HitFilm Pro

9 — Last update: 2018/08/10

FXHOME

Copyright © 2018 FXHOME

Table of Contents
1. Learning HitFilm ..................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1. What’s New ..................................................................................................................................... 6
1.2. Installation & Activation ................................................................................................................... 7

2. HitFilm Express Add-On Packs.............................................................................................................. 9

3. A Note for Mac Users ........................................................................................................................... 13

4. The HitFilm Workflow ........................................................................................................................... 15

4.1. Getting Started .............................................................................................................................. 17
4.2. Options ......................................................................................................................................... 18
4.3. Starting A Project .......................................................................................................................... 25
4.4. The Interface................................................................................................................................. 31
4.4.1. The Panels ........................................................................................................................... 35
4.5. Saving & Loading Projects ............................................................................................................ 39
4.6. Saving Composite Shots ............................................................................................................... 42
4.7. Introducing the Media Panel .......................................................................................................... 43
4.8. Introducing the Two Timelines....................................................................................................... 45
4.9. Introducing the Viewer................................................................................................................... 48
4.10. Introducing the Controls Panel .................................................................................................... 57
4.11. Introducing the Layout Panel ....................................................................................................... 61
4.12. Introducing Scopes...................................................................................................................... 65
4.13. History & Undo/Redo................................................................................................................... 73
4.14. Pre-Rendering............................................................................................................................. 75
4.15. Exporting..................................................................................................................................... 77
4.15.1. Export Formats ................................................................................................................... 84
4.16. OpenFX....................................................................................................................................... 93
4.17. Ignite Pro: HitFilm Plugins ........................................................................................................... 94
4.18. Keyboard Shortcuts ..................................................................................................................... 95

5. Editing ................................................................................................................................................... 99
5.1. Importing Files ............................................................................................................................ 101
5.1.1. Supported Formats ............................................................................................................. 103
5.1.2. Relinking Offline Files ......................................................................................................... 105
5.1.3. Replacing Media ................................................................................................................. 108
5.2. Organizing Media ........................................................................................................................ 109
5.3. Audio and Video Sync ................................................................................................................. 111
5.4. Media Properties ......................................................................................................................... 113
 5.5. Trimming Assets ......................................................................................................................... 115
5.6. Adding Clips to the Timeline........................................................................................................ 118
5.7. Audio and Video Tracks .............................................................................................................. 120
5.8. Using the Editor Timeline ............................................................................................................ 124
5.9. Refining Your Edit ....................................................................................................................... 127
5.10. Basic Compositing with Clips..................................................................................................... 137
5.11. Working with Audio.................................................................................................................... 141
5.12. Effects and Transitions .............................................................................................................. 149
5.12.1. Transition Details .............................................................................................................. 152
5.12.2. Audio Effects..................................................................................................................... 154
5.13. Using Composite Shots In The Editor ........................................................................................ 159

6. Compositing ....................................................................................................................................... 162

6.1. Creating Composite Shots........................................................................................................... 163
6.2. Using the Composite Shot Timeline............................................................................................. 166
6.3. Managing Composite Shots......................................................................................................... 169
6.4. Embedding Composite Shots ...................................................................................................... 170
6.5. The Render Pipeline.................................................................................................................... 172
6.6. Creating Layers........................................................................................................................... 174
6.7. Working With Layers ................................................................................................................... 176
6.8. Creating and Using Planes .......................................................................................................... 181
6.9. Grade Layers .............................................................................................................................. 183
6.10. Transforming Layers ................................................................................................................. 184
6.10.1. Animation.......................................................................................................................... 187
6.10.1.1. Animating With Keyframes ........................................................................................ 191
6.10.1.2. The Value Graph ...................................................................................................... 196
6.10.1.3. Spatial Animation in the Viewer ................................................................................ 199
6.11. Using Point Layers .................................................................................................................... 201
6.12. Motion Blur................................................................................................................................ 202
6.13. Compositing With Blend Modes ................................................................................................. 203
6.14. The Layer Viewer ...................................................................................................................... 206
6.15. Masking .................................................................................................................................... 207
6.16. Tracking .................................................................................................................................... 212
6.16.1. Planar Tracking with Mocha HitFilm .................................................................................. 218
6.16.2. Importing 3D Camera Tracking Data ................................................................................. 220
6.17. Working in 3D ........................................................................................................................... 221
6.17.1. Transforming Layers in 3D ................................................................................................ 226
6.17.2. Lighting a 3D Scene.......................................................................................................... 228
6.17.3. Layer Materials ................................................................................................................. 232
 6.17.4. Virtual Cameras ................................................................................................................ 235
6.17.5. Distance-Based Fog.......................................................................................................... 237
6.17.6. Working with Depth Maps ................................................................................................. 238
6.18. Creating Text & Titles................................................................................................................ 239
6.19. Importing 3D Objects................................................................................................................. 246
6.19.1. Animation Groups ............................................................................................................. 248
6.19.2. Setting Up Materials.......................................................................................................... 249
6.19.3. Advanced Properties ......................................................................................................... 269
6.19.4. 3D Objects on the Timeline ............................................................................................... 271
6.19.5. Alembic Animation ............................................................................................................ 276

7. Visual Effects...................................................................................................................................... 278

7.1. 360° Video .................................................................................................................................. 282
7.2. Audio .......................................................................................................................................... 290
7.3. Behaviors .................................................................................................................................... 296
7.4. Blurs ........................................................................................................................................... 300
7.5. Channel ...................................................................................................................................... 311
7.6. Color Correction .......................................................................................................................... 320
7.7. Color Grading.............................................................................................................................. 345
7.8. Depth .......................................................................................................................................... 362
7.9. Distort ......................................................................................................................................... 364
7.10. Generate ................................................................................................................................... 381
7.10.1. Animated Lasers ............................................................................................................... 396
7.10.2. Dimension Rift .................................................................................................................. 398
7.10.3. Hyperdrive ........................................................................................................................ 401
7.10.4. LightSword........................................................................................................................ 402
7.11. Geometry .................................................................................................................................. 408
7.12. Gradients & Fills........................................................................................................................ 410
7.13. Grunge ...................................................................................................................................... 413
7.14. Keying ....................................................................................................................................... 420
7.14.1. Chroma key ...................................................................................................................... 422
7.14.2. Matte enhancement .......................................................................................................... 425
7.15. Lights & Flares .......................................................................................................................... 427
7.16. Particles & Simulation ............................................................................................................... 435
7.16.1. Atomic Particles ................................................................................................................ 436
7.16.2. Blood Spray ...................................................................................................................... 454
7.16.3. Fire ................................................................................................................................... 456
7.16.4. Gunfire.............................................................................................................................. 458
7.16.5. Lightning & Electricity........................................................................................................ 460
 7.16.6. Particle Simulator.............................................................................................................. 462
7.16.6.1. Particle Textures....................................................................................................... 465
7.16.6.2. Lifetime Panel ........................................................................................................... 467
7.16.6.3. Emitters .................................................................................................................... 470
7.16.6.4. Particle Systems ....................................................................................................... 472
7.16.6.5. Mobile Emitters ......................................................................................................... 474
7.16.6.6. Deflectors ................................................................................................................. 476
7.16.6.7. Forces ...................................................................................................................... 478
7.16.6.8. Material .................................................................................................................... 480
7.16.7. Rain On Glass................................................................................................................... 481
7.16.8. Shatter .............................................................................................................................. 483
7.17. Quick 3D ................................................................................................................................... 486
7.17.1. Bonfire .............................................................................................................................. 487
7.17.2. Falling Debris.................................................................................................................... 489
7.17.3. Fire Explosion ................................................................................................................... 490
7.17.4. Fluffy Cloud ...................................................................................................................... 491
7.17.5. Missile Smoke................................................................................................................... 492
7.17.6. Rain .................................................................................................................................. 493
7.17.7. Sci-Fi Shockwave ............................................................................................................. 494
7.17.8. Smoke .............................................................................................................................. 495
7.17.9. Sparks .............................................................................................................................. 496
7.17.10. Storm Cloud .................................................................................................................... 497
7.18. Scene........................................................................................................................................ 498
7.19. Sharpen .................................................................................................................................... 500
7.20. Stylize ....................................................................................................................................... 502
7.21. Temporal................................................................................................................................... 509
7.22. Video Clean-up ......................................................................................................................... 512
7.22.1. Denoise ............................................................................................................................ 517
7.23. Warp ......................................................................................................................................... 520
7.23.1. Action Cam Lens Distort ................................................................................................... 525
7.24. Presets...................................................................................................................................... 533

8. Licensing Details ................................................................................................................................ 535

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1. Learning HitFilm
Thank you for using HitFilm. We are sure you are going to benefit from this unique combination of video
editor and compositor. There are many resources available for learning how to use the software, including
this written user guide, extensive video tutorials, sample projects, and a helpful community forum.

Both HitFilm Pro and HitFilm Express are covered in this manual.

HitFilm Pro

HitFilm Pro is our flagship product, and includes every feature and tool we have developed for HitFilm.
Everything discussed in this manual applies to HitFilm Pro, and all features and tools discussed are
immediately available in HitFilm Pro.

HitFilm Express

HitFilm Express is our free product. It includes all the features required for editing and basic compositing
and effects creation, but lacks some of the more advanced features available in the Pro version.

The User Guide

This manual provides an overview of all of HitFilm’s features. It is a convenient way to look up details about
any specific tool or function of the software.

* This user guide is for both HitFilm Pro and HitFilm Express. Some features will only be
available in HitFilm Express if you purchase optional add-on packs which contain those
features. Any features which require purchase of add-ons will be tagged with this label:

Video Tutorials
The HitFilm YouTube channel releases a new video every week. You’ll find over 50 hours of video tutorials,
all available for free. When possible, project files are included with the tutorials, so you can follow along.
Check out the show over on our YouTube channel.

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If you’re completely new to HitFilm or filmmaking we highly recommend watching our The Basics video
playlist. Watch them now.

The HitFilm.com Community

The HitFilm.com community is always ready to help out with tips and techniques. Head over to the forum to
see what’s going on and ask questions.

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1.1. What’s New

Each update to HitFilm brings a combination of performance improvements and new or upgraded tools.
Since version 8, HitFilm Pro and HitFilm Express are on parity, so the updates apply to both versions. For a
detailed overview of what has changed in each update, please see the Update History pages of our website:

HitFilm Pro Update History

HitFilm Express Update History

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1.2. Installation & Activation

The latest version of HitFilm can always be downloaded from HitFilm.com. If you’re trying the demo, you can
find it here. If you’ve already purchased, you can download it from your account.

System Requirements
In order for HitFilm to run properly, it is necessary that it be installed on a system which meets or exceeds
the following requirements.

• Operating System: 64-bit version of Windows 8 or Windows 10; OS X 10.11 El Capitan, MacOS
10.12 Sierra, or MacOS 10.13 High Sierra
• Storage: 1.2 GB free hard disk space for installation
• Processor: Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Intel Xeon (Nehalem) or AMD equivalent
• RAM: 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended)
• Graphics Processor: Graphics processor with at least 1 GB video memory.
2GB or more video memory recommended for 4K UHD.
Earliest graphics cards HitFilm supports: NVIDIA GeForce 400 Series (2010) AMD Radeon HD 6000
Series (2010) Intel HD Graphics 4000 (GT2) (2012)
• Graphics Card Drivers: It is very important to have up-to-date drivers for your graphics card when
using HitFilm.
For Mac users, the drivers are built into the OS and do not need to be updated separately.
For Windows users, it is recommended that you regularly check the website of your graphics card
manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel) for their latest drivers each month. The update built into
Windows does not always report all updates, so it is recommended that you visit the manufacturer’s
site rather than rely on the Windows update for your drivers.
• Internet: Internet connection required for online activation and web services. Offline activation is
possible as well, but web services will be absent from the software.

Demo Mode
After installation, HitFilm will start in demo mode. You can try out all the features and save projects, but you
will not be able to export until you activate the software using your serial code. Third party plugins are not
supported in the demo, so features such as Boris 3D Objects and Mocha HitFilm are not included in the
demo. You can download demos of third party products from their manufacturers.

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Activating
If you have purchased HitFilm Pro you can activate it immediately to use all of its features. For HitFilm
Express, anyone can register for a free serial code to activate the software.

When you start the software, choose Activate from the welcome screen.

Follow the on-screen instructions to activate your software. Your serial code will be registered to your
account at http://fxhome.com/account, so if it’s the first time you have activated the software, you can find
the serial code there.

You can also activate by going to the File menu, choosing Options and then selecting the Activation tab.

Installing on Another Computer

HitFilm Express and add-ons can be activated on a single computer at a time. The HitFilm Pro license
allows up to 3 concurrent activations. For both versions, you can manage your activations in your online
account.

If you exceed your number of activations your earliest activation will be deactivated and return to demo
mode.

You can transfer to a new machine and reinstall as many times as you want, so there’s no need to worry
about losing your purchased software. it is permanently stored in your online account, so you can access it
any time, from any location, as often and as many times as you need to.

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2. HitFilm Express Add-On Packs

Both HitFilm Pro and HitFilm Express are covered in this manual.

HitFilm Pro

HitFilm Pro is our flagship product, and includes every feature and tool we have developed for HitFilm.
Everything discussed in this manual applies to HitFilm Pro, and all features and tools discussed are
immediately available in HitFilm Pro.

HitFilm Express

HitFilm Express is our free product. It includes all the features required for editing and basic compositing
and effects creation, but lacks some of the more advanced features available in the Pro version.

Add-on Packs
For users who don’t require everything included in the Pro version, but who would benefit from adding just a
few of those features to their Express software, we offer a wide range of HitFilm Express Add-on packs for
purchase. All effects included in Add-On Packs can be tested in the free software.

Throughout this manual, the green Express Add-On icon seen above will identify all features which can be
activated in HitFilm Express by purchasing an Add-On pack.

The available add-on packs are as follows:

360° Video

360°: Toolkit Pack 360°: Neon Lights Pack 360°: VFX Pack
360° Blur 360° Animated Lasers 360° Bulge
360° Channel Blur 360° Lightsword (2-Point Auto) 360° Fractal Noise
360° Fisheye Converter 360° Lightsword (4-Point Manual) 360° Glow
360° Unsharpen 360° Lightsword (Glow Only) 360° Glow Darks
360° Text 360° Neon Path 360° Magnify
360° View Panel 360° View Panel 360° Twirl
360° View Panel

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3D

3D: Gunfire Pack 3D: Generate Pack 3D: Model Render Pack 3D: Particles Pack
Gunfire (3D) Extrude 3D Model Import Particle Simulator (3D)
Bend HDR Import
Bevel Wireframe
Rotate 16-Bit Color Support

3rd Party Tools

Boris 3D Objects Pack Mocha HitFilm Pack*

Boris 3D Objects Mocha HitFilm

Color

Color: Starter Color: Cine Color: Correction Color: Looks Color: LUT Color: Scopes
Pack Pack Pack Pack Pack Pack
YUV Color
Exposure Cine Style Bleach Bypass LUT Histogram
Correction
Classic Cine YUV Color Grading
Vibrance Duo Tone Parade
Style Transform Transfer
Shadows & Color Correction
Leave Color Vectorscope
Highlights Wheels
Channel Time
Custom Gray 16-Bit Color Support Waveform
Shift
Color Phase Color Vibrance Scopes Panel
16-Bit Color
Channel Mixer Channel Blur
Support
16-Bit Color
Support

Compositing

Composite: Toolkit Pack Composite: Pro Keying Pack

Wire Removal Chroma Key
Projector
Clone

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Channel Swapper

Editing

Edit: Starter Pack Edit: Beautify Pack Edit: Repair Pack

Text Bilateral Blur Denoise
Split Screen Masking Pro Skin Retouch Grain Removal
PiP Rolling Shutter
Vertical Video
Action Cam Crop

General

Formats: Starter Behaviors: Starter Motion: Audio Visual Motion: Puppet Audio: Toolkit
Pack Pack Pack Pack Pack
Dolby AC3/AVCHD
Attract To Atomic Particles Puppet Doppler Shift
Support
MPEG-2 Video
Drag Audio Spectrum Noise Reduction
Support
Follow Audio Waveform Equalizer
Mix Parent Position Compressor
Repel From
Rotate By Layer

Visual Effects

VFX: Starter Pack VFX: Damage Pack VFX: Distortion Pack VFX: Lighting Pack
Shatter Film Damage Energy Distortion Anamorphic Lens Flares
3D Extrusion Film Grain Fluid Distortion Gleam
Fire TV Damage Smoke Distortion Flicker
Blood Spray Lens Distortion Auto Volumetrics
Animated Lasers
VFX: Lighting 2 Pack VFX: Neon Lights Pack VFX: Retro Pack VFX: Retro Pack 2
Light Leak Lightsword Ultra (2-Point Auto) Pulp Sci-Fi Title Crawl Dot Matrix
Light Rays Lightsword Ultra (4-Point Manual) Hyperdrive Pixel Sort

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Light Streaks Lightsword Ultra (Glow Only) Scan Lines Lens Dirt
Light Leak Transitions Neon Path Half Tone Color Block Displacement

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3. A Note for Mac Users

This manual uses screenshots and terminology from the Windows version. Mac users should be aware of
some minor interface and functionality differences, as outlined below.

File, Preferences & Workspace Menus

In addition to the the File and Workspace menus that are part of the HitFilm interface, the File and
Workspace menus can be found in the standard Mac menu bar at the top of the screen.

Import Formats

Core supported import formats include:

• Apple ProRes 4444, 422

• H.264, H.263
• MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1
• Photo-JPEG
• DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD
• PNG encoded MOV, 32-bit and 24-bit

* Note that the Windows .AVI format is not supported in the Mac version.

Export Formats

Additional supported export formats include:

• Quicktime .MOV: AVC/H.264, Apple Pro Res 422, Apple Pro Res 4444 (24-bit & 32-bit) &
Photo-JPEG.
Note that the Windows .AVI format is not supported in the Mac version.

Keyboard Shortcuts

All keyboard shortcuts use the standard Apple CMD key instead of the Windows Ctrl key.

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3D Model Import Library

The Mac version may detect additional groups when importing 3D models.

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4. The HitFilm Workflow

The HitFilm product line provides you with several workflow options so that you can integrate HitFilm
technology into your projects.

HitFilm
The core HitFilm software is standalone and requires no additional software. It includes an editor, a powerful
compositor with a unified 3D workspace and over 500 effects. Switching between the editor and your visual
effects shots is as easy as changing tabs in your web browser. Two variants are available: HitFilm Express,
which is free, and HitFilm Pro.

Academy Award-winning planar tracking is provided by a special version of Mocha from Imagineer Systems

and 3D Objects from Boris FX is included for advanced 3D titles.

You can import 3D objects into HitFilm Pro and create sophisticated particle effects without requiring

additional 3rd party plugins.

OpenFX

HitFilm Pro is OpenFX compliant. This means you can add additional functionality to the software from other
plugin developers such as GenArts, NewBlue FX, Red Giant and RE:Vision.

Compatible OpenFX plugins that are installed on your system will appear in the Effects panel alongside the
standard HitFilm effects library.

Find out more about HitFilm Pro’s OpenFX compliancy here.

Ignite
The Ignite collections of plugins make many of HitFilm’s effects available in your other video software,
including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro X, Motion, Vegas Pro, Catalyst Edit, DaVinci Resolve,
NUKE, EDIUS, and Avid Media Composer.

The Ignite Pro plugins mirror many of the effects inside HitFilm Pro itself. This means you can choose
whether to work with HitFilm technology inside HitFilm Pro or your established editor.

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Find out more about Ignite Pro here.

Ignite Express, a smaller collection of the same plugins, is available for free, and works within the same
host programs as Ignite Pro. Learn more about Ignite Express here.

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4.1. Getting Started

HitFilm is designed to be easy to learn and use while providing a lot of power. If you have any familiarity
with other video products you will find the interface familiar and easy to pick up, but even if you are
complete beginner you’ll be up and running in no time.

HitFilm is split into four separate screens, each providing a specific set of features. You can switch between
these different screens at any time while working on a project using the Home, Project, Edit and Export
buttons at the top of the screen.

The HOME screen provides quick access to your saved projects and highlights new tutorials, articles and
community activity. You can also access this user guide via the Home screen. To start a new project, click
the New button on the Home screen. Find out more about creating projects here.

The PROJECT screen is where you edit the specific settings used by the Editor timeline in your project.
When you create a new project, you will be given the option to select the settings you desire. The project
screen can be accessed at any time, if you wish to change the settings later.

Most of your work in HitFilm takes place on the EDIT screen. This is where you’ll find the editor and
compositor timelines, the Viewer and the effects library.

The EXPORT screen is where you render your completed project into a new video file, which you can view
outside of HitFilm.

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4.2. Options
HitFilm’s setup can be changed from the Options window, which can be found in the File menu. The options
windows contains multiple tabs. Each tab contains controls and options for a specific aspect of the software.

General
This tab contains options that pertain to general usage of the software.

• Maximum Undo: HitFilm tracks all of your actions, so that you can undo mistakes or go back if you
change your mind. This frees you to experiment without worry, since you can revert to earlier settings
at any time. Maximum Undo defines the total number of history states that will be logged by HitFilm.
Logging more actions will require more memory. Find out more about using your action history.
• Plane/Image Default Duration: Unlike videos, planes and images do not have a specific duration.
This setting determines their initial duration when you add them to a timeline.
• Composite Shot Default Duration: When creating a new composite shot this is used as the default
duration, unless the composite shot is based on existing media.
• Timeline Default Duration: When starting a new project, this is used as the default duration for the
editor timeline.
• Audio Waveforms: The editor timeline displays a waveform for audio clips. For information on the
different waveform types, see Working With Audio.
• Include Screen Layout When Saving Projects: When activated, your interface layout is stored in
the project file. The layout in a project file will override the default workspace layout.
• Use Relative Paths in Saved Projects: Projects can include absolute or relative references to media
file paths. When using relative paths, media is located relative to the project file itself. As long as the
folder structure relative to the project file is maintained this makes it easy to transfer to a different
computer or to use cloud storage.
• Close All Media Files When Application is not Active: Some of HitFilm’s media libraries are able to
‘lock’ media files, preventing any changes to the source files while you are working in HitFilm. This
option forces all media to be closed and unlocked when you switch to a different application, so that
you can make external changes to your media. When you switch back to HitFilm after making external
changes, your media will be updated to reflect the changes. Note that this may impact performance
when switching back to HitFilm.
• Play Audio When Scrubbing Timeline: HitFilm can play audio as you manually move the playhead
around your timeline.
• Use Logarithmic Waveform Scaling: Logarithmic waveforms more accurately depict the logarithmic
nature of the db scale, and often make waveforms easier to read.

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• Show Help Links: Question mark icons in the corner of panels provide quick access to relevant
pages in the user guide. These can be turned off to save space if you wish.
• Hide Full Screen Preview When Application is not Active: The full screen preview allows you to
view HitFilm’s video output full screen on a second display. Enabling this option means that when
HitFilm is not the active application, the second display will cease showing the video output, and
return to the desktop.

Display
The Display options control how your project is displayed within the HitFilm interface.

