blur effects and level or contrast
changes to create a smooth histogram that uses the full range of gradients.

Testing the Animation

You can use the following procedure to preview the animation that the
system performs on your graphic. This example uses the Horiz Twirl image
from the PlasmaWipes folder.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

To test an animation:
1. Select Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast.
The Brightness/Contrast dialog box appears. The following illustration
shows the image and the Brightness/Contrast dialog box.

2. Move the Contrast slider all the way to the right to view the animation
with hard edges.

3. To view the animation with some softness applied, move the Contrast
slider to the left to select a lower Contrast number.

4. Move the Brightness slider from left (-100) to right (+100) to view the
animation. The following images show three stages of the animation.

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 To adjust the image in increments of 10, click the Brightness slider and use
Shift+Up Arrow or Shift+Down Arrow.

n You can also use Image > Adjustments > Threshold to view the animation
with hard edges.

Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC

This sample procedure assumes that you created a PAL version of the
image (720 x 576 pixels) using the steps described in “Creating a
PlasmaWipe from a Custom Image” on page 6.

To save a gradient image:

1. Make a backup copy of the image.
2. If the image has multiple layers, flatten the image.
3. Select File > Save As.
The Save As dialog box appears.
4. Name the file, and select Raw(*.RAW) from the Format menu.
The system saves the file as a raw Photoshop image with a .raw
extension. This is the 720 x 576 (PAL) version of the image.

n The name you choose for the image will become the name of the effect that
appears in the Effect Palette. Make sure you use exactly the same name for
the PAL and NTSC versions of the file.

5. Use the following steps to save an NTSC version of the image.

a. Select Image > Image Size.
b. In the Height text box, change the image height to 486 pixels.
Keep the image width at 720 pixels.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

c. Deselect Constrain Proportions.

d. Select Resample Image and select Bicubic from the Resample
Image menu.

n If the image has hard edges, select Nearest Neighbor from the Resample
Image menu. This avoids extra blending. If you have smooth edges, select
Bicubic.

e. Click OK.
f. Select File > Save As.
The Save As dialog box appears.
g. Name the file as described in Step 4.
6. Store the two images in the PlasmaWipes folder structure. See
“Storing Images in the PlasmaWipes Folder Structure” on page 15.

n You can create actions in Adobe Photoshop to automate these save

operations. For more information, see the Adobe Photoshop
documentation.

n For information on how the name you give to a PlasmaWipe effect affects
the default values, see “Default Values for PlasmaWipe Effects” on
page 22.

Storing Images in the PlasmaWipes Folder Structure

You now have an NTSC and a PAL version of your new PlasmaWipe
images. In order for the Avid editing application to recognize the files, you
must store them in the correct folders.

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 The following illustration shows the default PlasmaWipes folder structure.
The PlasmaWipes folder is located in the SupportingFiles folder of your
Avid editing application.

To store your Plasma Wipe image files:

1. Give your image files unique names so that you can recognize the files
if you copy them to another system.

n The name you choose will become the name that appears for the effect in
the Effect Palette.

2. Create new folders to organize your new effects. Create identical

folders within the 720x486 folder and the 720x576 folder.
Do not store your files in the Avid folders because the folder may be
overwritten when you update your Avid software. Create folders
within the 720x486 folder and the 720x576 folder at the same level as
the Avid folder. You can use any number of nesting levels for your
folders in order to organize your effects. The system displays the full
path as part of the name in the effect category. The following
illustration shows the Effect Palette with the full default path in the
effect category.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

3. Copy your images to the new folders. Make sure the images have
identical names in the 720x486 folder and the 720x576 folder.
4. Restart your Avid application.
Your new effects appear in the Effect Palette.

n If you move sequences that use your new wipes to another system, you must
copy the wipes to that other system. You must maintain the same folder
structure on each system that uses your effects.

c (Macintosh only) If you create additional folders for your own custom
PlasmaWipe effects, back them up before you run the PlasmaWipes
installer to replace or update the PlasmaWipes folder. The installer
deletes and replaces the entire PlasmaWipes folder.

