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The previous page introduced the features, requirements, and installation of the video editing software with captioning capabilities, Windows Media On-Demand Producer (WMODP).

This page will overview the interface and some techniques for using Windows Media On-Demand Producer including:

• Opening a New Project.
• Loading and Viewing a File.
• Playback Toolbar.
• Timeline.
• Audiometer.
• Fading.

Opening a New Project

When the Windows Media On-Demand Producer (WMODP) software is started, a new project is automatically created to provide organization for your files and software settings.

To open a new project:

1. Start the Windows Media On-Demand Producer software by two options:
   • Select the 'On-Demand Producer' icon on your desktop.
   • Or, go to the 'Start' menu and select the 'Windows Media Producer' item.
2. A 'Windows Media On-Demand Producer' project is automatically created and opens in a new window.

However, this project window cannot be resized to fill the entire screen; trying to maximize it will only toggle between the two modes of the window:

'Simple View' Mode

When the Windows Media On-Demand Producer software is started, the new project window is in 'simple view'. This view hides the timeline, captioning markers, and individual frames; it is best used with a computer that has difficulty in playing back video and frame information simultaneously (see Image 1) .

'Full View' Mode

The project window can also be shown in 'full view'; this view displays the timeline, captioning markers, and individual frames (see Image 2) .

To switch project window modes:

1. Go to the 'View' menu.
2. Select 'full' or 'simple.' For this example, select 'full view' mode.

Loading and Viewing a File

The Windows Media On-Demand Producer (WMODP) has a loading process similar to that used in other software.

To load a file:

1. Go to the 'File' menu and select 'Open/Add.'
2. Browse to and select the desired audio or video file.
3. Select the 'Open' button to load the file into the project window.

Once loaded into the project window, the video file displays in the left half of the window and three tabs ('General', 'Summary', and 'Process') containing file information are presented in the right half of the window (see Image 3).

To view information on a loaded file, choose:

• 'General' tab for a quick look at the file type, size, and length; the format and attributes of its audio and video are also listed.
• 'Summary' tab to edit authoring information, such as title, author, copyright, description and rating.
• 'Process' tab to adjust brightness and audio processing by selecting the relevant checkbox and moving some sliders. There is also a checkbox which can add key frames (see Image 4) .
  
  

  Image 4: Adjust brightness of video in the 'Process' tab
  
  

What is a key frame?

Most video compression algorithms record only the "differences" between individual frames, instead of the whole frame. This is because many frames (or scenes) contain very little movement, keeping the background relatively still; so, there is no reason to redraw the frame. However, over time and because of other compression techniques, deterioration occurs; making it a good idea to completely redraw the scene. In conjunction, Windows Media On-Demand Producer features the ability to indicate the beginning of a sequence of scenes such as a fight or a topic in a lecture by inserting markers; these markers allow the user to skip to designated points of interest or focus in the video. Adding key frames will redraw the scene every time a new marker is indicated. This will add a little to the file size, but in general does not effect the download time of the file relative to its overall size.

To add key frames:

1. Select the 'Process' tab in the left half of the project window.
2. Select the checkbox stating 'Place key frames at markers.'

Playback Toolbar

Image 5: Playback toolbar in Windows Media On-Demand Producer

The playback toolbar is located in the bottom-left of the project window and has a total of nine buttons. Starting from the left, the buttons are:

• Play,
• Stop,
• Beginning (of video),
• Rewind,
• Forward,
• End (of video),
• Mark in,
• Mark out, and
• A toggle button to switch between 'full view' and 'simple view.'

Some important aspects about the buttons on the playback toolbar include:

• All buttons except for 'stop' are active once a video is loaded.
  
  Note: The stop button only becomes active when the video is currently being played.
• The 'beginning' and 'end' buttons will jump respectively to the first and last points of the video.
• The 'rewind' and 'forward' buttons will jump respectively to previous or future points of the video in large time chunks (usually one-quarter of the total video).
• The 'mark in' and 'mark out' buttons are denoted by the two yellow triangles in the timeline and allow adjusting the amount of video you are currently working with. Most often these buttons are used to manage a large video by allowing smaller chunks to be edited.

To mark a portion of the video for editing, there are two options:

1. In the playback toolbar:
   1. Select 'play.'
   2. Select 'mark in' button to set the start of the video segment to be edited.
   3. Select 'mark out' button to set the end of the video segment to be edited.
       
2. Or to mark a portion of the video in the timeline:
   1. Drag yellow triangle left to set the start of the video segment to be edited.
   2. Drag yellow triangle right to set the end of the video segment to be edited.

There are also two time meters to the right of the playback toolbar, in the bottom-right of the project window. The first meter indicates the current time in the video and the second meter indicates the total time.
 

Timeline

Image 6: Timeline in Windows Media On-Demand Producer

The timeline (see Image 6) is where you set markers and commands; notice the two buttons labeled 'M' in the lower left section of the timeline. It is also the place where you can see what is currently going on; you can select the exact time for when an operation should occur by dragging the mouse left and right in the timeline.

Like most other video editing software, Windows Media On-Demand Producer offers an option of setting the level of detail on which you can view the timeline.

To change the zoom level when viewing the timeline, there are two options:

1. Go to the magnifying glasses in the lower right section of the timeline:
   1. Select small magnifying glass to 'zoom out' for viewing larger chunks of media.
   2. Select large magnifying glass to 'zoom in' for viewing more precise time scale.
       
2. Or to change the zoom level, right-click in the timeline:
   1. Select 'zoom in' to view a more precise time scale.
   2. Select 'zoom out' to view larger chunks of media.

Audio Meter

Image 7: Audio meter in Windows Media On-Demand Producer

The audio meter indicates the level of sound in decibels. When audio is playing with too much strength, it becomes distorted and crackles. If an audio track contains the crackles, nothing can be done; the crackles are part of the audio track. But, if the audio is too soft (not loud enough), you can adjust the audio processing under the 'Process' tab.

Fading

The red triangle-wedges located in the far left and right of the timeline can be moved to accomplish "fading in" or" fading out" of the video or audio.

"Fading in" means taking the video from solid black to normal brightness over a given period of time. Or in the case with audio, starting from silence to a normal level of sound.

To fade in:

1. Select a red triangle wedge in the far left of the timeline. The upper wedge affects the video and the lower wedge affects the audio.
2. Move the triangle to the right to the point that you want the fade in to end (see Image 8).
   
   

   Image 8: "Fading in" the video
   
   

"Fading out" means starting the video at normal brightness and going to solid black over a given period of time. Or in the case with audio, lowering from the normal level of sound to silence.

To fade out:

1. Select a red triangle wedge in the far right of the timeline. The upper wedge affects the video and the lower wedge affects the audio.
2. Move the triangle to the left to the point that you want the fade out to start (see Image 9) .
   
   

   Image 9: "Fading out" the video
   
   

The next page discusses using commands and markers to caption video in Windows Media On-Demand Producer (WMODP).

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Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education (GRADE)
Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA)
Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) College of Architecture (COA)
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Accessibility User Agreement
Developed in collaboration with IDET Communication (IDET).
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