Media Panel
• Display Mode: When media is imported into your project, you can control how it is displayed in the
Media panel. Preview Mode shows a thumbnail of each item, with the details printed beside it. List
Mode lists them by name, without a preview image, so you can fit more items into the available
space.
• Arrange By: Media can be arranged alphabetically by Name, or grouped together by Type.
• Group By: Your imported assets can grouped by Media, or by Folder.

Editor Sequence
• Video Track Size: Larger track sizes allow for larger thumbnails, so you can more easily see the
contents of objects on the timeline. Smaller track sizes allow more tracks to be visible on the timeline
at once.
• Audio Track Size: Larger track sizes allow for larger thumbnails, so you can more easily see the
contents of objects on the timeline. Smaller track sizes allow more tracks to be visible on the timeline
at once.
• Preview Mode: Controls how the contents of video objects are displayed on the timeline. None
displays no thumbnail images, and offers the fastest performance. Start/End shows thumbnails only
at the first frame and last frame of the clip. This gives you some visual reference of the contents of the
clip, with minimal processing to keep performance optimal. Full displays thumbnails throughout the
runtime of the video clip. This is the easiest option for clearly seeing what clips you are working on,
but can negatively impact performance on some slower systems.

Viewer
• Show Checkerboard Background for 2D Views: By default, a checkerboard pattern is displayed to
indicate areas of transparency within the Viewer in 2D composites. You can disable it here if you
prefer.

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• Show Checkerboard Background for 2D Views: By default, 3D timelines use a black background to
indicate areas of transparency within the Viewer. You can enable the checkerboard view here, if you
prefer.
• Show Floor Plane (3D Views Only): The floor plane can be useful for visualizing the spacial
relationships between objects in 3D space. but if you prefer to disable it, to more clearly see your
objects in the viewer, you can disable the floor plane here.
• Show Effect Controls: Many effects in HitFilm feature controls on the viewer that allow you to
visually adjust the effect settings. if you find them distracting, or want to hide them for any other
reason, you can do so here.
• Show Motion Path: The motion path provides an indication of the movement of a layer across
multiple keyframes.
• Motion Path: You can set the number of keyframes which are displayed in the motion path here.
More keyframes gives you a wider view of how the layer is moving, but may impact performance.
• Enable High DPI Scaling (set display scaling to 125% or greater): Windows only. If you are using
a high DPI display on a Windows machine, this option controls whether your desktop scaling settings
are applied to the HitFilm interface or not. NOTE: HitFilm must be restarted before any change to this
setting will take effect.

Render
The Render options control the default render settings used by HitFilm when new projects are created. The
settings used by any individual project can still be edited at any time from the Project screen.

• Default Color Bit Depth: Higher bit depth creates higher fidelity images but will increase rendering
times, especially on less powerful hardware.
• Default Antialiasing Mode: Antialiasing is used to create perceptibly higher quality edge detail.
HitFilm supports multiple antialiasing types depending on the capabilities of your hardware. Higher
numbers can give higher quality results, and may increase processing times.
• Default Reflection Map Size: The quality of 3D model reflections can be controlled using the
resolution of the reflection maps. Larger reflection maps will create higher quality reflections at the
cost of performance. The default setting of 512 pixels looks good in most circumstances other than
close-ups.
• Default Shadow Map Size: The quality of shadows can be controlled using the resolution of the
shadow maps. Larger shadow maps will create smoother edges on shadows, at the cost of
performance.
• Default Maximum 3D Model Map Size: The quality of 3D model textures is dependent on the
resolution of the texture maps. Larger texture maps will create higher quality reflections, but will also
impact performance. Some hardware may not be capable of handling very high resolution maps.

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• Limit Video Decoding to 8-bit regardless of Project render settings: Processing 10-bit or 12-bit
files at their native color depth offers improved visual quality, but may slow performance.

Quality Profiles
You can set up four Quality Profiles in HitFilm, for use with video playback and paused images in the
software. Each profile can store a separate set of viewer option settings, so you can quickly switch between
Final, Draft, Quick, and Fastest. You can then independently assign playback and pause in the software to
use any of these profiles. This allows you to use lower quality settings for playback than when viewing the
paused image during editing, which ensures smooth playback while still giving you a quality image to work
with while editing. You can edit all four of the profiles if you want to customize the specific settings used for
each one.

The options for each profile can be edited by opening the File menu, clicking the Options button, and then
selecting the Quality Profiles tab. These profiles are used for both Playback Quality and Paused Quality.
The defaults are listed below, but you can customize all four profiles however you prefer.In this tab, there
are 6 options you can turn on or off for each of the four profiles. The defaults are listed below, but you can
customize all four profiles however you prefer.

• 2D Effects: Toggles rendering of 2D effects on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final,
Draft, and Quick modes.
• Lights: Toggles rendering of 3D Lights on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final and Draft
modes.
• Shadows: Toggles rendering of 3D Shadows on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final
and Draft modes.
• Reflections: Toggles rendering of Reflections on and off. By default, this option is only enabled in
Final mode.
• Motion Blur: Toggles rendering of Motion blur on and off. By default, this option is only enabled in
Final mode.
• Depth of Field: Toggles rendering of Depth of Field on and off. By default, this option is only enabled
in Final mode.

Prompts & Warnings

HitFilm will notify you in certain situations. You can turn these alerts on and off according to your
preference.

• Prompt when media doesn’t match timeline: Adding a clip to an empty editor timeline will give you
the option of matching the editor project settings to those of the media. When this option is disabled,

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the editor project settings will be automatically updated to match the first clip that is added, without an
alert being displayed.
• Prompt when adding timelines to the export queue: When a timeline is added to the Export queue,
HitFilm will ask if you want to continue editing, or export immediately.
• Confirm automatically adding 3D cameras to 2D shots: If a 3D layer is added to a 2D composite
shot, HitFilm will ask whether you want to add a 3D camera. When this option is disabled, a camera
will automatically be added when necessary, without a prompt being displayed.
• Confirm removal last camera from 3D shots: Displays a notification when the last 3D camera is
being removed from a composite shot, as this will also remove 3D layers from the timeline.
• Confirm removal of export tasks: When export tasks are deleted from the Export Queue, by default
a warning confirms that you want to delete them. You can disable that warning here.
• Show warning on launch if GPU is unsupported: HitFilm will check your hardware to confirm
whether the GPU meets the requirements for the software to function properly. If the hardware is
below the minimum requirements, a warning will notify you.
• Show warning for oversized particle textures: Large texture sources can impact performance of
particle based effect, including the Particle Simulator, Gunfire, and Quick 3D effects.

Cache
Caching is used to improve performance while you’re using HitFilm.

RAM Preview is one form of caching, used to temporarily render a section of your timeline into memory for
real-time playback. You can set the amount of your system RAM allocated to RAM previews here. Higher
values will allow more frames to be previewed.

• The Low button sets it to 25% of your installed RAM.

• The High button sets it to 75% of your installed RAM.

You can also manually enter any value up to 100% of your installed RAM. However, setting the maximum
above 75% could begin to negatively impact the RAM preview performance, since some RAM is also
required for the operating system and running other software.

For full details on using RAM preview, see Introducing the Viewer.

Media

HitFilm automatically stores background cache files of imported media, to improve media performance.

• Database: Specifies the location of the cache database.

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• Cache: Specifies the location of the cache files.

• Keep Unused Files: Old cache files will be automatically deleted after a specified number of days.
• Delete All Files: Removes all cache files immediately, regardless of how old they are.

HitFilm must be restarted before changes to the Cache settings will take effect.

Pre-Render
The pre-render system enables background rendering of composite shots and media files. This enables real
time playback even of complex visual effects shots. For details see Pre-Rendering.

• Media Directory: The location for storing pre-render files.

• Use Pre-Renders For Export: When exporting your final render, HitFilm can use your pre-renders to
reduce overall rendering time.
• Limit Pre-Render Directory Size: Specifies the maximum size of the pre-render folder. Enabling this
option will add the following settings:
1. Maximum Size: Sets the maximum size of pre-render storage, in MB.
2. Usage: Displays the percentage of your allocated pre-render storage which is being used.

• Delete All Pre-Renders: Removes all pre-renders from the current pre-render folder destination. Note
that this cannot be undone.

Auto Save
When Auto Save is enabled, HitFilm automatically saves your project at regular intervals, in case of power
failure or other system failure.

• Enable Project Auto Saving: Toggles auto saving on or off. By default it is on.
• Auto Save Frequency: You can change the frequency and storage location for auto saving, or turn it
off entirely. Note that large project files can take a few second to save, so may cause momentary
pauses during auto saving.
• Auto Save Project Path: Sets the location where the auto saved version of the project will be stored.
Auto saves are stored separately to your main project file so that they do not interfere with your
master project. Auto saves are only created if the project has been changed since the last manual
save. Each auto save will create a new project file. Once you manually save your project any prior
auto saves will be cleared and the auto save frequency will begin again.

If the software does not close normally, such as during a power cut, the next time you start the software you
will be given the option to recover the most recent auto-save.

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Shortcuts
Many of HitFilm’s tools and features can be controlled using keyboard shortcuts. As you become familiar
with the software you will find that using shortcuts substantially speeds up your workflow.

The default shortcuts can be edited here to suit your preferences.

To change an assigned shortcut key, click in the shortcut column for the command and then press the
desired key combination.

You can use the search box at the top of the window to quickly find a specific shortcut. For a complete list of
the default keyboard shortcuts, please see the Keyboard Shortcuts page.

Export
• Default Directory Export: The default Output location to which exported files are saved.
• Default Snapshot Directory: The default location to which export snapshots are saved.
• Time Format: Sets the format used to display the Elapsed Time and Remaining Time for each export
task.
1. * Natural: 2 minutes and 33 seconds, the format you would naturally use when speaking.
2. * Timecode: 2:33, the format used for timecode throughout the rest of the HitFilm interface.
3. * Seconds: 153 Seconds, the format is listed in seconds only
4. Display Export Previews: The Preview Panel of the Export Screen shows a preview of the
export progress. You can disable that preview by selecting Never here. Every Frame is the
default option, but you can also select Every Second, to only render one preview per second.
5. Remove known file extensions from export names: Having this option enabled ensures that
you don’t get duplicate file extensions in the names of your exported files.
6. Display timeline thumbnails: Enable or disable thumbnails for timelines in the Project panel.
7. Beep speaker on completion: Enables an audible notification when an export task is
completed.

Activation
The activation section of the Options window displays details about your software’s activation status.

This is where you can find your hardware ID, which you may need if you contact HitFilm technical support.

You can also choose to activate or deactivate the software from here. See Installation & Activation for more
information.

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4.3. Starting A Project

After starting HitFilm Pro you are presented with the Home screen. From here you can quickly access your
recent saved projects or create a new project.

Clicking the New button will take you to the Project screen, where you set up your initial project settings:

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Template
• Templates are provided for most common video formats up to 8k resolution. You can also customize
your setup and save your own templates by clicking on the Save icon.

Video
It is advisable to be familiar with the formatting details of the footage you will be editing, before you begin
your project. If you know the resolution, frame rate, and aspect ratio of your footage, enter that information
here. If you don’t know these settings, then don’t worry. You can skip them for now, and HitFilm can adjust
the settings for you later, to match the video files you import.

• Width: The width in pixels you want your project to use. The maximum supported resolution will
depend on your hardware. See Resolution below for full details.
• Height: The height in pixels you want your project to use. The maximum supported resolution will
depend on your hardware. See Resolution below for full details.
• Frame Rate: The number of frames per second that you want your project to use. This should be the
same frame rate that you wish to export your project to. In most cases, it will also be the same frame
rate as your imported video.
• Aspect Ratio: The pixel aspect ratio that you want your project to use. This should almost always be
set to square. Some cameras create anamorphic video, which is compressed horizontally when
recorded, and requires the pixels to be stretched horizontally when displayed. Even when you plan to
import anamorphic video files, it is usually best to set up your project with a square pixel aspect ratio.
Any anamorphic video you import will then be conformed to standard square pixels, so it can be
viewed correctly, without distortion, in any context.

Resolution

The project resolution which HitFilm will support is dependent on the amount of video RAM on your GPU.
HitFilm Express supports resolutions up to 4K UHD. HitFilm Pro supports resolutions up to 8K.

• Less than 1GB of video RAM supports resolutions up to 1920×1088

• 1GB of RAM up to 4GB will support resolutions up to 4096 × 4096
• 4GB or more of video RAM will support resolutions up to 8192 × 8192.

* Regardless of hardware, the maximum resolution available in HitFilm Express is 4K UHD,

3840 × 2160.

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Audio
Select the sample rate that you wish to use for your project. In general, this should be the same sample rate
used by your audio files. If you will be importing audio files with multiple sample rates, your project should
use the Sample rate at which you wish to export.

Rendering
The Rendering settings affect the quality at which your project is rendered. In general, higher settings create
higher quality results, at the expense of slower performance. You may want to adjust some of these settings
periodically while working on a project, using lower settings while working to increase productivity, then
switching to higher settings to evaluate quality, or for your final export. You can also set default values for
these settings in the General tab of the HitFilm Options (Preferences on Mac).

* HitFilm Express supports 8-bit color. Several of the available Add-On packs add support for
16-bit color. 32-bit color is only available in HitFilm Pro.

Color Bit Depth

HitFilm can operate in 8-bit integer, 16-bit or 32-bit float modes, or 16-bit or 32-bit linear modes.

• 8-Bit Integer is limited to 8 bits per channel, restricting colors between 0-255 values. 8-bit integer will
render more quickly than 16-bit float.
• 16-Bit Float allows for increased dynamic range, retaining detail in highlights and shadows. 16-bit

float will take longer to calculate and render, but produces higher quality results.
• 16-Bit Float – Linear Color While standard gamma color is adjusted to better correspond to human
perception, Linear Color can make it easier to predict the results when blending colors and tones.

• 32-Bit Float allows for very high dynamic range, retaining maximum detail in highlights and shadows.
This is particularly useful during grading or when designing visually extreme effects. 32-bit float will
take longer to calculate and render, but produces the highest quality results. 32-bit Float is only
available in HitFilm Pro.
• 32-Bit Float – Linear Color While standard gamma color is adjusted to better correspond to human
perception, Linear Color can make it easier to predict the results when blending colors and tones.

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You can change the color bit depth at any point in a project. One option is to carry out most of your work
using the 8-bit integer mode, so you can work more quickly, then switch to a higher bit depth for the final
render. 32-bit Float – Linear Color is only available in HitFilm Pro.

Antialiasing Mode:

Antialiasing is used to reduce ‘aliasing’ on diagonal lines during rendering. Antialiasing is always used
during the final export and can be turned on and off while working inside HitFilm.
HitFilm Pro supports multiple antialiasing methods. The number and types of available methods will depend
on your computer’s video card. The further down the list of available options the bigger the performance
impact and the finer the rendering quality.

More information on CSAA (external resource).

More information on MSAA (external resource).

Reflection Map size:

The quality of 3D model reflections can be controlled using the reflection map. Larger reflection maps will
create higher quality reflections at the cost of performance.
Note the difference in the images below. The first image has a reflection map resolution of just 256, which is
too low for anything other than long distance shots:

Compare it to this version, which uses a reflection map resolution of 1024:

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The reflection in the second image is much more defined. The default setting of 512 works well for most
projects, but you may want to increase the reflection map size for close-ups or projects where visual fidelity
is the priority. You can set the Reflection Map size to any value up to 4096 pixels.

Shadow Map Size:

This performs a similar function to the reflection map size, but for rendered 3D shadows. The default
shadow resolution of 2048 pixels is suitable for many projects but can be adjusted to suit your specific
needs. A lower resolution, such as 512, will create lower quality shadows with more visible edges. However,
performance will be improved so for long distance shots this may be a good trade-off. Conversely,
increasing the shadow map to 4096 pixels will create a higher quality shadow at the expense of
performance. You can change the shadow map at any point during a project, so one approach is to use a
small shadow map while working on your project, then increase it to the required resolution prior to final
export.

Maximum 3D Model Map size

3D models usually include texture files. HitFilm supports diffuse, specular, normal and bump textures, each
of which exists as a separate image file. Given that models can also include multiple materials, each with
four available texture slots, the memory usage can become intensive if a model makes use of multiple
textures. Some GPUs are unable to handle several 4K textures at full resolution, and even if your GPU is
powerful enough it will still experience a performance impact.

This setting provides an easy way to manage texture files without needing to manually resize the textures
outside of HitFilm. That maximum 3D model map size puts an upper cap on the resolution of all 3D model
textures. Any textures larger than the maximum will be automatically downscaled to the maximum value. If
your model uses multiple 6K textures, this is a convenient way to easily downscale them to 2K on the fly.

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As this can be adjusted at any time, this is a highly efficient way to control quality and performance. While
animating your models and setting up your scene you may not need high quality textures, so reducing the
maximum to 512 can yield a major performance boost; you can then raise the max to 4096 prior to
exporting.

Note that textures smaller than the maximum 3D model map size will not be affected.

Also take a look at the Introducing the Viewer chapter for information on managing performance while
working on projects.

Start Buttons
When starting a new project you have two options for getting started:

• Start Compositing: Creates a new composite shot using the project settings. This is useful if you
want to immediately start work on a visual effects shot.
• Start Editing: Sets up your editor timeline so that you can start importing and editing your clips. Use
this option if you are using HitFilm as your main editor.

You can return to the Project screen at any time to update your project settings, by clicking the Project
button at the top of the HitFilm interface.

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4.4. The Interface

HitFilm’s interface can be fully customized. The Workspace menu displays controls for turning individual
panels on and off, switching workspace and managing your custom workspaces.

The workspace menu can be opened using the icon at the top of the screen:

* If you are on a Mac, the Workspaces can also be accessed through the View menu.

HitFilm offers a variety of standard workspaces, to suit many common tasks.

• 360 Video Editing: Optimized for working with 360 degree video.
• All Panels: A feature-rich workspace with all panels enabled. Easy access to all editing and
compositing features.
• Audio: Focuses on the Audio mixer and other tools for editing and fine tuning your audio tracks.
• Classic: Based on the default layout in HitFilm 2 Ultimate. This retro option might be more familiar to
users coming from a very early version of the software.
• Colorist: Scopes and large viewports facilitate accuracy and ease of use while you work on dialing in
perfect colors.
• Compositing: Optimized for compositing, with emphasis on the controls and effects panels.
• Editing: Optimized for editing, with emphasis on the trimmer, media panel and viewer. This
workspace is ideal for reviewing the contents of each clip in your Media panel, selecting the portions
you want to use, and adding them to the timeline.
• Organize: Makes it easier to organize complex projects, when you have numerous imported files to
go through, select, and rename.

Designing Your Own Workspaces

Workspaces can be fully customized, and you can create your own workspace templates. Details on how to
customize the layout of the panels and containers that mke up the HitFilm interface is detailed below.

When you have a layout that you wish to save for later use, open the workspace menu and select Create. A
new window will appear, where you can name your new workspace. After you click OK, your new workspace
will be available through the Workspaces menu.

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Containers and Panels

The HitFilm interface is designed using a mixture of Containers and Panels. A container can hold multiple
panels. Each panel will have a tab, and you can click the tabs to switch between panels.

The size of containers can be adjusted by dragging on the container’s edges.

Panels can be moved between containers by clicking and dragging on the panel’s tab.

Containers can be moved around the screen by clicking and dragging on an empty area of the container’s
title bar.

Dragging a container over another container will display a 4-way drop zone indicator.

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As you drag the container onto any zone, a blue line appears along the corresponding edge of the
container, indicating where the container will be placed when you drop it. Dropping the container onto the
relevant zone will insert the container to the left/right/top/bottom of the affected container, where the blue
line was.

Floating Containers

Containers can also be separated from the main window and moved into their own ‘floating’ windows. These
can then be dragged anywhere around your desktop. This can be useful if you want to move the viewer onto
a second monitor, for example.

To float a container, simply right click its title bar and select Float Container.

To move a floating container back into the main interface click the workspace icon in the floating container’s
title bar.

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You can also drag a floating panel back into the interface, by choosing a new container location and
dragging the tab of the floating panel into the header of that container.

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4.4.1. The Panels

The HitFilm interface is made up of a number of panels, which are displayed as tabs within containers in the
interface. Each panel serves a specific purpose. Details regarding each panel are provided below. More
information on arranging the panels and customizing the interface can be found on the The Interface page.

360 Viewer
The 360 Viewer panel provides a spherical wrapped view of 360 footage. Opening this panel alongside the
Viewer means you can edit 360 video directly in the Viewer, while seeing exactly what your audience will
see in the 360 Viewer.

Audio Mixer
The Audio Mixer panel provides tools for mixing the audio tracks on the Editor timeline. Meters are given for
each track, to monitor their levels. The levels of individual tracks and their stereo pan can be adjusted, so
they fit properly into the mix with the other tracks. Tracks can also be easily muted or soloed. The page on
Working with Audio provides additional details on reading meters and using the Audio Mixer.

Controls
The Controls panel displays all the controls, properties and values used by the selected layer, and allows
you to edit them. Additional details are available in Introducing the Controls Panel.

Effects
The Effects panel contains all of the effects that can be applied to your layers, as well as some effects that
create their own layers. It also contains presets, and allows you to create and organize your own presets
using the effects built into HitFilm. The individual effects are covered in detail in the Visual Effects chapter of
the manual.

History
The History panel shows a log of the most recent changes made in the software, and allows you to undo or
redo them by moving through the list. It is covered in greater detail on the History & Undo/Redo page.

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Layout
The Layout panel provides quick tools for precise adjustment of the position properties of your selection.
Full details are available in Introducing the Layout Panel.

Lifetime
The Lifetime panel is used by the particle simulator. It allows you to modify the behavior of particles over the
course of their life, after they are emitted. Detailed information is available in the Lifetime Panel page of the
chapter on the Particle Simulator.

Media
The Media panel stores all the media files imported into your project. You can organize your media assets
there, as well as access and modify their Properties and import new files. More information on using the
media panel is provided in Introducing the Media Panel.

The Media panel is permanent, and cannot be removed from the interface.

Meters
The audio Meters panel provides a dynamic readout of the audio levels of your project so you can adjust the
audio levels appropriately. Then you can adjust the levels to ensure your project is audible, but not so high
that the audio is distorted by peaking. To learn more about working with audio and using meters, see the
page on Working with Audio.

Processor
The Processor panel is used to manage your pre-renders. It shows all pre-renders currently being
generated, and provides controls to pause, resume, and cancel any pre-renders being processed.

Scopes
The Scopes panel allows you to precisely monitor the color of your project, to help with making color
corrections and ensure that color ranges fall within specified standards. This is important to ensure that
colors are accurately reproduced when the finished program is broadcast later. It provides a Vectorscope, a

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Waveform monitor, a Histogram, and a RGB Parade. More information on the individual scopes and how to
use them is available in the Introducing Scopes page.

Text
The Text panel is used to adjust the properties of Text layers. It is covered extensively in Creating Text &
Titles.

The Text panel is permanent, and cannot be removed from the interface.

Timeline
The timeline is where you arrange and manipulate your media to create your project.

The Timeline panel is permanent, and cannot be removed from the interface.

There are two types of timelines in HitFilm; the Editor and Composite Shot timelines. Both are covered
extensively in Introducing the Two Timelines.

Track
The Track panel contains the controls used to perform 2D tracking on video layers. To learn how to track a
layer, and to get familiar with the controls, please refer to the chapter on Tracking.