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Tips for Adjusting an Existing PlasmaWipe Effect While the Application is Running

If you add new effects you must restart the Avid editing application in
order to see the effects in the Effect Palette. However, you can use the
following procedure to adjust a PlasmaWipe effect that you have
previously created. This helps when testing changes to one of your effects.

To adjust an existing effect while the application is running:

1. Edit the older version of the effect into a sequence.
2. Locate the PlasmaWipes folder and replace the old effect with the new
effect in the appropriate folder.
3. In the Timeline bottom toolbar, click the Video Quality menu button
and select a lower video quality.
4. Click the effect icon in the Timeline and move the position indicator to
update the effect in the Timeline.
5. Click the Video Quality menu button and select a higher video quality.
The system replaces the effect with the new version.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

Using PlasmaWipe Frame and Border Effects

PlasmaWipe frame and border effects allow you to add a variety of edge
treatments to a clip. The following illustrations show several examples.

Stone Frame Medium effect Stone Frame Large effect applied to a

PIP effect, resized, and repositioned

Image with no effects Soft Sky effect

Soft Window effect used as PIP Soft Window used to darken edges

Frame and border effects are in the PlasmaWipe Avid Borders category of
the Effect Palette. There are two groups of these effects:
• Border effects allow you to darken the edges and corners of an image
or give a tint or shadow to the sky as though the image was shot
through a lens filter. For example, the image with no effect in the

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 previous illustration shows a slight darkening of the corners created
during the original filming of the clip. The bottom right image uses
Soft Window to accentuate this effect. Border effects include the
following:
- Round Border
- Soft Sky
- Soft Window
- Square Border
• Frame effects allow for textured, colored frames. These effects have
the word Frame in their name. There are three versions of each:
- Large: places a frame around the entire image. These effects are
intended for use with DVE effects such as picture-in-picture (PIP)
effects.
- Medium and Small: remain centered in the image and cannot be
resized or repositioned.

n You can achieve effects similar to frame effects if you import a Matte key
created in an application such as Photoshop. Frame effects have the added
benefit of allowing you to adjust the frame color within the Avid editing
application.

Applying and Adjusting Frame and Border Effects

Frame effects are segment effects. Border effects like Soft Sky can be used
as either segment effects or transition effects but are intended as segment
effects.

n For information on how the system identifies a frame effect from other
PlasmaWipe effects, see “Default Values for PlasmaWipe Effects” on
page 22.

To apply a frame effect or border effect:

t Click the effect icon in the Effect Palette, drag it to the segment in the
Timeline, and release the mouse button.

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

To Apply a frame or border effect to an existing DVE such as a PIP

effect:
1. Apply the PIP effect to a clip in the Timeline.
2. Double-click the effect’s icon in the Timeline.
The system steps into the effect and displays the nested tracks.
3. Drag the frame or border effect onto the upper track in the nested
effect. For example, the following illustration shows the Stone Frame
Large effect applied to the 1.2 track.

4. Double-click the PIP effect icon again to step out of the nested effect.
5. Adjust the parameters for the PIP effect.

n The Frame Large effects are designed to be used with DVEs such as the
PIP effects.

To adjust a frame effect or border effect:

n If the effect is part of a nested effect, step into the effect to modify the frame
effect or the border effect.

1. For Frame effects, adjust the Border and Blend color to change the
color of the frame. The color modifies the effect as follows:
- Border adjusts the base color of the frame.
- Blend Color adjusts the highlight color.
2. Adjust the Soft (softness) and Foreground Level parameters as needed.

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 If you want to adjust a border effect to darken the edges of an image,
use the Foreground Level parameter to expand the border to the edges
of the image. Then modify the border using the Soft, Border color, and
Border Blend parameters.

n You usually do not want to keyframe the Foreground Level parameter on a

frame effect. The source graphics for PlasmaWipe frame effects have a
sharp transition between black and white values and you might find that
the change from foreground to background video happens too quickly.

Default Values for PlasmaWipe Effects

Frame effects have different default values from the rest of the
PlasmaWipes effects. This is because frame effects usually have crisp
edges between the video and the frame graphic. Other PlasmaWipe effects
often blend video clips together and those effects can benefit from some
amount of softness.