Trimmer
The trimmer panel allows you to load a specific video clip from the media panel for review, or to select a
portion of the clip to add to your timeline. To learn more about trimming clips, please see the Trimming
Assets page of the Editing chapter.

Viewer
The Viewer is where you see the combined results of your timeline. All media assets and effects used on
the timeline will be displayed in the Viewer. You can playback the timeline there to view the results. You can
also directly edit the position of layers within the Viewer, and edit the contents of some layers by creating
masks or entering text.

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The Layer panel is also found in the Viewer container. It shows the currently selected layer, before any
effects or Transform adjustments are applied. It is primarily used for tracking.

The Viewer and Layer panels are permanent, and cannot be removed from the interface.

There are many options available in the viewer, and they are covered in detail in Introducing the Viewer.

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4.5. Saving & Loading Projects

Saving a project file gives you the ability to work on a project over several sessions. All of your project
decisions are saved into a HitFilm project file. The next time you load the project file you can continue from
exactly where you left it.

* Project media is not included in the project file. If you move the project file to a different
computer you will need to copy or transfer any media files imported into the project as well.

If you want to create a new video file which can be played outside of HitFilm, see the chapter on Exporting.

Saving Your Project

The quickest and easiest way to save your project is to use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+S . Alternately, you
can click the Save button on the navigation bar. If it is the first time you have saved the project, you will
need to specify a location for the file. Once the project has a name, saving will update the saved project file
to contain the current contents of the open project.

* Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S to Save your project.

The File menu also has Save and Save As options. Save As can be used to create a new copy of the
project file on your computer, after which clicking the Save icon will save to the newer project.

If the Save icon is dark gray it means that you have not made any changes to your project since you last
saved.

Hovering the mouse over the Save icon will display the location of the project file on your computer.

HitFilm also has an auto-save feature built in, which allows the software to save your project at regular
intervals. This allows you to recover your work in the event of a power failure or similar situations. To learn
more about setting up Auto Save, please see the page on the HitFilm Options window.

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Loading Projects
To Ooad a project select Open from the Home screen or File menu, then locate the project file on your
computer.

You can also select from a list of recent projects in the File menu, and on the Home screen.

Importing Projects & Composite Shots

You can import composite shots from one project into another project. This is useful for transferring visual
effects shots and templates between projects, or for importing data created in mocha HitFilm.

In the Media panel, click the triangular menu button to the right of the Import… button and select Composite
Shot.

You can then select either a project file or a composite shot file to import into your current project. When
importing a project file HitFilm will analyze the file and display a list of available composite shots. You can
select specific composite shots to import.

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Imported composite shots will be listed in new folders in the Media panel. If any of the composite shots
contain embedded composite shots, these will also be imported. The editor timeline from one project can
not be imported into another using this method. If you wish to move your editor timeline from one project to
another, you must first export it, to create a new video file. The new file created can then be imported into a
new HitFilm project.

For more information on composite shots see Introducing the two timelines.

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4.6. Saving Composite Shots

Composite shots can be saved to your computer and then imported into other projects. This is very useful
for creating templates involving multiple layers.

To export a composite shot, locate it in the Media panel then right-click on the the composite shot and
choose Save As… from its menu.

* Note that saving a composite shot does not include embedded composite shots or
associated media.

Composite shots can be imported into the Media panel using the Import > Composite Shot option in the
menu to the right of the Import… button. If you need to create a template using multiple composite shots you
should save it as a normal project, then import that project as described in Saving & Loading Projects.

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4.7. Introducing the Media Panel

The media panel is where you import and manage all of the media assets used in your project. You can
import video, images, audio, 3D models, and arrange and organize all of those assets for use during editing.
In addition, re-usable assets created in HitFilm, such as planes and composite shots, are stored and
organized in the Media panel, so they can be accessed at any time.

When you first start a project your Media panel will be empty. As you bring files into the project or create
assets in HitFilm they will be added to the list of items in the Media panel.

Media assets can include:

• Video, image and audio files. If you’re editing a film you’ll probably have lots of these. Working with
these files inside HitFilm never makes direct alterations to the source files on your hard drive.
• 3D models are imported from disk like a video but are then stored inside the project file. Note that
although the 3D model geometry data is included in the project file, associated textures are not. If you

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transfer or archive a project make sure you include any required textures. Alembic animation files are
not stored inside the project and are treated like other media files.
• Planes are special colored rectangles which can be created inside HitFilm. These are very useful and
can be heavily customized with the addition of effects and mask shapes.
• Composite Shots are special layer-based timelines designed specifically for creating visual effects,
titles and animations.

All items in the Media panel can be dragged onto any timeline in the project. Items can be used multiple
times in the same project and even on the same timeline.

When you add an item from the Media panel to a timeline it creates a new clip or layer (depending on the
type of timeline). You can then heavily customize that specific instance of the clip or layer, without affecting
the main item in the Media panel.

For more information on the Media panel see:

1. Importing files
2. Organizing media
3. Media properties
4. Adding clips to the timeline
5. Synchronizing Audio and Video

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4.8. Introducing the Two Timelines

HitFilm’s timelines are where you’ll make most of your project decisions. Timelines represent your video
sequences, with time running from left to right.

There are two different types of timeline: the Editor Timeline, where you perform 2D track-based video
editing, and Composite Shots, where you create layered visual effects and motion graphics in 2D or a fully
3D environment. HitFilm has one editor timeline per project. In contrast, you can have as many composite
shot timelines as you want, and new composite shots can be created at any time.

Switching between timelines is as easy as changing tabs in your web browser, making for a fast, efficient
workflow.

There are many similarities between the timelines. Many tools are available in both, and the playhead works
the same in both cases. It’s also important to understand the key differences.

The Editor Timeline

The editor timeline is track-based. Each track can contain multiple clips in sequence, one after another. This
makes it very easy to edit your videos. Here’s what it looks like:

In the above example you can see there are several video and audio tracks. You can have an unlimited
number of tracks in the editor. This can be used for simple animation and compositing (picture in picture
during a vlog or presentation), adding titles and logos, or for actual editing, as you can see in the example
above. The Editor timeline is always 2D and allows for basic animation. For more complex animations or for
working in 3D, you will want to use a Composite Shot timeline, explained below.

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See Editing for full information about using the editor timeline.

Composite Shot Timelines

Composite shot timelines are layer-based. Each layer contains a single asset which can be highly
customized, enabling you to carry out sophisticated compositing tasks. Composite shots offer more
comprehensive animation tools than the Editor timeline, and provide access to HitFilm’s native 3D
compositing environment.

Layers can be expanded to display more information. In the above example the Energy Distortion layer has
been expanded to show the controls for the effect applied to the layer. The left side of the timeline shows
the names of the layers and properties, while the right half shows the position of layers in time. You can also
see two diamond shaped icons which are keyframes. Keyframes are used to change properties over time.

Composite shots can contain large numbers of layers, each of which contains many properties. You can use
the Search box at the top of the timeline to find specific layers or properties within complex timelines.

See Compositing for full information about using composite shot timelines.

Switching Timelines
Looking at the top of the images above, you can see the each timeline is shown as a tab. Switching
between the timelines is as simple as clicking on the relevant tab. You can do this at any time. It’s just like
switching tabs in your web browser.

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As you create more composite shots you will see more tabs along the top of the timeline. Composite shots
are also listed in the Media panel, making it easier to manage larger projects when you might not want all
your timelines open simultaneously. Clicking the X icon on any tab will close that tab. Any composite shot
can be re-opened by double-clicking it in the media panel.

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4.9. Introducing the Viewer

The Viewer is where you see the results of your editing and compositing. It’s also where you’ll make many
of your compositing decisions, adjusting layers and masks directly instead of using the Controls panel. The
Viewer is linked to your currently active timeline. The Viewer’s contents and available tools will vary
depending on your chosen timeline.

Playback Controls
Along the bottom of the Viewer are the playback controls.

Loop Playback

When activated, playback will loop once the playhead reaches the end of the timeline or the end of the work
area.

The work area can be defined using the Set In Point and Set Out Point buttons with the playhead at the
desired frames. This can be particularly useful for looping playback around a specific cut or visual effects
sequence.

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Set In Point and Set Out Point

The in and out points define the Work Area. This region of the timeline is used when looping playback and
when exporting your project. This makes it easy to export specific sections of a project, rather than entire
timelines.

Playhead Control

The timeline playhead determines which frame is displayed in the viewer. The playhead can be controlled
from the Viewer.

• First Frame: Instantly jumps the playhead to the beginning of the timeline. You can also press
the Home key.

• Previous Frame and Next Frame” Move the playhead in either direction by a single frame.

• Play:* Plays the timeline forwards. In some cases, realtime playback may not be possible,
depending on the format of your video files and the complexity of the timeline. In these cases,
realtime playback can be achieved using the RAM preview or pre-render features.

Playback can also be controlled using the standard keyboard shortcuts J, K and L.

• J: plays backwards. Pressing J repeatedly will double the playback speed.

• K: stops playback.
• L: plays forwards. Pressing L repeatedly will double the playback speed.

RAM Preview

System memory can be used to preview a section of your timeline in realtime, even if there are complex
effects.

Clicking the RAM Preview button will begin rendering from the playhead’s position and will carry on until the
RAM allocation is filled or you click elsewhere in the interface to stop the previewing.

You can then playback the previewed frames or scrub the playhead in realtime.

The memory allocated for RAM previewing can be adjusted in Options.

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Time Displays
To either side of the Viewer are time displays.

On the left the Current Time is shown, based on the position of your playhead.

On the right the Total Duration of your current timeline is shown.

You can set each separately to display as a timecode (in the format Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames) or as
a framecount by right clicking and selecting from the menu.

Viewer Playhead & Duration Bar

The duration bar represents the total duration of your currently selected timeline.

The lighter gray area shows your work area, which you can change using the In and Out controls.

When a RAM Preview has been rendered, the area that is currently stored in RAM will be represented in
blue.

By dragging the vertical white bar you can move the playhead around your timeline. This is particularly
useful if your timeline is currently zoomed in to a specific area, as you can watch another part of the timeline
without having to move or scale your track or layer view.

Viewer Tools (Editor)

When working in the Editor timeline, at the top-left of the Viewer are several tools.

Select:

The Select tool is used for interacting with layers and effects on the Viewer. With the Select tool active you
can select and transform layers and move position points.

Hand:

This pans the view around the Viewer. This is useful if your content does not fit into the Viewer panel, such
as when you are zoomed in or are working in HD on lower resolution monitors.

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When the Hand tool is active you will not be able to interact with layers or effects. As an alternative to
selecting the hand tool, you can click and hold the right mouse button while the cursor is over the viewer,
then drag to reposition the view within the viewer panel.

Viewer Tools (Composite Shot)

The following Viewer tools are only available if you are working in a Composite Shot timeline.

Text

Used to create or edit text layers. Double-clicking the Text tool will create a new text layer and display the
text properties window, where you can specify the size of the layer. If you select the Text tool by clicking it
once, you can then click and drag to draw a text box directly in the Viewer.

The Text tool can only be used in a composite shot timeline. To edit the contents of any text layer, first
select the Text tool.

See Creating Text & Titles for more information.

If you wish to create Text on the Editor, use the Text effect.

Mask Shapes

Masks are used to specify areas of a layer to remove or retain. Layers can include multiple masks.

There are three mask tools: ellipse, rectangle and freehand. These are used to draw masks for your layers.

See Masks for details.

Orbit

When you’re working in 3D the orbit tool can be used to orbit the camera or view around wherever you click
or a specific selected layer. You can switch between the two orbit modes by holding down on the Orbit
button to display the menu.

For more information see Working in 3D.

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Viewer Display Options

The Viewer can be customized to display specific information.

The Viewer can be scaled using the Scale menu to the bottom-right. When the content of the Viewer is too
large to fit into the interface you can pan around the view by right clicking and dragging on the view or using
the Hand tool. The Scale To Fit option is most useful, as it will auto-scale the viewer to fit into whatever
space you have available, allowing you to see the entire frame. The 100% view option is useful for seeing
exactly what your frame will look like at actual size. You can also adjust the scale using the scroll wheel on
your mouse.

At the bottom-left of the Viewer are several icons for turning 3D rendering features on and off. See Working
in 3D for more details.

There are several menus along the top of the Viewer.

For information on the View and alignment menus see Working in 3D.

Channels

The channels menu switches the Viewer between different color and alpha channels.

• RGB: The full rendered output. This is what is exported.

• RGB Straight: All RGB color channels without alpha transparency. Note that fully transparent areas
may be displayed with unexpected coloring.
• Alpha: Only the alpha (transparency) channel. White areas represent fully opaque and black areas
represent fully transparent. Very useful for checking mattes during compositing.
• Red/Green/Blue: Shows only the selected color channel.

Quality

• Antialiased: Renders at full resolution with anti-aliasing for smooth edges. The antialiasing method
can be adjusted on the project screen.
• Full/Half/Quarter: Renders at specific resolutions. Lower resolutions increase performance. Note that
this only affects the rendering in the Viewer, and final exports will always be at maximum quality.

These quality settings also affect 3D model textures, which are automatically downsampled by the specific
amount. For example, 4K textures will be downscaled to 2K when the Viewer is set to Half quality. This can
be used in combination with the Options (see below) to manage performance even when working on
complex shots.

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Options
The Options menu turns various rendering features on and off. Note that these options do not affect the
export render; they only have an impact in the Viewer. You can optimize playback of your media through the
new Playback options in HitFilm Pro. Settings for playback and pause are separated, so you can select a
high Quality Profile for use when the timeline is paused, then use a lower Quality Profile during playback, to
ensure smooth movement. You can set up four specific Quality Profiles with your own preferences of what
features are included, from the Quality Profile tab of the Options screen, and select from four Resolution
options, from Antialiased to Quarter. Then you can assign Playback and Pause to use any of these four
options. The specific options are detailed below.

Playback Quality

You can set up four quality profiles in HitFilm, for use with video playback and paused images in the
software. These options only affect playback within the program, and will not affect exported files. Each
profile can store a separate set of viewer option settings, so you can quickly switch between Final, Draft,
Quick, and Fastest.

The options for each profile can be edited by opening the File menu, clicking the Options button, and then
selecting the Quality Profiles tab. These profiles are used for both Playback Quality and Paused Quality.
The defaults are listed below, but you can customize all four profiles however you prefer.In this tab, there
are 6 options you can turn on or off for each of the four profiles. The defaults are listed below, but you can
customize all four profiles however you prefer.

• 2D Effects: Toggles rendering of 2D effects on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final,
Draft, and Quick modes.
• Lights: Toggles rendering of 3D Lights on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final and Draft
modes.
• Shadows: Toggles rendering of 3D Shadows on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final
and Draft modes.
• Reflections: Toggles rendering of Reflections on and off. By default, this option is only enabled in
Final mode.
• Motion Blur: Toggles rendering of Motion blur on and off. By default, this option is only enabled in
Final mode.
• Depth of Field: Toggles rendering of Depth of Field on and off. By default, this option is only enabled
in Final mode.

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Playback Resolution

Adjusting the resolution can dramatically affect performance speed. Changing Playback Resolution will only
affect playback within the program, and will not affect exported files. The setting you choose here
determines the resolution at which the source media is sampled and processed, before being displayed in
the Viewer. For example, selecting Half resolution reduces both the vertical and horizontal resolution by
half, and effectively reduces the processing required for each frame by 75%. This can dramatically speed up
performance.

• Antialiased: Processes the video at full resolution and applies the antialias settings you have
selected in your Project screen. This settings gives maximum quality, and the longest processing
times.
• Full: Processes the image at full resolution, but does not apply antialiasing. Quality is still high, but
some stair-stepping may be visible along diagonal lines.
• Half: Reduces horizontal and vertical resolution of the source media by half before it is processed,
resulting in faster performance.
• Quarter: Reduces horizontal and vertical resolution of the source media to ¼ of its original value
before it is processed, resulting in reduced visual quality and faster performance.

Paused Quality

You can assign your video to use a different quality profile when paused than it uses during
playback.Typically you will waht the Paused Quality set higher, so you can view a high quality image while
editing, but reduce the processing load during playback.

The options for each profile can be edited by opening the File menu, clicking the Options button, and then
selecting the Quality Profiles tab. In this tab, there are 6 options you can turn on or off for each of the four
profiles. These profiles are used for both Playback Quality and Paused Quality. The defaults are listed
below, but you can customize all four profiles however you prefer.

• 2D Effects: Toggles rendering of 2D effects on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final,
Draft, and Quick modes.
• Lights: Toggles rendering of 3D Lights on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final and Draft
modes.
• Shadows: Toggles rendering of 3D Shadows on and off. By default, this option is enabled in Final
and Draft modes.
• Reflections: Toggles rendering of Reflections on and off. By default, this option is only enabled in
Final mode.
• Motion Blur: Toggles rendering of Motion blur on and off. By default, this option is only enabled in
Final mode.

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• Depth of Field: Toggles rendering of Depth of Field on and off. By default, this option is only enabled
in Final mode.

Paused Resolution

Adjusting the resolution can dramatically affect performance speed, but it also determines the accuracy of
the rendering displayed on the Viewer. Paused Resolution only affects the image displayed within the
program when the timeline is paused, and will not affect playback, or exported files. The setting you choose
here determines the resolution at which the source media is sampled and processed, before being displayed
in the Viewer. For example, selecting Half resolution reduces both the vertical and horizontal resolution by
half, and effectively reduces the processing required for each frame by 75%. This can dramatically speed up
performance. In most cases, Antialiased or Full will be preferred.

• Antialiased: Processes the video at full resolution and applies the antialias settings you have
selected in your Project screen. This settings gives maximum quality, and the longest processing
times.
• Full: Processes the image at full resolution, but does not apply antialiasing. Quality is still high, but
some stair-stepping may be visible along diagonal lines.
• Half: Reduces horizontal and vertical resolution of the source media by half before it is processed,
resulting in faster performance.
• Quarter: Reduces horizontal and vertical resolution of the source media to ¼ of its original value
before it is processed, resulting in reduced visual quality and faster performance.

Color Bit Depth

The color bit depth setting here only affects the viewer. It does not alter the bit depth used by the project
during export, which are set in the Project screen.

• 8-Bit Integer: is limited to 8 bits per channel, restricting colors between 0-255 values. 8-bit integer
will render more quickly than 16-bit float.
• 16-Bit Float: allows for increased dynamic range, retaining detail in highlights and shadows. 16-bit

float will take longer to calculate and render, but produces higher quality results.
• 32-Bit Float: allows for very high dynamic range, retaining maximum detail in highlights and shadows.
This is particularly useful during grading or when designing visually extreme effects. 32-bit float will
take longer to calculate and render, but produces the highest quality results. 32-Bit Float color is only
available in HitFilm Pro.

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Additional Options
The remainder of the menu is primarily simple toggles to turn various options on and off.

• Floor Plane: Turns the 3D reference grid on and off. This option will only be present on Composite
Shot timelines which contain a 3D camera.
• Show Motion Path: Animated layers display a line representing the movement over time. This can be
turned on and off.
• Background Color: The Viewer usually renders a black background. This can be changed to a
different color, which can be useful during compositing to ensure you do not have any ‘holes’ in your
scenery.
• Checkerboard Background: in 2D views this is on by default. A checkerboard pattern is displayed in
transparent areas of the frame. This pattern is not visible when you Export, but can be used in the
Viewer to identify transparent areas of the frame which would otherwise be hard to spot.
• Full Screen Preview: Toggles the Full screen preview on and off. You must select a screen in the
Set Screen menu below first, so HitFilm knows which screen to display the Full Screen Preview on.
• Set Screen: This menu shows all available displays on your system, so you can choose the one to be
used for the Full Screen Preview.
• Export Frame: saves a high quality PNG of the current frame.

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4.10. Introducing the Controls Panel

Most of your customization decisions are made in the Controls panel, which displays every detail of your
currently selected layer or clip.

The contents of the Controls panel updates for your currently selected timeline item. Some items have more
available controls than others.

As you add masks and effects to layers the Controls panel will expand and update to show the new
information.

Each customizable entry in the Controls panel is called a property. These are organized into property
groups so that you can easily find what you need. For example, the Transform property group is where you’ll
find the position, scale and rotation properties.

When you’re working on composite shots, most properties in the Controls panel are also mirrored on the
timeline, making it easy to add keyframe animation for properties. However, some effects such as Color
Correction Wheels display richer controls in the Controls panel than on the timeline.

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Some layers can contain large numbers of properties, particularly when the layer has many effects applied
to it. You can use the Search box at the top of the Control panel to find specific properties for the layer or its
effects.

Adjusting Property Values

There are several methods used to adjust values for various properties in HitFilm. You will frequently use
direct values, sliders, rotation wheels, check boxes, and combo boxes.

Direct Values

Most properties will display a numeric value which can be changed directly. Some properties offer only a
direct value, while others include interface tools that can be used to change the value, which are discussed
further down this page.

Values can be changed directly on any property, whether ther eare interface controls or not, in the following
ways:

• Click the value, and type in a new value. Pressing Enter will confirm your entry and apply the value to
that property. Pressing Tab will confirm the value and auto-select the value of the next property in the
controls.
• Click and hold on the value, and drag to the left or right while keeping the mouse button depressed.
• On some properties, holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and clicking on a positive Transform value will
switch it to a negative value and vice versa (eg, -500 will become 500).

Some properties will function in 2D, and have two values, such as the Position shown above. The first value
controls the X axis of the property, which runs from left to right. The second value controls the Y axis, which
runs from bottom to top.

Other properties, such as the Orientation shown above, will function in 3D, and have three values. In this
case, the first two values are the same as the values in the 2D version. The third value controls the Z axis,
which runs forward and back, controlling the distance from the audience.

Many properties can operate in either 2D or 3D, depending on the Dimension settings of the layer.
Converting a 2D layer to 3D will add a third value to some properties

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Sliders

Sliders allow you to change a value by dragging to the left or right.

Some properties will allow only positive values, while other properties allow positive or negative values.

Rotation Wheels

Some properties are better served by a wheel than a slider. Primarily, this applies to rotational properties,
where a wheel gives a more intuitive depiction of the selected angle.

Click on the wheel and drag around its perimeter to rotate it and change the value. The white handle on the
wheel indicates the current angle.

Rotating more than a complete turn is allowed, and the 0x indicator on the value represents the total number
of complete rotations. The 0.0 portion indicates the angle in degrees beyond the last complete rotation, and
resets to 0 after 360 degrees.

The Absolute value shows the total number of degrees represented by the number of rotations and the
angle.

Checkboxes

Check boxes toggle a property on or off.

They may be on or off by default, depending on the property. A checkmark in the box indicates the property
is enabled, or on.

Combo Boxes

For properties that offer a specific list of options, rather than a numeric value, a combo box is used to select
the option you need.

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Clicking the triangle on the right side of the property opens the menu.

After opening the box, click any item in the list of available options to make your selection.

Certain effects such as Color Correction Wheels or Scopes include unique controls, which are explained
further in the Visual Effects pages that apply to those specific effects.

For more information:

1. Effects and transitions

2. “Working with layers”:”#working-with-layers
3. “”:#animating-with-keyframesAnimating with keyframes
4. Transforming layers

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4.11. Introducing the Layout Panel

The Layout panel includes quick and precise tools for alignment, for positioning a single layer, or for evenly
distributing multiple layers within the frame.

The specific controls which are available will vary based on the current selection.

Orientation
The orientation controls at the top of the layout panel enable you to instantly flip or rotate your selection in
either direction

• Mirror Vertical: Flips the selection around a vertical axis, so the left side of the image becomes
the right, and the right side becomes the left.

• Mirror Horizontal: Flops the selection around a horizontal axis, so the top becomes the bottom
and the bottom becomes the top.

• Rotate Counterclockwise: Rotates the layer 90 degrees to the left, so the right side becomes
the top, and the top becomes the left side.

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• Rotate Clockwise: Rotates the layer 90 degrees to the right, so the left side becomes the top,
and the top becomes the right side.

Anchor Points
The top section of the panel features controls for anchor point selection and precisely positioning the layer
based on the selected anchor point.

The square array of small boxes on the left of the Layout Panel is the control point selection. You can click
any of these points to set that corner or side of the selection as the anchor point from which the selection
will be adjusted. When you select multiple layers, there isn’t a visible bounding box on the viewer
surrounding them all, but the Layout controls still operate based on a bounding box that defines the overall
size of the entire selection.

The values on the right show the exact position of the selection on the X and Y axis, and its current exact
pixel dimensions. The primary Scale control, in the transform controls for the layer, uses a percentage of the
original size. The scale controls in the layout panel use an exact size in pixels instead. The width and height
are linked by default, but you can unlink them by clicking the chain icon to their right.

Alignment
The lower half of the Layout panel contains the Alignment and Distribution controls, which allow you to very
quickly reposition your selection.

Align To

Align To can instantly reposition the selected layers within the selection, or within the resolution of the
Timeline. If you have a single layer selected, Align To Timeline is selected automatically. You can click any
of the icons to move the layer in relation to the timeline’s resolution.

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Align To: Timeline

• Align Left: Aligns the left edge of the selected layer with the left edge of the frame.

• Align Horizontally: Centers the selected layer horizontally within the frame.

• Align Right: Aligns the right edge of the selected layer with the right edge of the frame.

• Align Top: Aligns the top edge of the selected layer with the top edge of the frame.

• Align Vertically: Centers the selected layer vertically within the frame.

• Align Bottom: Aligns the bottom edge of the selected layer with the bottom edge of the frame.

When you have multiple layers selected, Align To Timeline will move all of the selected layers at once, to
the alignment you choose, but you can also choose Align To Selection. The software creates an invisible
bounding box based on the outermost edges of all selected layers, and you can move the layers within that
bounding box.

Align To: Selection

• Align Left: Aligns the left edge of all selected layers with the left edge of the selected layer that is
farthest to the left.

• Align Horizontally: Centers all selected layers between the left and right edges of the selection.

• Align Right: Aligns the right edge of all selected layers with the right edge of the selected layer
that is farthest to the left.

• Align Top: Aligns the top edge of all selected layers with the top edge of the selection.

• Align Vertically: Centers all selected layers between the top and bottom edges of the selection.

• Align Bottom: Aligns the bottom edge of all selected layers with the bottom edge of the
selection.

Distribute Objects

The Distribute controls allow you to evenly space multiple layers very quickly, along either a horizontal or
vertical axis.

• Distribute Top: Spaces the selected layers evenly, based on the top pixel in each layer. The
highest and lowest layers included in the selection remain in place, and all other layers will shift
vertically to create even spacing.

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• Distribute Vertically: Spaces the selected layers evenly, based on the center pixel in each layer.
The highest and lowest layers included in the selection remain in place, and all other layers will shift
vertically to create even spacing.

• Distribute Bottom: Spaces the selected layers evenly, based on the bottom pixel in each layer.
The highest and lowest layers included in the selection remain in place, and all other layers will shift
vertically to create even spacing.

• Distribute Left: Spaces the selected layers evenly, based on the left-most pixel in each layer.
The layers farthest to the left and farthest to the right remain in place, and all other layers will shift
horizontally to create even spacing.

• Distribute Horizontally: Spaces the selected layers evenly, based on the center pixel in each
layer. The layers farthest to the left and farthest to the right remain in place, and all other layers will
shift horizontally to create even spacing.

• Distribute Right: Spaces the selected layers evenly, based on the right-most pixel in each layer.
The layers farthest to the left and farthest to the right remain in place, and all other layers will shift
horizontally to create even spacing.

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4.12. Introducing Scopes

Scopes allow you to precisely monitor the color of your project, to help with making color corrections and
ensure that color ranges fall within specified standards. This is important to ensure that colors are
accurately reproduced when the finished program is broadcast later. Scopes are important because they are
always accurate, no matter what display you use. The actual colors in your video can vary based on the
display they are viewed on, and how the color of that display is calibrated. But scopes will always give you
accurate color info, to ensure that the colors fall within established standards regardless of the hardware
used to make color adjustments.

There are four types of scopes available: a Histogram, an RGB Parade, a Vectorscope (which gives
scopes its names), and a Waveform monitor.

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Scopes can be accessed two different ways, through the Scopes panel, and through the Control panel of
individual layers.

* RAM Previews are always created using 8-bit color. If you are working in a project that uses
16-bit or 32-bit color, but have a RAM preview rendered for the current timeline, then the
scopes will display data for the 8-bit color in the RAM preview, and not the full 16-bit or
32-bit range of the source.

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The Scopes Panel

The Scopes panel gives you color values for the output of your timeline. The readouts of the scopes panel
are based on the combined color values of all layers on the timeline at the current playhead position.

The layout of the scopes can be changed using the buttons at the top right of the panel. You can focus on a
single scope, or set up any combination of two, three or four scopes.

At the top of each scope in the panel, the current scope name is shown in a menu. You can open the menu
to change which type of scope is shown.

Each scope also has properties that can be accessed through the cog icon, and which vary based on the
type of scope being used.

Scopes Effects
Scopes can also be applied to individual video clips or layers, to monitor the color information for that
specific layer. The Scopes folder, in the Effects panel, contains all four types of scopes, which can be
applied in the same fashion as any other effect. When used as effects, the scopes readout is based on the
color values of the specific layer or video clip they are applied to. This can be useful to evaluate the colors
of each layer before they are combined into the final readout shown in the Scopes panel.

The Four Types of Scopes

There are four types of scopes available. Each gives a different readout of of your layer, so you can
evaluate it from several directions. Each type of scope also has unique properties to control what
information is displayed. The cog icon at the top right of each scope gives access to the properties for that
scope.

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Histogram

The histogram displays a readout of the tones in your image. The tones range from pure black on the left to
pure white on the right. The height of the graph indicates the relative frequency of that specific tone in the
image.

The Properties for the Histogram contain the following options.

• Mode: Select the color information that is displayed in the scope.

1. Luminance: Displays the luminance levels of the overall image in a greyscale graph.
2. RGB: Shows the red, green, and blue channels simultaneously, as colored overlays
3. RGB Parade: Shows the red, green, and blue channels simultaneously, as individual readouts
in a vertical stack
4. Red: Shows only the red channel
5. Green: Shows only the green channel
6. Blue: Shows only the blue channel
7. Alpha: Shows the levels of the alpha channel of the image
8. CbCr: Shows the blue chroma difference and red chroma difference channels of the YCbCr
color space. The Y value is Luminance, which can be selected separately
9. CbCr Parade: Shows the blue chroma difference and red chroma difference channels of the
YCbCr color space, as individual readouts in a vertical stack
10. Cb: Shows only the blue chroma difference channel
11. Cr: Shows only the red chroma difference channel

• Analysis Downsample: Adjusts the precision of the readout. Lower sample rates are faster, but less
accurate.

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• Color Space: Select between various color standards, so you can ensure your content meets the
color specifications required
1. Rec. 601: The color standard for standard definition (SD) footage
2. Rec. 709: The color standard for high definition (HD) footage
3. Rec 2020: The color standard for ultra high definition (UHD) footage

• Analyse Using: select whether the footage is analysed using the CPU or GPU

Parade

The Parade displays a readout of the contents of each color channel in your image. Each channel is shown
individually, in sequence. Whenever “parade” is used in regard to a scope, it indicates that each channel will
be shown individually, one after another.

In each channel of the parade scope, the left to right axis of the graph indicates the image from left to right.
So the colors present on the left side of the image will be shown on the left side of the scope. The vertical
axis of the graph indicates the intensity of that color channel in that area of the image.

In the image above, notice that the red circle is on the left side of the viewer. And when you look at the red
channel of the scope, a spike of high red values appears on the left side of the graph. Compare that to the
blue circle, which is on the right side of the viewer. And in the blue channel of the parade, high blue values
are shown on the right side of the graph.

The Properties for the Parade contain the following options.

• Mode: Select the color information that is displayed in the scope.

1. RGB: Shows the red, green, and blue channels simultaneously, as colored overlays
2. YCbCr: Shows the luminance (Y), blue chroma difference (Cb) and red chroma difference(Cr)
channels of the YCbCr color space.

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• Direction: By default, the parade displays values across the image from left to right. The direction
control allows you to change this, so that the scope is mapped across the image in a different
direction. Setting the Direction to 90 degrees, for example, will map the top of the image to the left
edge of the scope, and the bottom of the image to the right edge of the scope.

• Brightness: Manipulates the brightness of the parade readout. Increasing or decreasing the
brightness of the parade may make it easier to read in some situations.

• Analysis Downsample: Adjusts the precision of the readout. Lower sample rates are faster, but less
accurate.

• Color Space: Select between various color standards, so you can ensure your content meets the
color specifications required
1. Rec. 601: The color standard for standard definition (SD) footage
2. Rec. 709: The color standard for high definition (HD) footage
3. Rec 2020: The color standard for ultra high definition (UHD) footage

Vectorscope

The Vectorscope provides hue and saturation data for your image. Hue is represented circularly, as a color
wheel. Saturation is graphed along the radius. The more saturated a color is, the closer to the outside of the
circle it will be graphed. The six color points around the perimeter of the circle represent the standard color
bars used in vide, and can be used for reference. The diagonal line represents skin tones, to make it easier
to color correct your footage for accurate color.

The Properties for the Vectorscope contain the following options.

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• Brightness: Manipulates the brightness of the vectorscope readout. Increasing or decreasing the
brightness of the parade may make it easier to read in some situations.

• Analysis Downsample: Adjusts the precision of the readout. Lower sample rates are faster, but less
accurate

• Color Space: Select between various color standards, so you can ensure your content meets the
color specifications required
1. Rec. 601: The color standard for standard definition (SD) footage
2. Rec. 709: The color standard for high definition (HD) footage
3. Rec 2020: The color standard for ultra high definition (UHD) footage

• Skin Line: toggles the skin tone line on and off. By default the skin line is on, but you can hide it
using this option, if you wish.

• Standard Color Bars: toggles the color bar indicators on and off. By default they are on, but you can
hide them using this option, if you wish.

Waveform

The Waveform displays a readout of the contents of the current frame. The left to right axis of the graph
indicates the image from left to right, in a similar fashion to the Parade. So the colors present on the left
side of the image will be shown on the left side of the scope. The vertical axis of the graph indicates the
intensity of that color channel in that area of the image.

The Properties for the Waveform contain the following options.

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• Mode: Select the color information that is displayed in the scope.

1. RGB: shows the red, green, and blue channels simultaneously, as colored overlays
2. YCbCr: shows the luminance (Y), blue chroma difference (Cb) and red chroma difference(Cr)
channels of the YCbCr color space.

• Direction: By default, the waveform displays values across the image from left to right. The direction
control allows you to change this, so that the scope is mapped across the image in a different
direction. Setting the Direction to 90 degrees, for example, will map the top of the image to the left
edge of the scope, and the bottom of the image to the right edge of the scope.

• Brightness: Manipulates the brightness of the waveform readout. Increasing or decreasing the
brightness of the waveform may make it easier to read in some situations.

• Analysis Downsample: Adjusts the precision of the readout. Lower sample rates are faster, but less
accurate

• Color Space: Select between various color standards, so you can ensure your content meets the
color specifications required
1. Rec. 601: The color standard for standard definition (SD) footage
2. Rec. 709: The color standard for high definition (HD) footage
3. Rec 2020: The color standard for ultra high definition (UHD) footage

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4.13. History & Undo/Redo

Everything you do in HitFilm is logged, so that you can always undo any changes or mistakes, even over
multiple steps.

Undo & Redo

You can undo and redo your actions using the undo/redo buttons at the top-left of the screen. This steps
through your actions one at a time. You can also use the Ctrl+Z (undo) and Ctrl+Y (redo) shortcuts.

Hovering the mouse over the buttons will display the next action to be affected.

* If you undo several steps and then perform a new action, you will not then be able to redo
back to your project’s earlier state.

History
A more powerful way to control your actions is to use the History panel.

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The history panel shows a chronological list of all your actions, with your most recent at the bottom. You can
undo and redo one step at a time using the buttons at the bottom of the panel.

Clicking on an action in the list will revert instantly back to that state. You can continue to click in the action
list to jump to different points. This is a great way to instantly compare the state of the project before and
after making a series of changes.

If you jump back several steps in the action list then perform a new action, any subsequent actions in the list
will be permanently lost.

You can change the number of actions that the software will log in Options.

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4.14. Pre-Rendering
HitFilm uses GPU acceleration and intelligent caching to maximize performance across a wide range of
hardware. However, some intensive visual effects will always be too complex to render in real time.

Pre-rendering creates a full quality version of a composite shot or video asset, providing faster performance.
This is particularly useful when using embedded composite shots or using composite shots on the editor, as
you can maintain fast performance regardless of the complexity of the timelines involved.

You can adjust pre-render storage and render settings in Options.

Creating Pre-renders
To create a pre-render, right-click an asset in the Media panel and choose Pre-Render > Make Pre-
Render(s) from the asset’s menu. You can also choose Make Pre-Render from a layer’s menu on a timeline.

This progress wheel indicates how far along the process of creating a pre-render has come.

This play icon replaces the progress wheel when the pre-render is complete, and indicates a completed
pre-render is ready for use in playing back that asset.

Pre-rendering is carried out in the background, so that you can keep on working while pre-renders are
created. You can keep track of pre-renders in the Processor panel, which can be turned on in the
workspaces menu.

Once a pre-render is complete it will be used in place of the original on all timelines. This also enables a
composite shot to display frame thumbnails on the editor timeline.

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Invalidating Pre-Renders
Making any changes in a pre-rendered composite shot will cause the pre-render to be invalidated. Therefore
it is best to use the pre-rendering system once you have finished work on a composite shot, or when you do
not expect to be making regular changes.

Processor
The Processor panel can be used to manage your pre-renders. It shows all pre-renders currently being
generated, and a progress bar for visual reference of how far along the render has progressed. It also
provides controls to pause, resume, and cancel any pre-renders being processed.

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4.15. Exporting
Exporting creates a new video or image sequence from your project. The exported media can then be used
and played outside of HitFilm. The Export Screen is where you manage all of your export tasks. Exporting is
handled as a background task in HitFilm, so once you start an Export task processing, you can return to the
Edit screen and continue working on your project.

The Project panel lists all of the timelines contained in the currently open project. The Presets Panel shows
all the Built-in export presets, as well as any user-created presets you have saved. The Export Queue
panel lists all of your current export tasks. The Preview Panel shows the progress of the current export
while it is being rendered.

The Export Screen tab shows the number of currently queued timelines which are waiting to be exported.
The tab in the image above shows three task waiting in the queue.

The Export Screen

The HitFilm Export screen is where you manage your exports. It is divided into four main sections, each of
which is explained in detail below.

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The Project Panel

The project panel shows all of the timelines contained in the project that is current open. The name and
thumbnail image of each timeline make it easy to identify each timeline within the list. In addition you can
view the In and Out point for each timeline, as well as its Duration.

The Export menu on the right allows you to add any timeline to the Export Queue. Either the entire
Contents of the timeline, or the In-Out Area can be added.

The In point and Out point for any timeline can be edited directly within the Project Panel. Either click-drag
the timecode to change it, or click the timecode and type in a new value. This enables you to quickly queue
up multiple sections of the same timeline. Adjusting the In and Out points in the Export screen does not
change the work area in the Edit screen.

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The Presets Panel

The Presets portion of the Export screen lists all your available export presets. Export Presets are divided
into two categories.

• User Presets: Contains any presets you edit and save yourself. You have full control over the
resolution, format, and compression settings used during export, so if you have particular settings you
want to use, you can create a preset for those settings and save it here. There is no limit to how many
user presets you can save.
• Built-In Presets: All of the Export Presets that ship with the software are listed here. The included
presets provide a variety of settings suitable for most export situations, but you are not limited to only
exporting using these settings. Depending on your platform and version of the software, your Built-in
Presets may differ from those shown here.

You can create your own presets at any time. Click the New Preset button below the presets list, then
select the format you wish to use: MP4, Image Sequence, AVI (Windows), or MOV. Once you select a
format, the options for that format will be shown, so you can select the specific settings you wish to use in

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your preset. Details of all available options for each export format are available in the Export Formats page
of this manual.

The preset which will be used for each export can be selected within the Export Queue. The Default Preset,
which is labeled with a check mark, will automatically be applied to each new Export Task, but you can
select any of your available presets for each export task. Double-click any preset in the Export Preset list to
set it as your default preset.

You can delete a preset by selecting it in the list, and then clicking the Delete Preset button at the bottom of
the screen.

* Some options when creating a preset offer a From Source option. This option allows the
preset to adapt, and vary certain settings based on those used by the source timeline. For
example, you may create a preset based on specific resolution and compression settings,
but wish to use it on various timelines with different frame rates. Setting the Frame Rate to
“From Source” allows you to do so.

The Export Queue Panel

The Export Queue is a list of all the timelines which are waiting to be exported. Timelines can be added to
the Queue from the Edit screen or from the Project panel, as explained above. You can view the list of
queued timelines here, and select the export details used by each task. The details of each task in the
queue are also listed.

• Name: The name of the task to be exported. The resolution and frame rate of the timeline are also
display4ed here for reference.
• Format: The format to be used for the export. This is determined by the preset that is selected.
• Preset: Presets contain a specified set of format and compression details which will be used to create
the exported file. The presets panel on the right side of the Export screen can be used to manage
your presets, and is discussed above. For each export task, you can select any preset you desire
from the list in this menu.

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• Duration: Indicates the total duration of the exported file. If the work area of the timeline differs from
its contents, then the icon next to the duration becomes a toggle so you can switch the task from one
to the other after it is added to the queue. If the work are and contents are the same, then the button
will be greyed out.
• Output: Here is where you can set the name and location that will be used by the exported file. Click
on the Output field to enter a name to be used by your exported file, and to choose the location to
which it will be saved.
• Progress: Once you click the Start Exporting button, the progress of the task will be shown here, so
you can see how much is completed, and how much of the render remains.
• Start Time: The time of day at which the file began rendering for export.
• Elapsed: The amount of time that has been spent processing the task so far. During the export, this
number will change dynamically based on how long the task has taken. Once the export is complete,
this will display the total time spent on rendering the exported file.
• Remaining: An estimate of the amount of time it will take to complete the export.

At the bottom of the Queue there are several buttons for managing the task list.

• Remove Task(s): Removes the selected task (or tasks) from the render queue
• Remove Finished Task(s): When a render task is completed, it remains listed in the queue. You can
select completed tasks and use this button to remove them when you no longer need them listed.
• Start Exporting: Begins exporting all tasks listed in the render queue. Tasks will be processed in
order, from the top of the list to the bottom. Once Exporting has begun, this button will change to
Suspend Exporting, and can be clicked to pause the export process.

Once you Start Exporting, you can return to the Edit screen and resume working on your project. The export
will continue in the background while you work.

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The Preview Panel

The Preview Panel shows the progress of the export. As HitFilm proceeds through the export task, the
frame currently being rendered is displayed here. Alongside the frame, all the details of the video being
rendered are displayed, including the task name, the preset being used, and the format and compression
details contained within that preset, which will be used by the exported video file.

The images displayed are taken from the buffer of the actual export, so the Preview does not negatively
affect export times. No additional rendering is required to display the preview.

Exporting From the Edit Screen

In addition to adding timelines to the export queue from the Export Screen, timelines can be added to the
Export Queue from the Edit Screen. This can sometimes be faster if you wish to add a timeline and continue
editing, rather than exporting it immediately. In the Edit screen, the Export Button is located at the top right

corner of the timeline.

Clicking the Export button reveals two options. Which one you select determines what portion of the timeline
is added to the Export Queue.

• Export IN/OUT Area: Exports only the work area of your timeline. The work area is defined by the In
and Out points you set. To set the work area, move the playhead to the frame where you want the
work area to begin, and press the I key (for “in”) on the keyboard. Then, move the playhead to the
frame where you want the work area to end, and press the O key (for “out”). Pressing P will

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automatically set the work area to include the entire contents of the timeline. Once the work area is
set, click the Export IN/OUT Area button to add the work area to the render queue.
• Export Contents: Exports the entire contents of the timeline. Everything from the first frame that
contains content to the last frame that contains content will be included. If your timeline extends
beyond the content, so there are empty frames at the end, those empty frames will not be included in
the export.

Exporting Multiple Media Items to Individual Clips

You can select multiple clips on the editor timeline, or multiple layers on a composite shot timeline, and then
right-click on any of the items and select Add To Export Queue. This will add each selected item to the
Export queue as a separate task, so that you can export them individually.

This can be useful for batch converting multiple files to a new format, or for exporting the individual
elements of a scene for further compositing or editing in another application. When items are added to the
Queue in this way, the name of each task will indicate the source video clip and the timecode at which it is
located on the source timeline.

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4.15.1. Export Formats

HitFilm gives you full control over the settings used when exporting. There are a number of different formats
available for export, each optimized for a specific purpose or application. Each format also includes its own
options for presets which use that format.

MP4 Options
The MP4 format uses the H.264 codec, which is superb for creating final content for delivery. It creates high
quality video at remarkably small sizes, so is excellent for creating videos suitable for uploading to the
internet. The MP4 format is designed as a final delivery format.

General Options
• Name: Enter a name for your preset. This is the name that will be shown in the Presets panel of the
Export screen.
• Format: The format used by the preset. This option is selected from the New menu at the bottom of
the panel, before the preset is made, and cannot be edited here.
• Comment: You may add a comment to your preset, to remind you of details of the compression, or
when the preset is intended to be used, or other information.

Video
• Codec: MP4 export requires the use of the H.264 codec, so this setting cannot be edited.
• Width / Height: Set the dimensions at which the timeline will be exported. By default these will be set
to the dimensions of the selected timeline. You can also tick the box under “From Source” to have the
preset automatically use the dimensions of the timeline being exported.

• Scale Mode: This menu lets you control how the timeline is fitted into the exported frame.
1. Keep Aspect Ratio is the default, and prevents the frame from being distorted if the export
resolution uses a different aspect ratio from the timeline.
2. Center will center the source timeline into the export resolution, without scaling. If the source is
larger than your export resolution, it will be cropped to fit. If your source is smaller than the
export resolution, black edges will be added.
3. Ignore Aspect Ratio will warp the source timeline to fit the size and shape of the export
resolution.
4. Keep Aspect Ratio by Expanding will increase the scale of the source timeline as required to fill
the export resolution, which may result in some cropping of the source timeline.