In order to determine which default values to use, the PlasmaWipes

software looks for the words border and frame in the pathname to the
effect source graphic. If both words appear in the path, the software applies
the frame effect defaults (and only allows the effect to be used as a segment
effect). Otherwise the software applies the defaults used for all other
PlasmaWipes. For example, the following two effects use the frame effect
defaults:
• PlasmaWipes/720x486/Avid/Borders/Stone Frame Large
• PlasmaWipes/720x486/MyEffects/MyFrames/Large Stone Border

The following table shows the default parameters for PlasmaWipes effects.

Parameter Default Values for Default Values for all other

Name Frame Effects PlasmaWipe Effects

Border

• Hue 0 0

• Sat 0 0

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Parameter Default Values for Default Values for all other

Name Frame Effects PlasmaWipe Effects

• Lum 63 255

Blend Color

• Hue 0 0

• Sat 0 0

• Lum 255 255

• Width 63 0

• Softness 0 32

Level 50 50

Creating Custom Border and Frame Effects

For border effects such as Soft Sky or Square Window, you can use the
same techniques as described in “Creating PlasmaWipe Effects” on page 5.

Frame effects have the following unique requirements:

• Use an image with a 4:3 aspect ratio to create the frame graphic. For
example, start with a 720x540 pixel image. After you create the frame
graphic, save it as the correct size for PAL or NTSC as described in
“Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.
• For best results, keep distinct boundaries between the black, white, and
gray portions of your image. Do not blend between black and gray or
between white and gray areas. For example, the following illustration
shows the image for the Stone Frame Small effect.

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 Foreground video displays through the black area and background
video displays through the white area. If you allow the gray area to
blend with the black, portions of the frame might appear within the
background video area and portions of the foreground video might
appear within the frame.
A histogram for a frame graphic differs from a histogram from other
types of PlasmaWipe effects. The following illustration shows the
Photoshop histogram for the Stone Frame Small image.

Because a frame graphic does not create an animation, the histogram

does not need to contain a wide range of gradient values. In fact, there
will be large portions of the image that are completely black or white.

To create a custom frame graphic:

1. Create a new file with the following characteristics:
- Image size: 720 pixels (width) by 540 pixels (height)
- Resolution: 72 pixels/inch (you can use any resolution)
- Mode: Grayscale

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 Working with PlasmaWipe Effects

n The 720x540 size ensures that the original image will have a 4:3 aspect
ratio.This allows you to create a frame that fits correctly within the video
image.

2. Display the Photoshop grid to allow for precise placement of the frame
and interior area. Use a grid size of one gridline every 36 pixels.
3. Create a frame graphic using the grid lines as a guide.
4. Modify the grayscale image and apply filter effects as necessary.
5. Color the inside of the frame black.
6. If you want background video to appear around the frame, color that
area white.
7. Flatten the image to remove extra layers.
8. Make a copy of the image.
9. Save one copy as 720x482 (PAL) and another as 720x576 (NTSC) as
described in “Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC” on page 14.

n Select the Nearest Neighbor option to avoid blending between the black,
white, and gray areas of the image.

To create a frame graphic from an existing image:

1. Open an existing image, such as a graphic of a stone slab, piece of
wood, or wooden frame.
2. Select Image > Image Size.
The Image Size dialog box appears.
3. Change the image size to 720 pixels x 540 pixels.
4. Deselect Constrain Proportions.
5. Click OK.
6. Select Image > Mode > Grayscale.
7. Turn on the Photoshop grid to allow for precise placement of the frame
and interior area. Use a grid size of one gridline every 36 pixels.
8. Modify the grayscale image and apply filter effects as necessary.
9. Color the inside of the frame black.

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 10. If you want background video to appear around the frame, color that
area white.
11. Flatten the image to remove extra layers.
12. Make a copy of the image.
13. Save one copy as 720x482 (for NTSC) and another as 720x576 (for
PAL) as described in “Saving the Image for PAL and NTSC” on
page 14.

n Select the Nearest Neighbor option to avoid blending between the black,
white, and gray areas of the image.

Copyright © 2003 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Avid and Avid Xpress are registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc.

Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in
the United States and/or other countries. Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer,
Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Paint Shop and Paint Shop Pro are either trademarks or
registered trademarks of Jasc Software, Inc. Windows is 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.

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