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• Frame Rate: This defaults to From Source, so the frame rate of whatever timeline you are exporting
will be used, and should generally be left there. You can deselect the From Source option and
manually select a frame rate, but keep in mind that changing the frame rate will affect the speed at
which the video in the exported file plays back.
• Aspect Ratio: sets the aspect ratio of individual pixels in your exported file. Modern HD formats
nearly always use square pixels,but if you wish to export using non-square pixels, you can set the
aspect ratio here.
• Profile: Profiles define specific sets of capabilities in the exported file. Baseline keeps file sizes to a
minimum. Main is the standard for broadcast TV, and is usually the best for standard definition
content. High is the broadcast standard for HD television and Blu-Ray, and is also used for high
quality digital storage.
• Level: A Level defines a specific set of constraints within the selected Profile. These might be
limitations on resolution or frame rate, or maximum bitrate. Increasing the Level will increase the
available resolutions, bit rates, and frame rate options.
• Encoding: You can select between variable or constant bitrate encoding. Bitrate refers to the rate at
which the decoded data of the file is processed. Variable Bitrate is preferred in most cases. It allows a
higher bitrate to be used in more complex frames of the file, and lower bitrates to be used in less
complex areas where the additional data is not needed. Constant Bitrate uses the same bitrate for all
frames regardless of their complexity, which can be useful for streaming content, but will tend toward
quality degradation in more complex areas of the exported file.
• Target Bitrate: When using Variable Bitrate encoding, the software will aim to make this the average
bitrate for the entire file. In general, increasing the Target Bitrate increases the quality of the exported
file.
• Max Bitrate: When using Variable Bitrate encoding, this sets the highest bitrate that will be used for
complex portions of the timeline. In general, set the Max Bitrate about 50% higher than your Target
for best results.
• Bitrate: If you are using Constant Bitrate encoding, there will only be one Bitrate slider, which defines
the constant bitrate that will be used.

Audio
• Codec: MP4 export requires the AAC audio format, so this setting cannot be edited
• Channels: HitFilm export uses stereo audio, stored in two channels (left and right).
• Sample Rate: Set the sample rate used by the exported audio. By default, HitFilm will use the same
sample rate as the timeline that is being exported. However, if you wish to change it, you can deselect
the “From Source” option, and choose a different sample rate from the menu. The sample rate refers
to the number of audio samples per second of audio, and is similar to frame rate of a video signal.
Higher sample rates don’t necessarily bring a perceptible improvement in audio quality, but they can

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allow for more extensive editing to be done without audible damage to the signal. CD audio uses 44.1
KHz, while digital video typically uses 48 KHz.
• Bitrate: The audio bitrate balances the file size and the audio quality. Higher bitrates will give greater
fidelity at the cost of larger file sizes. 192 kbps is a typical High Quality setting, while 256 kbps is
commonly used by professional AAC audio files for maximum fidelity. In the AAC format, exceeding
256 kbps is not likely to provide perceptible quality increase, though some other audio formats which
use less efficient compression methods may benefit from higher bitrate values.

Image Sequence Options

Image sequences have the benefit of exporting one frame at a time, which can save you time in the event of
unexpected power loss, as you only need to resume exporting from the most recently rendered frame (with
most video formats you would need to start exporting again from the start). Several common image types
are provided, including PNG, JPG, BMP and OpenEXR.

Image sequences cannot include audio.

General Options
• Name: Enter a name for your preset. This is the name that will be shown in the Presets panel of the
Export screen.
• Format: The format used by the preset. This option is selected from the New menu at the bottom of
the panel, before the preset is made, and cannot be edited here.
• Comment: You may add a comment to your preset, to remind you of details of the compression, or
when the preset is intended to be used, or other information.

Video
• Format: Select the image format to be used by the exported sequence. PNG and BMP offer high
quality images, but larger file sizes. JPG images provide excellent compression, for much smaller files
that still offer acceptable image quality. OpenEXR is not intended as a real-time playback format. It is
specifically designed to be a lossless, high quality interchange format. OpenEXR is excellent for
transferring video between different software. Combined with HitFilm 4 Pro’s 16-bit or 32-bit render
pipeline, OpenEXR is the best option for maintaining maximum quality, though filesizes are likely to
be large.

• Prefix: You can enter a prefix that will be used in the name of each image in the sequence. By default
the prefix is set to “image”, but you can enter any text you wish to use.
1. Example: The file names of the exported images will combine the prefix with the image
number. This example shows what the image names will look like.

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• Dimensions: By default the dimensions will be set to From Source, so the dimensions of whatever
timeline is being exported will be used. If you wish to override this, and create a preset that will
always export to fixed dimensions, you can disable the “From Source” option, and set specific
dimensions at which the timeline will be exported.

• Scale Mode: This menu lets you control how the timeline is fitted into the exported frame.
1. Keep Aspect Ratio is the default, and prevents the frame from being distorted if the export
resolution uses a different aspect ratio from the timeline.
2. Center will center the source timeline into the export resolution, without scaling. If the source is
larger than your export resolution, it will be cropped to fit. If your source is smaller than the
export resolution, black edges will be added.
3. Ignore Aspect Ratio will warp the source timeline to fit the size and shape of the export
resolution.
4. Keep Aspect Ratio by Expanding will increase the scale of the source timeline as required to
fill the export resolution, which may result in some cropping of the source timeline.

• Channels: If you are exporting to a format that supports alpha channels, such as PNG or OpenEXR,
then this option allows you to select which channels are included in the export.
1. RGB will export only the color data.
2. RGBA includes the color data as well as an alpha channel, to store the transparency data
contained in the timeline being exported. If you are exporting to JPG or BMP formats, no alpha
channel option will be available, as these formats cannot support alpha channels.

• Compression: If you select PNG format, this slider will allow you to adjust the amount of
compression applied to the image. PNG files are always lossless, so the quality remains the same
regardless of the compression level used. However, compressing a lossless file to a smaller file size
does required more processing, and will therefore slow things down. Lower values create larger files,
but they will process very quickly. Higher values reduce file size, but take longer to process. The
default value of 20 strikes a good balance between file size and export time. The Use Source
checkbox tries to find the best compression value for each image, based on the source file. This can
help save space, but will negatively impact export times. If you select OpenEXR format, a variety of
compression options will be listed.
1. Uncompressed: no compression.
2. PLZ (lossless): This is the default compressor option. A wavelet transform is applied to the
pixel data, and the result is Huffman-encoded. This scheme tends to provide the best
compression ratio for the types of images that are typically processed at Industrial Light &
Magic. Files are compressed and decompressed at roughly the same speed. For photographic
images with film grain, the files are reduced to between 35 and 55 percent of their
uncompressed size.

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3. RLE (lossless): Differences between horizontally adjacent pixels are run-length encoded. This
method is fast, and works well for images with large flat areas, but for photographic images, the
compressed file size is usually only between 60 and 75 percent of the uncompressed size.
4. ZIP (lossless): Differences between horizontally adjacent pixels are compressed using the
DEFLATE compression algorithm. 16 rows of pixels are accumulated and compressed together
as a single block. ZIP decompression is faster than PIZ decompression, but ZIP compression is
significantly slower. Photographic images tend to shrink to between 45 and 55 percent of their
uncompressed size.
5. ZIPS (lossless): Like ZIP compression, but operates on one scan line (row) at a time.
6. PXR24 (lossy): RGB pixel data is converted to luminance and chroma and then differences
between horizontally adjacent pixels are compressed similar to the ZIP compressor.
7. B44 (lossy): RGB pixel data is converted to luminance and chroma and then split into blocks of
four by four pixels. Each block is then compressed into a smaller size. The size of a
compressed B44 EXR file is about 25 percent of the uncompressed image and depends on the
number of pixels in the image, but not on the data in the pixels. All images with the same
resolution and the same set of channels have the same size.
8. B44A (lossy): Like B44, except that blocks of four by four pixels where all pixels have the same
value are compressed even further. For images with large uniform areas, B44A produces
smaller files than B44 compression.

• Quality: If you select JPG format, this option will be available. By default it is set to From Source, but
if you wish to customize the quality level used, you can deselect the” From Source” option and
manually specify the quality level. Higher values will give better image quality and larger file sizes.
• Color Bit Depth: By default this is set to From Source, and will use the bit depth selected in your
Project settings. If you want to override the project settings, so the preset always exports to a fixed bit
depth, you can deselect the “From Source” option, and manually select either 16-bit Float or 32-bit
Float color depth.

MOV Options
The options for .mov export differ depending on if you are using a Mac or a PC. If you’re using HitFilm on a
Mac you can access Apple’s Quicktime format, with several codecs providing a range of compression
options from H.264 to ProRes 4444. The ProRes options are particularly useful for creating high quality files
suitable for further editing. On Windows, you can export to MOV using the Cineform codec to create high
quality compressed files suitable for further editing outside of HitFilm.

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General Options
• Name: Enter a name for your preset. This is the name that will be shown in the Presets panel of the
Export screen.
• Format: The format used by the preset. This option is selected from the New menu at the bottom of
the panel, before the preset is made, and cannot be edited here.
• Comment: You may add a comment to your preset, to remind you of details of the compression, or
when the preset is intended to be used, or other information.

Video
• Codec: Select the codec to be used for Export. The codec choices differ depending on whether you
are running a Mac or a Windows machine.
1. Mac Codecs: The ProRes codecs provide a range of high quality options, and are popular
among professional editors. AVC/H.264 is suitable when small file size is critical. Photo-JPEG
is a high quality format which stores each frame of video as a JPEG image, within the .mov
container. Note that if you wish to access individual image files after export, you should use the
Image Sequence export option.
2. Windows Codecs: The CineForm codec provides a high quality, high performance file, and it
an excellent choice for creating files suitable for further editing.

• Width / Height: By default HitFilm will use the dimensions of the timeline being exported. If you wish
to override this, and create a preset that will always export to fixed dimensions, you can disable the
“From Source” option, and set specific dimensions at which the timeline will be exported.

• Scale Mode: This menu lets you control how the timeline is fitted into the exported frame.
1. Keep Aspect Ratio is the default, and prevents the frame from being distorted if the export
resolution uses a different aspect ratio from the timeline.
2. Center will center the source timeline into the export resolution, without scaling. If the source is
larger than your export resolution, it will be cropped to fit. If your source is smaller than the
export resolution, black edges will be added.
3. Ignore Aspect Ratio will warp the source timeline to fit the size and shape of the export
resolution.
4. Keep Aspect Ratio by Expanding will increase the scale of the source timeline as required to
fill the export resolution, which may result in some cropping of the source timeline.

• Frame Rate: This defaults to From Source, so the frame rate of whatever timeline you are exporting
will be used, and should generally be left there. You can deselect the From Source option and
manually select a frame rate, but keep in mind that changing the frame rate will affect the speed at
which the video in the exported file plays back.

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• Channels: If you are exporting to a format that supports alpha channels, such as ProRes 444, then
this option allows you to select which channels are included in the export. RGB will export only the
color data. RGBA includes the color data as well as an alpha channel, to store the transparency data
contained in the timeline being exported.
• Bitrate: If you select the AVC/H.264 codec, this option will be available. Bitrate refers to the rate at
which the decoded data of the file is processed. Higher bitrate settings will provide a higher quality
file.
• Key Frame Interval: If you select the AVC/H.264 codec, this option will be available. The Key Frame
Interval controls the frequency at which key frames will be stored when encoding the footage. Higher
values create smaller files, at the expense of image quality and performance. Lower values improve
performance and image quality, but also increase file sizes.
• Quality: If you select Photo-JPEG codec, this option will be available. It controls the quality of the
JPEG compression used to encode each frame of the video. Higher values will give better image
quality and larger file sizes.

Audio
• Codec: Select the audio codec used by the exported file. AAC is a high quality compressed format
designed for final playback, Apple Lossless and Uncompressed PCM are full-quality formats useful
for audio editing.
• Channels: HitFilm export uses stereo audio, stored in two channels (left and right).
• Sample Rate: Set the sample rate used by the exported audio. By default, HitFilm will use the same
sample rate as the timeline that is being exported. However, if you wish to change it, you can deselect
the “From Source” option, and choose a different sample rate from the menu. The sample rate refers
to the number of audio samples per second of audio, and is similar to frame rate of a video signal.
Higher sample rates don’t necessarily bring a perceptible improvement in audio quality, but they can
allow for more extensive editing to be done without audible damage to the signal. CD audio uses 44.1
KHz, while digital video typically uses 48 KHz.
• Bitrate: The audio bitrate balances the file size and the audio quality. Higher bitrates will give greater
fidelity at the cost of larger file sizes. 192 kbps is a typical High Quality setting, while 256 kbps is
commonly used by professional AAC audio files for maximum fidelity. In the AAC format, exceeding
256 kbps is not likely to provide perceptible quality increase, though some other audio formats which
use less efficient compression methods may benefit from higher bitrate values.

AVI Options [Windows Only]

On Windows you can export to the CineForm codec to create high quality intermediate files suitable for
further editing. You can also export to uncompressed AVI or legacy DV codecs.

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General Options
• Name: Enter a name for your preset. This is the name that will be shown in the Presets panel of the
Export screen.
• Format: The format used by the preset. This option is selected from the New menu at the bottom of
the panel, before the preset is made, and cannot be edited here.
• Comment: You may add a comment to your preset, to remind you of details of the compression, or
when the preset is intended to be used, or other information.

Video
• Codec: Select the codec to be used for Export. CineForm provides a high quality, high performance
file, and it an excellent choice for creating files suitable for further editing. Uncompressed provides
maximum quality, but very large file sizes. DV NTSC and DV PAL are legacy standard definition
formats provided for backward compatibility. NTSC is the SD video standard in America, while PAL is
the SD video standard for Europe.
• Dimensions: Set the dimensions at which the timeline will be exported. By default these will be set to
the dimensions of the selected timeline. You can also tick the box under “From Source” to have the
preset automatically use the dimensions of the timeline being exported.

• Scale Mode: This menu lets you control how the timeline is fitted into the exported frame.
1. Keep Aspect Ratio is the default, and prevents the frame from being distorted if the export
resolution uses a different aspect ratio from the timeline.
2. Center will center the source timeline into the export resolution, without scaling. If the source is
larger than your export resolution, it will be cropped to fit. If your source is smaller than the
export resolution, black edges will be added.
3. Ignore Aspect Ratio will warp the source timeline to fit the size and shape of the export
resolution.
4. Keep Aspect Ratio by Expanding will increase the scale of the source timeline as required to
fill the export resolution, which may result in some cropping of the source timeline.

• Frame Rate: This defaults to From Source, so the frame rate of whatever timeline you are exporting
will be used, and should generally be left there. You can deselect the From Source option and
manually select a frame rate, but keep in mind that changing the frame rate will affect the speed at
which the video in the exported file plays back.
• Channels: If you are exporting to a format that supports alpha channels, such as CineForm or
Uncompressed, then this option allows you to select which channels are included in the export. RGB
will export only the color data. RGBA includes the color data as well as an alpha channel, to store the
transparency data contained in the timeline being exported.

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• Quality: When the CineForm codec is selected, five different quality settings are available. For most
professional level projects, Film Scan 1 or High are the best options. They are suitable for
acquisition, post-production, and rendering tasks. Film Scan 2 offers the highest quality, but is
overkill for most projects. It might be useful, however, if you must export a file that will required
extreme post-processing. Medium gives a smaller file size, while still creating a file suitable for
modest post-processing. Low should be used when small files are of primary concern, and post-
processing is not required.
• Format: Cineform allows you to export using 10-bit YUV color, or 12-bit RGB color.

Audio
• Codec: The PCM codec is used for audio in AVI files.
• Channels: HitFilm export uses stereo audio, stored in two channels (left and right).
• Sample Rate: Set the sample rate used by the exported audio. By default, HitFilm will use the same
sample rate as the timeline that is being exported. However, if you wish to change it, you can deselect
the “From Source” option, and choose a different sample rate from the menu. The sample rate refers
to the number of audio samples per second of audio, and is similar to frame rate of a video signal.
Higher sample rates don’t necessarily bring a perceptible improvement in audio quality, but they can
allow for more extensive editing to be done without audible damage to the signal. CD audio uses 44.1
KHz, while digital video typically uses 48 KHz.

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4.16. OpenFX
HitFilm Pro is compliant with OpenFX version 1.3 and includes OpenGL rendering support. HitFilm Express
does not support OpenFX plugins from third parties.

Compatible OpenFX plugins from other developers can be used inside HitFilm Pro. When you install
compatible OpenFX plugins they will be listed in the Effects library alongside HitFilm’s included effects.

Note that some developers of OpenFX plugins restrict them to specific host platforms. If you are not seeing
OpenFX plugins appearing inside HitFilm we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the plugin.

More information on OpenFX can be found at http://openeffects.org/

If you wish to develop OpenFX plugins for HitFilm please contact us at [email protected].

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4.17. Ignite Pro: HitFilm Plugins

Ignite Pro is a collection of over 150 HitFilm effects which can be installed as plugins into third party video
editing software. So if you wish to access HitFilm effects outside of HitFilm, Ignite Pro is available
separately and will allow you to install many HitFilm effects directly into your editor of choice. You can also
get both HitFilm Pro and Ignite Pro bundled together, in HitFilm Studio.

A more limited collection of plugins is available for free, as Ignite Express.

The plugins mean that you can choose how, where and when you work with HitFilm technology. If you want
to use the effects inside of HitFilm, Ignite is not required, but if you have a third party editor that you are
already comfortable with, Ignite allows you to access HitFilm effects directly inside of that software.

Current compatible hosts include:

• Premiere Pro CC 2018

• After Effects CC 2018
• Vegas Pro 14
• Final Cut Pro X
• Motion 5
• DaVinci Resolve 14
• Sony Catalyst Edit 2017
• EDIUS 9
• NUKE 10
• Avid Media Composer 8

The plugins are a subset of HitFilm Pro’s effects and they function in very similar ways. Some host platforms
have limitations compared to using the effect directly inside HitFilm Pro – for example, Premiere Pro cannot
use effects which include a layer picker and only After Effects includes a 3D camera similar to HitFilm’s.
Due to these limitations, the exact number of Ignite effects available within each host program will vary.

Details on specific effects can be found in the Visual Effects section.

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4.18. Keyboard Shortcuts

Many tools and functions in HitFilm can be selected or accessed using keyboard shortcuts. Getting familiar
with the keyboard shortcuts can greatly speed up your workflow. If you prefer to use your own shortcut
settings, rather than the defaults, any shortcut can be edited to suit your preferences. The Keyboard
Shortcuts editor can be accessed by opening the HitFilm Options screen, then clicking the Shortcuts tab.

* To edit a shortcut, click on the current key combo to select it, then type in the new key
combo you wish to use.

To the right of each shortcut is a Reset button, which can be used to reset that shortcut to its default setting.
At the bottom of the Shortcuts tab is a Reset All Shortcuts button, which will reset all shortcuts to the
defaults listed below.

General
• Undo – Ctrl+Z
• Redo – Ctrl*+*Y
• New Project – Ctrl+N
• Open Project – Ctrl+O
• Save Project – Ctrl+S
• Save As – Ctrl+Alt+S
• Exit – Alt+F4
• Delete – Del
• Rename – F2
• Cut – Ctrl+X
• Copy – Ctrl+C
• Paste – Ctrl+V
• Duplicate – Ctrl+D
• Select All – Ctrl+A
• Reset – Ctrl+R
• Create New Composite Shot – Ctrl+Shift+N
• Create New Plane – Ctrl+Shift+A
• Import Media – Ctrl+O
• Switch to Home Screen – Ctrl+1
• Switch to Project Screen – Ctrl+2
• Switch to Edit Screen – Ctrl+3

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• Switch to Export Screen – Ctrl+4

Common Timeline
• Set In Point – I
• Set Out Point – O
• Set In and Out Points to Content – P
• Set In and Out Points to View – (no default)
• Move Playhead to Start of Timeline – Home
• Move Playhead to End of Timeline – End
• Jump to Time – Ctrl+J (highlights current time indicator)
• Play/Pause – Space
• RAM Preview – Alt+L
• Previous Frame – ,
• Next Frame – .
• Jump Back by 10 Frames – Shift+,
• Jump Forward by 10 Frames – Shift+.
• Previous Edit Point – Page up
• Next Edit Point – Page down
• Increase Timeline Scale – Ctrl++
• Decrease Timeline Scale – Ctrl+-
• Scroll to Playhead – Ctrl+Home
• Previous Keyframe – Alt+,
• Next Keyframe – Alt+.
• Add/Remove Keyframe – Alt+T
• Slice Selected Objects/Layers – Ctrl+Shift+D
• Move Playhead to In Point – Shift+I
• Move Playhead to Out Point – Shift+O
• Remove Attributes – Shift+CTRL+X
• Paste Attributes – Shift+CTRL+V
• Remove Effects – Option+CTRL+V
• Fit to Frame – (no default)
• Fit to Frame Width – (no default)
• Fit to Frame Height – (no default)
• Center in Frame – (no default)

Editor Sequence Timeline

• Select Tool – V
• Hand Tool – H

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• Snap On/Off – Shift+S

• Slice Tool – C
• Slip Edit Tool – Y
• Slide Edit Tool – U
• Ripple Edit Tool – R
• Roll Edit Tool – E
• Ripple Delete – Alt+Delete
• Make Composite Shot – Ctrl+M
• Rate Stretch Tool – S
• Link Video and Audio Clips – CTRL+\
• Unlink Video and Audio Clips – Shift+CTRL+\

Composite Shot Timeline

• Select Tool – V
• Hand Tool – H
• Slice Tool – C
• Snap On/Off – Shift+S
• Open New Layer Menu – Ctrl+Alt+N
• New Plane Layer – Ctrl+Alt+A
• New Camera Layer – Ctrl+Alt+C
• New Light Layer – Ctrl+Alt+L
• New Grade Layer – Ctrl+Alt+G
• New Text Layer – Ctrl+Alt+T
• New Point Layer – Ctrl+Alt+P
• Move Layer(s) to Playhead – (No Default)
• Make Composite Shot – Ctrl+M
• Rate Stretch Tool – S

Trimmer
• Set In Point – I
• Set Out Point – O
• Previous Frame – ,
• Next Frame – .
• Move Playhead to Start – Home
• Move Playhead to End – End
• Move Playhead to In Point – Shift+I
• Move Playhead to Out Point – Shift+O
• Play/Pause – Space

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• Toggle Loop Playback – Ctrl+L

• Shuttle Left – J
• Shuttle Right – L
• Shuttle Stop – K
• Insert Media on the Current Timeline – B
• Overlay Media on the Current Timeline – N

Viewer Panel
• Select Tool – V
• Hand Tool – H
• Text Tool – T
• Rectangle Mask Tool – R
• Ellipse Mask Tool – E
• Freehand Mask Tool – F
• Orbit tool – B
• Set Mask Point(s) to Linear – Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L
• Set Mask Point(s) to Curved – Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C
• Toggle Full Screen Preview – Alt+CTRL+F
• Move Position Left by 1 Pixel – Left Arrow
• Move Position Right by 1 Pixel – Right Arrow
• Move Position Up by 1 Pixel – Up Arrow
• Move Position Down by 1 Pixel – Down Arrow
• Move Position Left by 10 Pixels – Shift+Left Arrow
• Move Position Right by 10 Pixels – Shift+Right Arrow
• Move Position Up by 10 Pixels – Shift+Up Arrow
• Move Position Down by 10 Pixels – Shift+Down Arrow

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5. Editing

HitFilm includes non-linear editing tools for constructing your short films, documentaries, music videos and
features. The editor is perfectly integrated with the compositing features.

The editor timeline is track-based, with each track containing multiple clips (videos, image, audio or
composite shots).

The basic editing workflow in HitFilm is as follows:

1. Start a new project

2. Import your media files
3. Organize and assess media
4. Trim media using the trimmer
5. Add clips to the timeline
6. Use the timeline tools to further refine the edit
7. Convert clips to composite shots for complex VFX work
8. Adjust audio levels

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9. Add transitions and effects

10. Export the finished project

You will develop your own preferred editing workflow, if you don’t already have one, as you become familiar
with HitFilm.

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5.1. Importing Files

To use media files in your project you need to first import them. Once imported they become assets in the
Media panel, where they can be accessed and re-used as many times as you want.

Importing media to your project does not alter or affect the original source files on your computer, as HitFilm
only references the original files. Therefore removing a clip from a timeline or from the Media panel does not
remove it from your computer. Similarly, duplicating a clip in a HitFilm project does not create multiple
copies of the source, as they all reference the same source.

Therefore if you wish to transfer a project to another computer you must make sure all project media is also
included.

* The exception to this rule is with 3D objects, which are imported and stored in the project
file. For more information see Importing 3D Models.

To import files to HitFilm you can use the Import button in the Media panel or drag files directly from a folder
on your computer into the HitFilm interface.

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Other Import Options

Clicking the triangular arrow to the right of the Import button displays additional import options.

• Media is the standard option for importing videos, individual images and audio.
• Image Sequence is used for important sequential images stored in a single folder. Images should be
numbered in frame order.
• Composite Shot is for importing HitFilm projects and composite shot files. See Saving Composite
Shots for more details.
• 3D Camera Tracking Data from software including Boujou, SynthEyes, PFtrack and more can be
imported into HitFilm. This will create a new composite shot containing the 3D camera and point
cloud.
• 3D Model is for importing 3D objects, which can then be manipulated live on the HitFilm timeline. See
Importing 3D Models for more information.
• 3D Model Animation is for Alembic animation files, in the ABC format. These are used in
combination with an associated 3D model.

Once an item is in the Media panel you can customize its properties by clicking the gear icon to its right, or
choosing Properties from its menu.

Syncing Video and Audio

If your video and audio are recorded in separate files, you can sync them in the HitFilm media panel. Select
the video file in the media panel, then hold CTRL (CMD on Mac) and select the associated audio file. Right-
click on either of the files, and select “Merge Audio/Video.” HitFilm will compare the audio in both files,
synchronize them, then replace the original audio in the video with the audio file you selected. A new
synchronized file will be created, and can then be edited on the timeline. For more info see Audio and Video
Sync.

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5.1.1. Supported Formats

Import
The following formats are supported by HitFilm for import.

Video

• AVCHD (M2T, MTS, M2TS)

• AVI (including 10-bit and 12-bit GoPro Cineform) (Windows only)
• DV & HDV
• MP4 (AVC/H264 & AAC)

• MPEG-1 & MPEG-2 (TS, PS, MPE, MPG, MPEG, M2V)

• MXF (DVCPro HD)
• MOV (including 10-bit and 12-bit Pro-Res and Cineform)
• WMV

* Dolby AC3 audio, which is commonly used in AVCHD files, and MPEG-2
video require the Formats: Starter add-on pack for support in HitFilm Express.

Audio
• AAC
• MP3
• M4A
• MPA
• WAV
• WMA

Images & Image Sequences

• BMP
• GIF
• JPG
• PNG
• TIFF

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• OpenEXR (including 32-bit)

3D
• LWO
• 3DS
• OBJ
• ABC (Alembic animation)
• FBX (models and animation data)

Project
• HFP (HitFilm Project)
• HFCS (HitFilm Composite Shot)

Camera data
• MA (Maya formatted)

Export
HitFilm supports export in the following formats:

Export
• AVI (Cineform, Uncompressed, PAL DV, NTSC DV) (Windows only)
• Quicktime (Cineform) (Windows only)
• Quicktime (ProRes, AVC, Photo-JPEG) (Mac only)
• OpenEXR
• MP4 (AVC/H264 & AAC)
• Image sequence (PNG, JPG, BMP)

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5.1.2. Relinking Offline Files

If files become offline while you are working on a project they will be marked in the Media panel, in the
Viewer, and on any timelines where they are in use.

You will also be notified of any offline files when you open a project.

If a file goes offline you won’t lose anything from your project as long as you are able to relink it, even if the
file has been used extensively on your timelines.

What Causes a File to Go Offline?

When you import a file to HitFilm a reference to the file is created in the form of a media asset. This
reference tells HitFilm where to find the source file on your hard drive. Anything you do with the media asset
in HitFilm will not affect the original source file – so you can delete, trim, cut and apply any number of
effects to the media asset without altering the file on your hard drive.

HitFilm relies on being able to find the source file in its original location. If the source file is moved, deleted
or renamed, HitFilm will not be able to find the file and the associated media will be marked as offline in
your projects. If the file is on an external drive and the drive is unmounted, or if you change the names of
folders in the file path to the file’s location, this will also cause the file to be marked as offline.

In the Media Panel, offline files will be displayed as shown below.

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If one of the files used on your timeline goes offline, you will see it indicated on the viewer by a red box, as
shown below.

If a file goes offline, all references to it on the timeline will remain intact, and continue to hold the exact
details of which portion of the media was used, and when during the timeline’s duration it appears. There
will be an [Offline] suffix added after the file’s name on the timeline until the file is relinked.

Relinking
There are several ways to relink a file, depending on the reason for the file going offline.

Restoring the Source File

Often the easiest way to relink a file is to restore the source file to its original state.

• If the file has been accidentally moved, return it to its original location.
• If it has been renamed, change the name back to the original.
• If it’s been accidentally deleted, restore it from the Recycle Bin.
• If the driver containing the file has been disconnected, reconnect the drive to your computer.

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After a file has been restored to its original location on your computer, HitFilm will automatically detect it and
bring the media asset back online.

Relinking Individual Files

Offline files can be relinked from the Media panel from the offline asset’s menu.

Clicking the Relink button displays a file browser which can be used to locate the file’s new location.

Batch Relinking

When you open a project it will be checked for any offline files. If any are found they will be listed in the
offline files dialogue.

You can start relinking the offline files in the list by double-clicking on them. This will display a standard file
browser which you can use to locate the file’s new location.

Each time you relink a file in the list HitFilm will check the other files to see if they can also be found at the
new location. Therefore if you have deliberately moved an entire folder of video files you can relink them all
by simply relinking just one.

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5.1.3. Replacing Media

Assets in the Media panel can be instantly replaced with another asset. This process will ripple out through
the project, replacing all instances of the original asset with the replacement asset. This can be very useful
if need to use placeholder images or video to assemble a rough edit, for example, and then replace the
images in the edit once the final versions are available.

To replace, on Windows hold the Ctrl+Shift keys or the Alt key and drag the replacement asset onto the
original asset in the Media panel. On Mac use the Cmd+Alt key combination while dragging.

* Note that this feature supports the replacement of image, audio and video assets only.

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5.2. Organizing Media

There are several tools for keeping your Media panel tidy, even in complex projects.

Listing Modes
The Project Media listing can be switched between a list view or a thumbnail view. Thumbnails can be
useful for identifying videos and images at a glance, while the list view allows more items to be visible at
once.

Arranging and Grouping

The assets in your Media panel can by arranged by name or by file type and can be grouped by folder or
media type. The order of the list can be flipped using the sort button.

Searching for Assets

If you are looking for a specific asset and know its name, you can type it into the Search bar. As you type
the list will be instantly updated to display relevant results.

Creating and Using Folders

You can create folders within the Media panel. Specific assets can then be moved into folders, allowing you
to create your own organization of assets.

* Note that the Group mode needs to be set to Folder for your own folders to be visible.

A new folder can be created by clicking the New Folder button.

You can also drag an asset or multiple assets onto the New Folder button to create a new folder and
automatically move the assets inside.

Folders and assets can be renamed from their menu or by pressing F2.

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Syncing Video and Audio

If your video and audio are recorded in separate files, you can sync them in the HitFilm media panel. See
Audio and Video Sync for instructions and more information.

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5.3. Audio and Video Sync

Audio Sync
If your video and audio are recorded in separate files, you can synchronize them in the Media Panel. This
process creates a new merged file, making it very easy to keep the sync locked while editing. It works by
comparing the audio recorded by the camera into the video file with the audio recorded separately, and
synchronizing the two, then removing the camera audio so only the clean audio file remains. Therefore, it is
necessary that you record audio with your camera while filming, so the sync feature has something to work
from to synchronize the dedicated audio file.

Synchronizing Individual Files

Select the video file in the Media Panel, then hold CTRL (CMD on Mac) and select the associated audio file.
Right-click on either of the files, and select “Merge Audio/Video” as shown in the image below.

HitFilm will compare the audio in both files, synchronize them, then combine the video frames with the
separate audio file you selected. A new synchronized file will be created, and can then be edited on the

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timeline. The newly created file uses the same name as the original video, and appends a (Merged) tag to
the name for differentiation, as shown in the below image.

This process does not create a new media file on your drive. It creates a referenced file, referencing the
video stream of one file and the audio stream of the other, which requires very little storage space on your
hard drive. If you wish to create a new standalone video file containing the synced audio and video, then
you can add the Merged file to the timeline and export it.

Batch Synchronizing Multiple Files

If you have multiple pairs of audio and video files that need synchronized, you don’t need to select and
merge them one pair at a time, you can do them all at once. Select multiple clips in the Media panel, and
select Merge Audio/Video, and HitFilm will examine all the files to determine which ones belong together,
and create new merged files for each video that is selected, by replacing its original audio with the audio
from the matching audio file.

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5.4. Media Properties

Each media asset has its own properties, which are used to control its behaviour inside your project. An
asset’s properties can be displayed by clicking the gear next to its name in the Project Media list. Different
types of media have different settings.

* Adjusting a media asset’s properties will affect all instances of it on all timelines.

Media Properties
Clicking this gear icon displays key information about the video. Some properties can be edited, while
others are directly linked to the source file and cannot be changed.

• Name: The name of the source media file. If you change the name here, it will only affect the way the
media is displayed within the HitFilm Media panel. The original media file on your hard drive will
remain unaffected.
• Path: Shows the file directory where the source media file is located on your system.
• Video
◦ Frame Rate: By default the frame rate of the source file is used. If you wish to force a different
frame rate, you can deselect the From Source option, then manually select a different frame
rate. Changing the default frame rate will change the playback speed of a clip, relative to the
frame rate of the timeline. For example, a 24fps clip on a 24fps timeline will play at normal
speed. Reducing the asset’s default frame rate will create slow motion playback and increasing
it will create fast motion playback. This can be useful for creating slow motion effects, by
importing a high-frame rate clip, then manually assigning it to play back at a much lower frame
rate. For slow motion it is always best to shoot at a high frame rate if possible. A video shot at
48fps and then changed to 24fps will create a convincing, smooth slow motion effect.
◦ Aspect Ratio: By default the pixel aspect ratio of the source file is used. If you wish to force a
different aspect ratio, you can deselect the From Source option, then manually select a
different aspect ratio.
◦ Alpha: This option will appear only for files that contain an alpha channel By default the Alpha
blend mode of the source file is used. If you wish to change the way the alpha is processed, you
can deselect the From Source option, then manually select a different option. Straight is for
alpha channels where all transparency data is stored in the alpha channel itself, and none in the
color channels. Premultiplied is for files where a predetermined background color is blended

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into the transparent areas. If you import a file that contains transparency, but it is not displaying
correctly, try changing the alpha mode it uses.
◦ Resolution: Resolution is a permanent property of the source file, and cannot be edited.
◦ Color: The Color Bit Depth is a permanent property of the source file, and cannot be edited.
◦ Codec: The codec used to encode the video is a permanent property of the source file, and
cannot be edited.
• Audio
The audio properties of a clip are displayed for reference, but cannot be edited directly in HitFilm.
◦ Format: Lists the format of the audio, including its bit-depth and the number of channels it
contains.
◦ Sample Rate: The sample rate of the source file. It is recommended that the sample rate of
your imported audio match the sample rate used in your project settings.
◦ Codec: The type of compression used to encode the audio in the source file.
• General
◦ Container: Lists the container used by the source file.
◦ Duration: The total duration of the source file, in Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames format.

You can also change a media clip’s alpha channel behavior between Straight or Premultiplied. This is
particularly useful when importing OpenEXR images, which do not specify the best mode.

Other Asset Types

Special assets have different properties. More information can be found about these in the Compositing
section, in the following chapters:

• Plane Layers
• Composite Shot Properties
• Importing 3D Models

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5.5. Trimming Assets

The Trimmer allows you to view media directly rom the Media panel, regardless of whether the media has
been used on any timelines within your project. This is useful for a variety of purposes.

After importing video files, you can preview the contents of each one to organize them in preparation for
editing, or to identify the takes that you want to use in your edit. During editing, the Trimmer can be used to
identify a specific section of a media asset before adding it to your timeline as a clip. This makes it easy to
remove the start and end of a take, retaining the portion between ‘action’ and ‘cut’.

If you have already added a clip to the timeline, and need to trim it, you can also double-click the asset on
the timeline to re-open it in the Trimmer, and adjust its In and Out points. Any adjustments you make will
immediately be reflected on the timeline as well.

The Trimmer functions similarly to the Viewer, sharing several playback tools.

Playback Controls
Along the bottom of the Trimmer are the playback controls.

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Loop Playback

When activated, playback will loop once the playhead reaches the end of the timeline or the end of the work
area.

The work area can be defined using the Set In and Out point buttons with the playhead at the desired
frames. This can be particularly useful for looping playback around a specific cut or visual effects sequence.

Set In and Out Points

The in and out points set the work area. This region of the timeline is used when looping playback and when
exporting your project. This makes it easy to export specific sections of a project, rather than entire
timelines.

Playhead Control

The timeline playhead determines which frame is displayed in the viewer. The playhead can be controlled
from the Viewer.

• Move Playhead to Start: Instantly jumps the playhead to the beginning of the timeline. You can
also press the Home key.

• Previous Frame and Next Frame: Move the playhead by a single frame.

• Play: Plays the timeline forwards. Realtime playback may not be possible, depending on the
complexity of the timeline. Realtime playback can be achieved using the RAM preview or pre-render
features.

Playback can also be controlled using the standard keyboard shortcuts J, K and L.

• J plays backwards. Pressing J repeatedly will double the playback speed.

• K stops playback.
• L plays forwards. Pressing L repeatedly will double the playback speed.

The In and Out buttons in the Trimmer (explained above) are used to specify the section of the asset which
will be added to the timeline.

You can drag from the Trimmer directly onto the timeline, allowing you to position the new clip precisely. A
green outline displays the drop location on the timeline.

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* Note that if you drag a clip from the Media panel the entire media asset will be used to
create the clip, even if you’ve set up a trim section in the Trimmer. To use only the trimmed
section, make sure you add the clip from the Trimmer.

Inserting and Overlaying Clips

Alternatively the Insert and Overlay buttons on the Trimmer can be used.

Insert places the clip at the playhead’s position, moving affected clips out of the way. Any existing clips on
the timeline will be moved to the right to make space for the new clip. If the playhead is in the middle of an
existing clip it will be automatically sliced at that position.

Overlay adds the clips at the playhead’s position, replacing any existing clips which are occupying the
affected frames.

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5.6. Adding Clips to the Timeline

There are several ways to add clips to your timeline.

If you want to preview or trim clips before adding to the timeline, see Trimming assets.

Placing Clips
Media assets can be dragged directly from the Media panel onto the timeline. A green outline will be
displayed showing where the clip will be dropped. While you are positioning the clip the Viewer panel
displays adjacent frames from any other clips on the timeline, so that you can accurately position the new
clip within an existing sequence.

Adding a clip uses an Overlay Edit, whereby the new clip is placed at your chosen position, replacing any
clips on the occupied frames.

Holding SHIFT while adding a clip uses an Insert Edit. Any clips that are already in the chosen area are
sliced at the in point of the new clip and moved to the right, with the new clip being placed in the gap.

When placing a media asset which includes both audio and video content, holding ALT (OPT on Mac) will
place only the video or only the audio, depending what type of track the cursor is positioned over when you
release the mouse button.

Snapping
The Snap button can be used to turn snapping on and off. Snapping ensures that clips connect directly with
no blank frames in-between.

Clips snap to other clips and to the playhead.

You can also jump the playhead to the start or end of clips using the Page Up and Page Down keys.

Automatically Creating New Tracks

You can automatically create a new track when placing a new clip by dropping it onto the blank area above
or below the numbered video and audio tracks. This will create a new track and place the clip onto it.

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For more information on working with tracks, read the Using audio and video tracks chapter.

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5.7. Audio and Video Tracks

The editor timeline consists of several tracks. At first you will only have two tracks, one for video and one for
audio. You can add additional tracks as you work, if necessary.

How Tracks Work

Tracks are only found on the editor timeline (composite shots use layers, which are covered in the
Compositing section).

A track can only contain video or audio content, not both. In this context, ‘video’ can mean videos, images,
planes or composite shots.

All video tracks are displayed in the top area of the timeline, while audio tracks are displayed in the bottom
area. The amount of interface dedicated to each can be adjusted by dragging the splitter up or down.

* If you have lots of tracks or are working on a small screen some of your tracks might not be
visible. There are individual scroll bars at the right of the timeline to move up and down
separately through the video and audio tracks.

A single track can hold as many clips as you want. Clips are placed sequentially one after the other, either
end-to-end or with gaps in-between.

Linked Clips
Some media assets include both an audio and a video track. In this case the media asset is represented as
two separate clips on the timeline, one on a video track and one on a audio track.

Linked clips are marked with the chain icon.

Any editing changes you make to one will also be applied to the other. Clips can be linked and unlinked by
selecting them and choosing Link or Unlink from the right click menu.

Creating and Deleting Tracks

You can create a new track by right clicking anywhere in the track listing and choosing Insert track.

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A track can be deleted by right clicking a track in the track listing and choosing Delete track. If the track
contains any clips you will be warned before the track is removed.

Re-ordering and Renaming Tracks

Tracks by default are called Video 1, Video 2 or Audio 1, Audio 2 etc. If you want to change these names to
be more descriptive you can do so.

Right click the track name and click Rename to choose a new name for the track.

* Renaming a track will not affect any of its clips.

You can drag tracks up and down in the list to re-order them. This will move the entire track’s contents.

Muting Tracks
Video and audio tracks can be turned on and off using the mute icons to the left of the track names.

* Turning a track off does not lose any of its clips or properties.

Changing the Appearance of Tracks

HitFilm can dynamically fit timelines of any length into the available space. At times you will need to zoom in
on a specific area of time, to fine tune the timing of an edit or of effects to a finer degree of accuracy. At the
bottom left of the timeline is the Zoom slider, which controls the zoom level of your timeline.

The height of tracks and other aspects of their appearance can be customized using the Track Appearance
Menu. This menu is contained within the small right-pointing triangle just to the right of the timeline Zoom
Slider. This menu contains three submenus, which give you control over the height of your video and audio
tracks, as well as how the previews on these tracks are rendered. This allows you to assign your timeline
space to where it is needed most. For example, while working on your soundtrack, you can reduce the size

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of the video tracks to make more room for the audio tracks, and enlarge the audio tracks to see their
waveforms more clearly.

Video Size

Video tracks can be assigned one of four heights. Medium is the default size. Larger heights make the
thumbnails larger, so it is easier to see the contents of the video files contained in the tracks. Note that
when Small is selected, no thumbnails will be rendered for the video tracks. In this image, the Video Tracks
have been set to Extra Large, while the Audio tracks have been set to Small.

Audio Size

Audio tracks can be assigned one of four heights. Medium is the default size. Larger heights make the
waveforms larger, which can be useful during audio editing. Note that when Small is selected, waveforms
will not be drawn for the audio tracks.

Preview Mode

Preview mode controls how the preview thumbnails are rendered for your video clips.

• None – removes all thumbnails from the timeline, using only the clip names to identify the individual
clips that are present. This can speed up performance, since the thumbnails do not need to be

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calculated. The following image shows medium sized tracks with the preview mode set to None.

• Start/End – Shows only two thumbnails for each clip, one at the start and one at the end. This speeds
up performance, while still providing images to help identify the clips at the edit points, where most
adjustments are going to be made. This image shows medium sized tracks with the preview mode set
to Start/End

• Full – Full is the default mode, and shows thumbnails across the entire duration of each video clip.
This makes it very easy to identify your clips, regardless of where you are on the timeline. This image
shows medium sized tracks with the preview mode set to Full.

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5.8. Using the Editor Timeline

There are several tools arranged around the outer edge of the editor timeline.

The Time Ruler

Along the top of the timeline is the time ruler, representing the duration of your project. Clicking on the time
ruler will move the playhead, which defines the current frame, which is displayed in the Viewer.

You can also click and drag on the playhead itself.

To jump to a specific time simply type it into the time display at the top-left. The time display can be
switched between time and frames using its menu.

Scaling and Panning the Timeline

The longer your project becomes, the less likely it will all fit on one screen. The timeline can be scaled using
the zoom bar, so that you can either zoom out to see the timeline’s entire contents or zoom in to focus on a
specific area.

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When zoomed in you can then use the scrollbars or the Hand tool to pan the timeline left and right.

Knowing how to move around the Editor timeline efficiently will make your editing much easier.

Once you’ve placed some clips on your timeline you will need to be able to scroll and zoom around the
project.

Pressing Ctrl+Home will auto-scroll the timeline to the current playhead position.

Setting the Work Area

The work area is represented by the light gray bar running along the time ruler.

You can use the work area to specify a particular part of your editor sequence to export or loop play, rather
than exporting the entire timeline.

To set your editor sequence work area, drag the ends of the work area, use the I key or the O keys on your
keyboard, or use the In and Out buttons on the Viewer. When using the keys or buttons the playhead’s
current position will be used to set the in our out point.

* Pressing the P key will set the work area to encompass the contents of your timeline.

* Holding the Alt key and dragging on the work area will move it without changing its
duration.

Exporting
The timeline includes two Export buttons, which will add your timeline to the Export queue. The two icons on
the lower left of the timeline determine what portion of the timeline is added to the Export Queue.

• Export Contents: The top button exports the entire contents of the timeline. If your timeline
extends beyond the video it contains, any empty frames on the end will not be included in the export.

• Export IN/OUT Area: The bottom button exports only the work area of your timeline. The work
area is defined by the In and Out points you set. To set the work area, move the playhead to the
frame where you want the work area to begin, and press the I key (for “in”) on the keyboard. Then,
move the playhead to the frame where you want the work area to end, and press the O key (for “out”).

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Once the work area is set, click the Export Work Area button to add the work area to the render queue.

Keyframes
At the top left of the timeline are the keyframe buttons.

Keyframes are used to store changes to settings on particular frames. For example, on frame 10 a video
could be set to full opacity and then on frame 20 it could be set to 50% opacity. This would be stored as two
keyframes, one on frame 10 and one on frame 20. Between frames 10 and 20 the video would become
gradually more transparent.

The Opacity of video clips and the Volume of audio clips can be keyframed directly on the Editor. See Basic
Compositing with Clips and Mixing Audio for more details. Other properties can be keyframed within the
Controls panel.

The two arrow buttons are used to jump between keyframes for the currently selected property.

The circle button in the center is used to turn keyframes on and off on the current frame for the currently
selected property. If a keyframe is present on the current frame a dot is displayed in the middle the circle.

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5.9. Refining Your Edit

Once you have added clips to the timeline you will want to further refine your edit using the editing tools.

HitFilm’s editing tools are found on the left edge of the timeline.

Select
The Select tool is a multi-purpose tool that you can use for the majority of your basic trimming.

Selecting Clips

You can select single or multiple clips with the Select tool. Selected clips are highlighted in blue.

• Simply Click a clip to select it. Selecting a different clip will deselect the first one.
• Holding CTRL while selecting clips enables you to select multiple clips.
• You can also drag a selection box around multiple clips to select them all. By default the timeline will
automatically scroll left and right while dragging a selection box. Holding ALT while dragging will also
automatically scroll vertically through the video or audio tracks, depending where your mouse was
positioned.

Moving Clips

You can move any clip to a new location on the timeline by dragging it with the mouse.

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If you move a clip to a location which is already occupied by other clips, an Overlay Edit will be used by
default. The existing clips are sliced according to the moved clip’s in and out points and the moved clip
replaces that section on the timeline. This means that the positions of other clips on your timeline are not
affected.

By holding the SHIFT key you can instead perform an Insert Edit. The moved clip slices the existing clips at
the in point, then moves all the affected clips to the right to make room.

Holding ALT (OPT on Mac) while you drag a selected clip will duplicate the clip, and drop a new copy where
you release the mouse button.

Trimming Clips

The Select tool is also used for simple Trim Edits, when you want to change a clip’s in or out point.

When you move your mouse over the start or end of a clip it will change to the trim pointer. You can then
drag with the mouse to change the in or out point.

As you change a clip’s in or out point the surrounding clips will not be affected.

The Viewer will show a preview of the currently trimmed frame.

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* There needs to be enough room to make your trim edit. You can’t move a clip’s in or out
point past the in or out point of another clip.

* You can’t trim a clip to be longer than its source media asset.

When working with a linked media asset which contains video and audio, both tracks will be trimmed in
synchronization. You can trim only one track by holding ALT while performing the trim, a technique known
as J and L cuts.

You can also double-click a video clip on the Editor to re-open it in the Trimmer, and adjust its in and out
points there. As you do, the clip on the timeline will immediately be updated to reflect your changes.

Slice
The Slice tool is for cutting individual clips into multiple layers.

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When using the slice tool, clicking anywhere on a clip will cut it at that point, splitting it into two clips. You
can slice a clip as many times as you want.

After a clip has been sliced, both pieces exist separately on the timeline and can be adjusted individually.

Holding ALT when you click will slice all clips at that frame, regardless of what track they are on.

Slip
Slip Edits are useful for adjusting the in and out points of a clip without affecting its length or position on the
timeline.

When the slip edit tool is selected on the editor timeline you can click and drag on any clip to perform a slip
edit.

The Viewer changes to show useful information during the slip edit.

The top left and top right videos show the adjacent frames before and after the selected clip. These do not
move during the slip edit, as the slip edit does not affect other clips.

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The larger, lower videos show the in and out points for the selected clip. As you drag with the slip edit tool,
the clip’s duration and position on the timeline remain unchanged but its in and out points are shifted.

The Viewer preview can be used to easily check continuity between shots.

Timecode information shows the relative slip edit change in the center and the new in and out points relative
to the source media asset.

Slide
The Slide Edit tool is used for quickly moving the position of a clip on the timeline relative to those before
and after it.

The selected clip’s duration and out point do not change. The previous clip’s out point and the next clip’s in
point are adjusted automatically to accommodate the slid clip.

The timeline shows a preview of the slid clip’s new location.

In the above image the bright blue clip is being slid. The light blue overlay indicates where the clip is being
slid, which is three frames to the right.

The Viewer updates with useful information during a slide edit.

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The top two videos represent the start and end points of the selected clip. These do not change as the
duration and in and out points of the selected clip do not change during a slide edit.

The bottom two videos represent the frames or the clips adjacent to the selected clip. As you slide the clip
these update to show the new frames at the edit points.

Ripple
The Ripple Edit tool is used to trim the in or out point of a single clip, while adjusting the timeline to ensure
no gaps or overlaps are created. Therefore the edit ‘ripples’ down through the timeline.

After a ripple edit, all clips (including the selected clip, in the case of ripple editing its in point) to the right
are shifted in time automatically.

This is a good way to ensure that your timeline does not have any unwanted or accidental empty space
between clips.

The Viewer updates with useful information during a ripple edit:

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When adjusting the in point of a clip with the ripple edit tool, the selected clip will be shown on the right side
of the Viewer. The preceding clip to the left is shown on the left side.

When adjusting the out point of a clip the videos in the Viewer are reversed, with the selected clip on the left
and the subsequent clip on the right.

During a ripple edit the selected clip will update in the Viewer to show the current edit point.

Holding SHIFT while performing a Ripple edit will enable Ripple Insert mode, pushing all clips to the right of
the selected clip down the timeline to make room for the edit to be inserted.

Ripple Delete
You can also ripple delete clips or gaps. When a clip or gap is ripple deleted, all affected objects to its right
are moved to close the gap.

Any clip can be ripple deleted by right clicking it and selecting Ripple delete from its menu.

Empty spaces on the timeline between clips can also be ripple deleted.

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* A ripple delete might not always fully close a gap, if there are obstructions in other tracks of
the timeline.

Roll
The Roll Edit tool is used to trim two contiguous clips at the same time. The out point of the first clip and
the in point of the second clip will be trimmed simultaneously, changing the duration of both clips without
moving their positions on the timeline.

When you position the mouse on the connecting line between two clips it will change the roll edit icon.
Clicking and dragging with the mouse will change the out point of the first clip and the in point of the second
simultaneously.Surrounding clips are unaffected.

The Viewer updates with useful information during a roll edit:

The out point of the first clip is shown on the left and the in point of the second clip is shown on the right. As
you perform the roll edit both previews will update to show the new edit points.

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Rate Stretch
Retiming can be used to speed up or slow down playback for specific clips. Using the Rate Stretch tool to
change a clip’s in or out point will retain the contents of the clip and change its playback speed to fit into the
newly defined space on the timeline.

For example, dragging the out point of a clip so that the clip on the timeline is twice as long will cause the
clip to playback at half speed.

You can also use the Speed/Duration option in any clip’s menu to perform a more accurate speed
adjustment. This displays the Edit speed/duration window:

The two properties, speed and duration, can be linked or separated using the chain icon at the right. The
behavior is subtly different depending on the link state.

When unlinked, as in the picture above, changing the speed will retain the clip’s in and out positions on the
timeline while changing the playback speed of the clip’s content. Changing the duration will change the out
point of the clip without affecting its playback speed.

When the two properties are linked together, changing the speed will also automatically update the duration,
moving the out point of the clip to accommodate the same contents at the new speed. For example, a 2
second clip on the timeline when changed to 50% speed will have a new duration of 4 seconds.
Alternatively, you can change the duration and the speed will be automatically changed to fit the clip’s
contents perfectly into the new duration.

Snapping
The Snap button can be used to turn snapping on and off. Snapping ensures that clips connect directly with
no blank frames in-between.

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Clips snap to other clips and to the playhead.

You can also jump the playhead to the start or end of clips using the Page Up and Page Down keys.

J and L Cuts
When working with a linked media asset which contains video and audio, both tracks will be trimmed in
synchronization. You can trim only one track by holding ALT while performing the trim, a technique known
as J and L cuts.

A J cut is when the audio begins before the cut in the video, creating a J shape, as in the selected clip
above.

An L cut is when the video begins before the cut in the audio, creating an L shape, as in the selected clip
above.

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5.10. Basic Compositing with Clips

HitFilm Pro is a powerful 2D and 3D compositor. Most of your extensive compositing work is carried out
using composite shots, layer-based timelines which are designed specifically for that purpose. You can find
out more about advanced compositing here.

The editor timeline also includes simpler compositing capabilities, useful for picture-in-picture, fades, blends
and static visual effects.

Using Multiple Tracks

Multiple tracks can be used to combine multiple video clips on the same frame.

Higher tracks will be rendered on top of lower tracks.

To find out more about using tracks see Audio and video tracks.

Once you have more than one track you can place clips at the same time position. If the clips are all the
same resolution you will only see the top clip, which is when you use transforming, effects or blending to
composite them together.

Transforming Clips
Clips can be transformed on the editor timeline, meaning you can change their position, scale and rotation.
This is useful for creating simple picture-in-picture, such as during a presentation or news-style broadcast.

To transform a clip, first select it on the timeline. You can then control it in the Viewer or Controls panel.

In the Viewer you will see a transform widget:

Dragging on the arrow will move the clip on the horizontal or vertical, while dragging on the blue square will
rotate it. You can also click anywhere else on the clip to move it freely.

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At the 4 corners of a clip are handles which can be dragged to resize it. Holding SHIFT maintains the aspect
ratio, while holding ALT (OPT on Mac) rotates the clip.

The Controls panel provides fine control over the clip’s transform properties:

Clicking once on a property lets you type in a new value. Dragging on a value increases or decreases it.

You can also apply simple transformations using the clip’s menu on the timeline. This is an easy way to
resize the clip to fit the frame or be centered.

* You can’t animate the transform properties in the editor timeline. For animation see
Compositing.

Anchor Points

Every clip has an anchor point. This is the clip’s origin around which it rotates.

The default anchor point for clips is in the center. For most purposes this is the most useful location for the
anchor point but there are some circumstances where moving the anchor point would be beneficial.

For example, if you had a simple rectangular plane and wanted to rotate it around one corner instead of its
center, you would move the anchor point to that corner then use the normal rotation controls.

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Blending Clips
By default clips are simply rendered on on top of the other, such that higher layers completely obscure lower
layers. Blend modes are used to mix multiple clips together in more interesting ways.

You can change the blend mode of a clip by selecting it on the timeline and then viewing its Clip Properties
in the Controls panel, or by using the clips timeline menu.

See Blend modes for details of each blend mode.

Opacity
A clip’s opacity can be changed over time. This lets you create simple, manual fades or to turn a clip semi-
transparent.

Opacity can be adjusted in the Controls panel or directly on the timeline. Every clip has an opacity bar which
can be dragged up and down.

By default, the opacity bar will change the opacity of the entire clip. If you want to change the opacity of a
clip over time, you can add keyframes by holding Ctrl and clicking on the opacity bar. Each keyframe can
contain a different opacity setting, and HitFilm will automatically ramp the frames between keyframes form
one value to the next. Keyframes can be dragged vertically on the timeline to change their value, or dragged
horizontally on the timeline to change their timing. Hold Shift while dragging to constrain movement of
keyframes to the horizontal time axis.

Keyframing can also be turned on and off in the controls panel by clicking the keyframe button to the left of
the Opacity property.

Keying Green Screen Clips

HitFilm includes a wide range of compositing effects, which are found in the Keying folder of the Effects
library. Many of these effects work in the editor timeline as well as in composite shots.

For example, the Color Difference Key is a simple but effective effect for removing green screen
backgrounds. To apply it to a clip simply drag it from the Effects panel onto the clip containing the green
screen video. You can then refine the settings in the Controls panel.

To create a simple green screen composite, place your keyed green screen clip on the track above the
background (which can be either a video or an image).

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For more information on HitFilm’s Keying tools, see the Keying chapter of this manual.

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5.11. Working with Audio

HitFilm’s editor can have multiple audio tracks. This makes it possible to build up a soundscape of multiple
audio clips, including dialogue, sound effects, music etc. For information on using tracks see Audio and
video tracks.

A range of features are included to aid with editing your audio.

Audio Mixer
The audio Mixer panel provides a traditional interface for adjusting your audio to ensure everything can be
properly heard without clipping.

* Audio clipping, or peaking, is when the audio output is beyond the range of playback. It is
indicated by red on meters, and will introduce digital distortion into the audio which should
be avoided.

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Audio peaks are drawn as green bars during playback or when moving the playhead. Each audio channel is
displayed as a separate bar. Thin white lines are drawn separately indicating the peak volumes of each
channel and the peak volume is displayed above the bars. These peak values are held momentarily so that
you can easily identify unwanted clipping.

If clipping occurs, the peak volume readout turns red on the affected channel. This is a useful way to identify
areas where the audio mix is too loud and may cause distortion on playback. Reducing the combined
volume of the audio tracks in that area will avoid clipping. Clipped peaks will remain red until you start a new
playback or move the playhead.

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* The peak meter is not directly equivalent to loudness or volume. Instead it represents the
amplitude level. This will often correlate with loudness but other factors (such as frequency)
can also have an effect on perceived loudness.

• Levels
On the left of each track’s meters is a fader for adjusting the track’s audio within a range from -60 to
+12. The current settings is displayed immediately below the fader.
• Balance
Each audio track is stereo. Below the meter, the panning slider controls the balance between the left
and right channels. 0.0 is centered, perfectly balanced between the left and right. Panning the
balance to the left or right will increase the signal on that side while reducing the signal on the
opposite side. This can be used to position sounds in the sound stage to match their position within
the frame.
• Mute and Solo
The mute and solo buttons are useful for quickly controlling which tracks are audible.
◦ Mute: Clicking the Mute button will silence the track, until the Mute button is toggled back off.
◦ Solo: Soloing a track has the same result as muting all other tracks. When any Solo button is
activated, only tracks that are soloed will be audible.
◦ Enable Keyframing: The circle to the right of the Solo button enables keyframing for the track
level. This allows you to adjust levels for the track over time using the faders in the Audio Mixer.
• Master Track
The Master Track on the right side shows the level of the overall mix, after all tracks are combined.
This is the same readout shown in the Meters panel, but the Master track also provides a fader, so the
master levels can be easily adjusted with a single slider.

Audio Meters

The audio meters panel shows your audio levels, so that you can adjust audio levels appropriately, ensuring
your soundtrack is able to be heard while avoiding clipping.

* Audio clipping, or peaking, is when the audio output is beyond the range of playback. This
results in a distorted result which is best avoided.

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Audio peaks are drawn as green bars during playback or when moving the playhead. Each audio channel is
displayed as a separate bar. Thin white lines are drawn separately indicating the peak volumes of each
channel and the peak volume is displayed above the bars. These peak values are held momentarily so that
you can easily identify unwanted clipping.

If clipping occurs, the peak volume readout turns red on the affected channel. This is a useful way to identify
areas where the audio mix is too loud and may cause distortion on playback. Reducing the combined
volume of the audio tracks in that area will avoid clipping. Clipped peaks will remain red until you start a new
playback or move the playhead.

* The peak meter is not directly equivalent to loudness or volume. Instead it represents the
amplitude level. This will often correlate with loudness but other factors (such as frequency)
can also have an effect on perceived loudness.

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Understanding the Meter Scale

The meter scale is dBFS (decibel full scale), which means that 0dBFS is the maximum possible audio level
before clipping occurs.

Peak bars are drawn using a color spectrum to make them easier to read quickly. The bars will be green
when below -9dBFS, to indicate safe levels. When levels surpass -9dBFS, the color gradient shifts from
green to yellow, indicating that the levels are still acceptable, but approaching the acceptable maximum.
When the gradient shifts to red, the level has exceeded 0dBFS, and the signal will be clipped. Since clipping
will create distortion in the audio signal, you want to adjust your audio levels to avoid red.

The scale extends to +6, which gives you an indication of how far past 0dBFS audio is peaking, so that you
can make appropriate adjustments to avoid clipping. If your peak is clipping at +3, for example, then you will
want to reduce the level of your audio by at least 3dB to get it into the acceptable range.

Static vs Dynamic Peaks

The audio meter’s menu has an option to hold peaks. This prevents the peak indicators from ever lowering
during playback, known as static peaks. Therefore by the end of playback you will have a definite readout
for the maximum peak level during that section of the timeline, without needing to observe the audio meters
for the duration of playback.

With the hold peaks option turned off the audio meters use dynamic peaks, which update every two
seconds. After two seconds the bars will fall back down if the peaks have been lower than an earlier peak.

Waveforms
The Editor timeline, composite shot timelines, and Trimmer display waveforms for audio. This provides a
visual representation of the audio over time, making it easier to position clips based on audio content.

• Options
The Options screen lets you choose between several waveform types.
◦ Channel List: Displays individual waveforms for each channel in the audio stream and is a
common representation of audio. So you’ll see one waveform for mono audio, 2 waveforms for
stereo, and 6 waveforms for 5.1 surround sound. It can be useful in order to see where a
particular channel has silence, for example.
◦ Channel Composite: This simply draws all waveforms from the audio stream over the top of
each other. So you only ever see one waveform even if the source has stereo or 5.1. This view

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isn’t particularly useful for detailed work but can be helpful if there is limited screen space and
you still want to see a waveform plotted.
◦ RMS Amplitude: Similar to Channel Composite, this displays a single graph of all channels in
the audio stream, but instead of plotting a waveform it shows the average levels of the audio
signal over time. Viewing an average of audio levels in this way is a better method to determine
its volume than inspecting a waveform because it is a better approximation of how our ears and
brains perceive loudness.
p(banner tip). Note that RMS amplitude is still only a loose correlation or rough guide. There are
many factors which affect human perception of loudness which are not included in an RMS
graph, such as the frequency of sounds. (Our ears are more or less sensitive to different
frequencies, meaning that the same power does not always result in the same perceived
loudness.)
• Editor Waveforms
Waveforms will be displayed by default on all Editor audio tracks when the audio size is set to
Medium, Large or Extra Large. Small tracks will not display waveforms. For more information on
adjusting the Audio track Size, see Audio and Video Tracks.

• Composite Shot Waveforms

Layers that contain audio can display waveforms in composite shot timelines. This option can be
enabled on a per-layer basis, so only the waveforms you want to see are displayed.

To enable waveforms for any layer that contains audio, open the Layer Properties in the Controls
Panel, and enable the Show Waveform option. You can also access this option by right-clicking the
layer on the timeline, and selecting Options > Show Waveform from the contextual menu.

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Adjusting Volume
A clip’s volume can be changed over time. By adjusting the volume of multiple clips you can build up a more
interesting soundtrack.

Volume can be adjusted in the Audio Mixer, in the Controls panel, or directly on the timeline. Every audio
clip on the Editor timeline has a volume bar which can be dragged up and down. By default the volume bar
will change the volume of the entire clip. You can add keyframes by holding CTRL (CMD on Mac) and
clicking on the volume bar.

Keyframing can also be turned on and off in the controls panel by clicking the keyframe button to the left of
the Volume property.

With the audio property selected in the Controls panel you can jump between keyframes using the keyframe
navigation buttons at the top of the timeline.

Audio Effects
HitFilm includes several effects to further adjust your audio. These are found in the Effects library in the
Audio folder.

To add an audio effect to an audio clip drag it from the Effects panel onto the clip. You can then customize
the effect in the Controls panel.

For information on individual audio effects, see the Audio effects chapter.

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Syncing Video and Audio

If your video and audio are recorded in separate files, you can sync them in the HitFilm media panel. See
Audio and Video Sync for instructions and more information.

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5.12. Effects and Transitions

Although you’ll do most of your sophisticated visual effects work in composite shots, you can still do basic
effects work in the editor.

The Effects Library

The Effects Panel lists the entire library of effects and transitions built into HitFilm. HitFilm Pro also supports
third party OpenFX plugins, and if you have any OpenFX plugins installed, they will also be listed in the
Effects Panel. For additional information on specific effects, see the Visual Effects chapter.

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The effects in HitFilm are organized topically into folders. The Effects panel also lists your created presets.
See the Presets chapter for more information.

* Effects marked with the [Layer only] tag can only be used in composite shots. All other
effects can be used in the editor.
Effects marked with the tag will run in demo mode in HitFilm Express. You can
purchase the add-on pack containing the effect at any time to remove the watermark.

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Searching for Effects

You can search for effects using the Search bar. As you type the list will be instantly updated to display
relevant results. You don’t need to get the name exactly right – for example, searching for ‘lens’ will find the
‘light flares’ effect.

You can also filter the list to show specific types of effect using the Show All menu.

Controlling Effects
Effects are added to clips by dragging them from the Effects panel onto the chosen clip.

You can then customize the effect in the Controls panel.

To make changes to an effect, first select the relevant clip on the timeline. Its properties will be displayed in
the Controls panel, with all applied effects listed in the effects section. You can expand the effects section
and individual effects to reveal more controls and details.

Clicking once on a property lets you type in a new value. Dragging on a value increases or decreases it. For
full details on adjusting properties, see Introducing the Controls Panel.

Transitions
The Effects library also contains the editor transitions.

Transitions provide interesting ways to blend from one clip into the next and can only be used on the editor
timeline.

You can drag transitions from the Effects panel onto the timeline. Transitions need to be applied to the start
or end of a clip, or between two adjacent clips. A green indicator will show where the transition will be
placed.

Once you have applied a transition it can then be selected on the timeline. The transition’s properties can be
adjusted in the Controls panel.

Click here for detailed information on the different transitions.

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5.12.1. Transition Details

This chapter details the transitions available in HitFilm. For information on applying transitions to your clips
see Effects and Transitions.

Audio
• Cross Fade
Lowers the audio level of the clip preceding the cut, while simultaneously raising the level of the clip
following the cut, for a smooth transition.
• Fade
Adjusts the volume of your audio clip at the start or end, either fading it in from silence or fading it out
to silence.

Video

Dissolve
• Additive Dissolve
A dissolve that brightens the clips during the transition.
• Cross Dissolve
A smooth dissolve which is commonly used in video and film.
• Dither Dissolve
A pixellated dissolve.

Motion
• Push
Animates your videos on or off the screen in a particular direction.
• Slide
Animates one video over the other.
• Split
Splits your video into two halves and moves them in opposite directions.

Wipe
• Clock Wipe
Traditional clock wipe, as if the moving hands of a clock were moving over the video.

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• Linear Wipe
A simple directional wipe.
• Radial Wipe
A curved wipe like the movement of a vehicle’s windshield wiper.

Zoom
• Cross Zoom
Zooms in on the first clip and out of the next.
• Zoom
Zooms the clip in or out of the screen.

Fade to color

Fades from the video to a color of your choice.

Iris

An iris shape expands or contracts to reveal your video. The iris shape can be customized:

• Shape – choose from a variety of iris shapes.

• Rotation – rotate the iris shape.
• Curvature – alter the curve shape of the iris.
• Pinch – adjust the points of the shape.
• Shift – warp the shape clockwise or counter-clockwise.
• Direction – change the direction of the transition.

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5.12.2. Audio Effects

A range of audio effects are included to adjust your audio.

Audio Reverse
Plays the selected clip backwards.

Balance
Pan the audio from left to right within the stereo field of your project.

• Balance: Negative values pan the audio farther to the left channel, and positive values pan it to the
right channel. Zero sends the audio in equal amounts to both channels.

Cathedral
Simulate the acoustics of a cathedral/large cavernous space.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Channel Levels
Used to adjust the volume of each audio channel individually.

• Left: Adjusts the overall level of the Left channel, in a dB scale. 0.0 dB is the original source volume.
• Right: Adjusts the overall level of the Right channel, in a dB scale. 0.0 dB is the original source
volume.

Doppler Shift
When combined with an animated layer, this effect introduces realistic Doppler Shift to an audio layer.

The effect should be added directly to your audio layer. In the effect’s properties you can link it to a separate
layer, which can then be animated. For example, if a point layer is created and animated to move towards
camera, the audio will receive a Doppler Shift as if the sound is approaching camera.

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A practical example would be to use a constant audio recording of a helicopter, which is then linked via the
Doppler Shift effect to an animated 3D helicopter in your scene. The helicopter audio will be shifted
automatically as the vehicle moves.

• Sound Position: Use this menu to select any layer on your timeline. The selected layer’s position will
be used to calculate the Doppler Shift.
• Speed of Sound: Defined in meters per second. Works in conjunction with the Scene Size, which
defines how many pixels are equal to a meter within your specific scene.
• Scene Size: Defines how many pixels in the scene correspond to a real meter. This makes it possible
to get accurate Doppler Shifting for a variety of scene setups.
• Distance Falloff: When activated, the audio will diminish in volume the farther away it is from the
position set in the Volume Distance.
• Volume Distance is the distance from the camera at which audio will be at 100% volume. As audio
gets farther away it will become quieter. At the default of 1000px, if the audio moves closer to camera
it will become louder than 100%.

Echo
Generates echoes from the original audio. You can adjust the number of echoes, and how delayed they are
from the original. The falloff determines how much of the echo is heard before it diminishes and becomes
inaudible.

• Delay: The time in milliseconds between the original audio signal, and the start of the echo. When the
Number of Echoes is set higher than one, this value is also used to set the amount of time between
the start of each echo.
• Falloff: Defines how much the Level of each echo will be reduced from the previous instance. At the
default setting of 50%, the first echo will be half the level of the original signal, the second echo will be
25% of the original level, etc.
• Number of Echoes: The number of times the original audio will be repeated in echo.

Equalizer
The equalizer is used to adjust the strength of specific frequencies in an audio clip. This can be used to
selectively adjust the bass and treble, for example, depending on the intent.

The presets menu provides quick access to common equalization tasks, such as high pass, low pass and
bass boost.

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The Master Gain control is used to control the volume of the clip. This operates separately to the volume
property of the clip and should be used to set the base volume of an audio clip. The volume property can
then be used to fine tune volume and mix clips over time.

Recorded audio will often have a low gain when imported. To set your gain to a satisfactory volume for
standard playback on typical equipment, you can observe the default gain using the audio meters. Playback
the clip and note the peak audio level, as displayed in the peak boxes. You can then make the appropriate
adjustment to the Master Gain. For example, if you have a dialogue track which has been recorded with a
peak of -18dB, making it rather quiet in the mix, you can set the Master Gain to 9.00dB in order to raise the
overall gain to -9dB. This results in louder audio while still leaving headroom to adjust the volume if
required.

Large Room
Simulates the ambient reverb of a large room. A longer reverb than the Medium Room effect.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Medium Room
Simulates the ambient reverb of a medium sized room.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Noise Reduction
This is a quick way to clean up audio which is suffering from unwanted background noise.

After applying the effect, move the playhead to a frame containing the noise you wish to remove, and no
other audio. This should be a frame where there is no other interfering noises. For this reason when
recording audio is is always worth recording a section of ‘clean’ audio before recording your actual subject.
Clicking the Capture Noise Print button samples the audio contained in frame, so that HitFilm can
recognise the noise.

• Capture Noise Print: Clicking this button records whatever audio is present at the current playhead
location. The effect will then use this Noise Print to remove the noise from all other frames of the
video.

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Once you have Captured a Noise Print, some additional controls will appear. In many cases the noise will
be immediately removed. The controls also allow you to fine tune how the noise removal is handled.

• Reset Noise Print: Removes the noise print, so you can select a different frame.
• Add to Noise Print: Allows you to select additional frames of noise, and add them to the noise print.
• Threshold Level: On frames where the noise print overlaps with your dialog or other desired audio,
removing all of the noise can sometimes create unnatural results. Reducing the Threshold Level
restores a bit of the noise, can can be effective for getting a more natural result, while still retaining
significant Noise Reduction.
• Reduce By: Defines, in dB, how much the noise print will be reduced in each frame of your video. If
the results of the reduction are sounding unnatural, try lowering the Reduce By value, so the noise is
not removed entirely.

Pitch
Adjusting the pitch can be useful for particular effects, or to counter the natural pitch change caused by
adjusting playback speed of a clip.

• Semitone Shift: Sets, in semitones, how far the audio is shifted. Moving the slider to the left will shift
the pitch lower, and moving to the right will shift the pitch higher. A semitone is equal to the pitch
change between one key and the next on the piano. From C to C#, for example, is a semitone. 12
semitones is an octave.

Shortwave Radio
Simulates the sound of a shortwave radio.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Small Room
Simulates the ambient reverb of a small room. A shorter reverb than the Medium Room effect.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Telephone
Simulates the sound of telephone audio.

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• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Tone
Generates a continuous tone of a defined frequency. The Type you select makes a bigger difference at
lower Frequencies. The higher the Frequency, the harder it is to distinguish between the Types.

• Type
◦ Sine: A Sine wave gives a smooth, rounded sound.
◦ Square: A Square wave gives a harsh, cutting sound
◦ Frequency: Sets the number of waves per second, which defines the pitch of the tone that is
generated.

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5.13. Using Composite Shots In The Editor

While the editor is capable of basic compositing and effects work, HitFilm’s true compositing power is found
in composite shots.

Composite shots are layer-based timelines and you can create as many of them as you like. They support
2D and 3D compositing plus advanced effects such as the particle simulator. Composite shots are listed in
the Media panel and can be added to the editor timeline like any other asset.

Full details can be found in the Compositing section.

Composite Shots as Clips

Composite shots on the editor timeline behave similarly to ordinary video clips. They can be trimmed, sliced
and moved around. You can add effects and transitions.

Any changes you make to a composite shot clip on the timeline will not affect the actual contents of the
composite shot, in the same way that trimming a video clip does not alter the duration of the source clip on
your computer.

Note that composite shots on the editor timeline will not show video or audio previews unless the composite
shot has been pre-rendered.

The Workflow Options

There are several ways to create composite shots and to integrate them into your edits. It’s up to you how
you structure your workflow.

Converting Clips to Composite Shots

A particularly fast workflow is to first create your basic edit, assembling clips on the timeline as normal. You
can then select any clip on the timeline and convert it to a composite shot using the Make Composite Shot
button at the top of the timeline.

Converting a clip to a composite shot performs the following actions:

1. A new composite shot is created based on the clip’s properties (dimensions, duration, framerate).

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2. The new composite shot is now listed in the Media panel.

3. The selected clip is automatically placed inside the new composite shot.
4. On the editor timeline the clip is replaced by the new composite shot.
5. The new composite shot’s timeline is opened and switched to automatically.

You can switch between the composite shot and the editor at any time using the tabs at the top of the
timeline. Changes made in the composite shot will be reflected on the editor timeline.

When converting a clip you will be asked a couple of questions:

• Name: The new composite shot needs a name. It’s a good idea to have a clear naming policy to keep
track of your work, especially if your project has many VFX shots.
• Take Composite Shot Properties From
The new composite shot can take its core properties from the Selected Clip or from the Editor
Timeline. This is useful if you are creating a composite shot from a video or image which is a different
size to your actual project.
◦ Selected Clip: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio of the source clip, and
applies them to the new Composite Shot.
◦ Editor Sequence: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio selected in the
Project screen, and applies them to the new Composite Shot, so that it matches the Editor
Sequence settings perfectly.
• Effects and Transform Properties
If you have already applied effects to the clip or adjusted its transform properties you can choose
what to do with them.

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◦ Leave Here: applies the effects and transform settings to the new composite shot on the editor
timeline. These will therefore be applied after the composite shot itself has been rendered.
◦ Move with Clip: keeps the effects and transform settings with the original clip, which is then
placed inside the new composite shot as a new layer.

Creating Composite Shots From Media Assets

Composite shots can also be created by using an asset in the Media panel as the source. Simply choose
Make Composite Shot from an asset’s menu to create the composite shot using its properties.

The new composite shot’s details will be displayed so that you can check them, then the new timeline will
open and the composite shot will be listed in the media panel, with the source media already in place as a
layer.

* Creating composite shots in the Media panel does not affect the source media asset.

Creating New Composite Shots

You can also create new composite shots without converting a specific clip. This is useful for creating titles
or motion design elements which aren’t connected directly to a visual effects shot.

To create a new composite shot click the New button in the Media panel and select composite shot from the
menu. You can then set up your composite shot manually according to your requirements. See Composite
Shots for full details.

Once a composite shot is created it is then listed in the Media panel and its timeline will open. To use the
composite shot in your editor, simply switch back to your editor timeline and drag the composite shot from
the Media panel onto the editor, just like you would a video asset.

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6. Compositing

HitFilm’s compositing tools are hugely powerful, providing 2D and 3D layer-based compositing with an
advanced particle simulator, live 3D object rendering, over180 built-in effects, planar tracking with a special
version of mocha from Imagineer Systems and a unified 3D workspace.

The compositing tools work directly alongside the Editor. Switching between your main edit and a fully CG
visual effects shot is as simple as clicking the timeline tab. You can also bypass the editor entirely and use
HitFilm solely as a compositor.

Composite shots are built using layers. Each layer contains a single asset (video, image, particle effect, 3D
model etc) and can be heavily customized by applying transformation, drawing masks, adding effects and
more.

Most customizable properties can also be keyframed, creating animation over time.

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6.1. Creating Composite Shots

Creating New Composite Shots
To create a new composite shot click the New button in the Media panel and select composite shot from the
menu. You can then set up your composite shot manually according to your requirements.

Composite shot properties are similar to the new project settings, with multiple templates provided for
common video formats.

The advanced section of the composite shot properties window contains settings for fog and motion blur.
Fog is used to create a fall-off in 3D scenes, while motion blur can be optionally applied to any moving item.

• More information on Fog.

• More information on Motion Blur.

Once a composite shot is created it is then listed in the Media panel and its timeline will open.

Composite Shots From Media Assets

Composite shots can also be created by using an asset in the Media panel as the source. Simply choose
Make Composites Shot from an asset’s menu to create the composite shot using its properties.

The new composite shot’s details will be displayed so that you can check them, then the new timeline will
open and the composite shot will be listed in the media panel, with the source media already in place as a
layer.

* Creating composite shots in the Media panel does not affect the source media asset.

Converting Layers to Composite Shots

A layer in a composite shot can be converted into a new composite shot. This can be done from a layer’s
menu or by clicking the Make Composite Shot button on the timeline.

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The selected layer is replaced on the timeline with the new composite shot, with the original layer moved
inside the new composite shot as its first layer.

When converting a layer to a composite shot you are presented with the following options:

• Name: The new composite shot needs a name. It’s a good idea to have a clear naming policy to keep
track of your work, especially if your project has many VFX shots.
• Take Composite Shot Properties From
The new composite shot can take its core properties from the Selected Clip or from the Editor
Timeline. This is useful if you are creating a composite shot from a video or image which is a different
size to your actual project.
◦ Selected Clip: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio of the source clip, and
applies them to the new Composite Shot.
◦ Editor Sequence: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio selected in the
Project screen, and applies them to the new Composite Shot, so that it matches the Editor
Sequence settings perfectly.
• Effects and Transform Properties
If you have already applied effects to the clip or adjusted its transform properties you can choose
what to do with them.
◦ Leave Here: applies the effects and transform settings to the new composite shot on the editor
timeline. These will therefore be applied after the composite shot itself has been rendered.
◦ Move with Clip: keeps the effects and transform settings with the original clip, which is then
placed inside the new composite shot as a new layer.

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For more information about using composite shots inside other composite shots, see Embedding Composite
Shots.

Converting Clips to Composite Shots on the Editor Timeline

Composite shots and the editor timeline closely interact. Any clip on the editor timeline can be converted to
a composite shot. For details see Using Composite Shots in the Editor.

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6.2. Using the Composite Shot Timeline

The composite shot timeline has several tools arranged around its outer edge. Many of these are similar to
those found in the editor.

The Time Ruler

Along the top of the timeline is the time ruler, representing the duration of your project. Clicking on the time
ruler will move the playhead, which defines the current frame, which is displayed in the Viewer.

You can also click and drag on the playhead itself.

To jump to a specific time simply type it into the time display at the top-left. The time display can be
switched between time and frames using its menu.

Scaling and Panning the Timeline

The timeline can be scaled using the zoom bar, so that you can either zoom out to see the composite shot’s
entire contents or zoom in to focus on a specific area and perform fine frame-by-frame work.

When zoomed in you can then use the scrollbars or the Hand tool to pan the timeline left and right.

Pressing Ctrl+Home will auto-scroll the timeline to the current playhead position.

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Searching Your Layers

Composite shots can contain large numbers of layers, each of which contains many properties. You can use
the Search box at the top of the timeline to find specific layers or properties within complex timelines.

Setting the Work Area

The work area is represented by the light gray bar running along the time ruler.

You can use the work area to specify a particular part of your composite shot to export or loop play, rather
than exporting the entire timeline.

To set your composite shot’s work area, drag the ends of the work area, use the I key or the O keys on your
keyboard, or use the In and Out buttons on the Viewer. When using the keys or buttons the playhead’s
current position will be used to set the in our out point.

* Pressing the P key will set the work area to encompass the contents of your timeline.
Holding the Alt key and dragging on the work area will move it without changing its
duration.

Exporting
You can export any timeline, in whole or in part, to create a new video file of its contents. On the top right of
each timeline is the Export button. Clicking it reveals two options. Which one you click determines what
portion of the timeline is added to the Export Queue.

• IN/OUT Area: Exports only the work area of your timeline. The work area is defined by the In and Out
points you set. To set the work area, move the playhead to the frame where you want the work area
to begin, and press the I key (for “in”) on the keyboard. Then, move the playhead to the frame where
you want the work area to end, and press the O key (for “out”).
• Contents: Exports the entire contents of the timeline. If your timeline extends beyond the video it
contains, any empty frames on the end will not be included in the export.

The In/Out area can also be adjusted directly in the Project panel of the Export Screen. See Exporting for
full details.

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Keyframes
At the top left of the timeline are the keyframe buttons.

Keyframes are used to store changes to settings on particular frames. For example, on frame 10 a video
could be set to full opacity and then on frame 20 it could be set to 50% opacity. This would be stored as two
keyframes, one on frame 10 and one on frame 20. Between frames 10 and 20 the video would become
gradually more transparent.

The two arrow buttons are used to jump between keyframes for the currently selected property.

The circle button in the center is used to turn keyframes on and off on the current frame for the currently
selected property. If a keyframe is present on the current frame a dot is displayed in the middle the circle.

See Animating with Keyframes to find out more.

Adjusting Properties
You can open a composite shot’s properties at any time by clicking the gear icon in the bottom-left of the
panel.

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6.3. Managing Composite Shots

Your composite shots are listed in the Media panel along with your videos and other media.

This means that you can work with composite shots in the same way you would any other media asset,
including adding them to the editor timeline or even inside another composite shot’s timeline.

Composite shots can also be organized in the Media panel like any other asset. See Organizing Media for
details.

Working with Multiple Timelines

A project can contain multiple composite shot timelines, plus the editor timeline. You can have multiple
timelines open at the same time, with the currently selected timeline displayed in the Viewer.

Switching between timelines is as simple as click the timeline’s name tab.

You can close composite shot timelines without losing any work. Simply click the ‘X’ to remove.

Closed composite shots can be re-opened by double-clicking them in the Media panel. If the composite shot
has been used inside another timelines (see Embedding Composite Shots) you can also double-click the
layer name to open it.

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6.4. Embedding Composite Shots

You can place composite shots inside other composite shots. This is called embedding. The embedded
composite shot is often referred to as a ‘child’ while the composite shot containing it is known as the
‘parent’.

Embedding opens up advanced compositing workflows and also provides a way to organize your layers into
distinct groups. Using embedded composite shots can also provide a performance boost, when combined
with the pre-render system.

To embed a composite shot simply add it to an existing composite shot as a layer, in the same way you
would add a video or any other asset.

Masks and effects can be added to embedded composite shots just like any other media layer.

Creating Embedded Composite Shots

When you convert a layer to a composite shot you are automatically embedding that new composite shot.

You can also select multiple layers when creating a new composite shot, which is a quick way to group
related layers together inside their own composite shot.

Impact on the Render Pipeline

The contents of an embedded composite shot are rendered as one, so that the embedded composite shot
exists as a single layer in the current timeline’s render pipeline.

Therefore you can use an embedded comp to ‘bake in’ all of its contents. Subsequently you can then use
the embedded composite shot as a source layer for effects, knowing that they will use all of the embedded
composite shot’s content.

If an embedded composite shot is set to the 3D unrolled dimensional state, any 3D content inside it will be
rendered in the unified 3D space, while still only occupying a single layer on the timeline. See The Render
Pipeline for details.

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Pre-Render Benefits
Embedded composite shots can be combined with the pre-render system to provide a major performance
boost when working on complex projects.

For example, if you have completed work on a complex particle simulation which doesn’t render in real time,
in many cases you will be able put it into an embedded comp which you then pre-render. This will perform a
background render which will generate a faster performing file, making it possible to continue working
efficiently in the parent composite shot.

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6.5. The Render Pipeline

HitFilm renders layers in a particular order. Understanding this render order makes it easier to construct
your shots.

Layer Order
HitFilm renders from the bottom layer up. Therefore higher layers in the layer stack will obscure lower
layers.

The contents of any embedded composite shot layers are rendered in their entirety before higher layers are
rendered.

Masks and Effects

Each layer can be heavily customized. Layer properties (eg Masks, Effects, Transform) are processed from
top to bottom. Therefore masks are applied before effects.

As a practical example, if you add a circular mask to a layer, cutting out a hole, then add a glow effect, the
glow will also be visible around the edges of the masked hole. This is because the hole is masked first, then
the glow is applied.

Baking In/Flattening
When using a layer as a source for another effect it is important to understand that the source layer will be
used before masks and effects are applied.

If you want the source to include applied effects and masks, the source layer should be made into an
embedded composite shot. This will ‘bake in’ the effects and masks and the embedded composite shot can
then be used as the source.

Using Grade Layers will also flatten all layers below, baking in any effects and masks. Using the grade layer
as a source will in fact use the entire flattened render of all the layers below it.

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3D Layer Modes
3D layers can be set to three states: 2D, 3D plane and 3D unrolled.

When set to 2D, the content of the layer works in full 3D (for example, you can orbit a camera around a 3D
object), but the rendered result of the layer is a 2D element. Therefore the 3D layer’s interactions with other
layers on the timeline is determined solely by its position in the layer stack (Z-depth is not a factor).

3D plane takes the 2D version and renders it as a 3D plane inside the 3D space. In the case of videos,
images and planes this is like having a flat piece of card. With 3D objects and particle simulations it is like
looking through a window onto a 3D scene. The 3D plane exists in 3D space, so its interactions are
determined by its position in 3D space. In the case of 3D objects and particle simulations note that it is the
flat 3D plane which exists in 3D space, not the plane’s contents.

3D unrolled renders 3D content directly into the 3D space. Multiple 3D unrolled layers will accurately
interact with each other in 3D space. This is the unified 3D space and enables powerful interactions – for
example, you can position a green screened actor directly inside the cockpit of a 3D model helicopter,
without needing any layering tricks.

3D Batches
When 3D and 2D layers are combined on the same timeline it can result in render batches. If one or more
2D layers are positioned between 3D layers, it will separate those 3D layers into separate render batches.

Therefore if you need 3D layers to interact with each other properly in 3D space, make sure they are not
separated by any 2D layers.

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6.6. Creating Layers

After creating a composite shot, the first thing you need to do is add some layers to the timeline.

* If you created your composite shot by converting a clip or layer, there will already be at
least one layer on the new timeline.

Adding Media from the Media Panel

You can drag anything in your Media list straight into a composite shot. Simply find the media asset you
want to use and drag it from the list onto your timeline.

When you drag media onto the timeline you need to choose where you want it to go. A blue indicator shows
where the layer will be dropped.

* If you drag over the layer listing you will only see a single line indicating the layer
placement. In this case the layer will always begin at frame 0. If you want to specify a start
frame, drag over the layer view.

Every item in a composite shot exists on its own layer, so each layer can only hold a single item. This
means that each time you add something to the composite shot a new layer is created.

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Adding 3D Effects From the Effects Panel

3D effects include the Particle Simulator and Gunfire. These are located in the Effects library but behave
differently to the other effects.

While other effects can only be applied to an existing clip or layer, 3D effects create a new, dedicated layer
on the timeline.

Generated Layers
HitFilm can create layers internally. These allow for procedural content which does not rely on eternal
media, or which can be combined with external media.

To create a generated layer use the New Layer menu in a composite shot. You can also create planes from
the New menu in the Media panel.

Follow these links to find out more about each layer type:

• Plane: A flat, colored, rectangular shape. Planes are listed in the Media panel for easy re-use. Planes
serve as excellent empty hosts for other effects. Also known as ‘solids’.
• Text: Create text and titles which can be positioned in 3D and customized heavily using effects.
• Grade: These affect all layers below, making it easy to instantly apply effects to multiple layers at
once. Also known as ‘adjustment layers’.
• Camera: 3D scenes require a virtual 3D camera to define the view. 3D cameras share many
similarities with real cameras, including depth of field and zoom.
• Light: Used to create more dramatic lighting in 3D scenes.
• Point: Invisible reference layers which can be linked to other layers. Useful for setting up animation
rigs. Also known as ‘nulls’.

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6.7. Working With Layers

Every layer on the timeline shares some common controls.

Expanding Layers
Layers on the timeline can be expanded to reveal more details using the arrow icon. Each layer contains
sub-groups so that you can quickly find the details you need. Tracks, masks, effects and transform data are
all grouped separately.

Some layers will have additional groups. For example, 3D layers include a Material group for adjusting their
3D lighting behavior.

Customizing Settings
A layer’s settings can be adjusted on the timeline or in the Controls panel. The currently selected layer is
displayed in the Controls panel. Double-clicking a group or property in the timeline or controls panel will
open it in the other area.

See Animating with Keyframes for more information about changing settings over time.

Layer Properties
All layers have a layer properties group. The specific options available will vary depending on the type of
layer. Common options include:

• Visible: turns the layer’s visibility on and off. You can use a layer as a reference for other layers and
effects without it being actually visible in your exports.
• Mute: If the layer contains audio, the Mute option will be displayed. Tick the box to silence all audio
contained in the layer.
• Show Waveform: For layers containing audio, enabling this option displays the waveform on the
timeline.
• Dimension: switches the layer between 2D and 3D. Embedded composite shots, 3D models and
particle simulators also have the 3D unrolled option. More information can be found in The Render
Pipeline.

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• Alignment: provides various auto-alignment options. Along Motion Path aligns the layer according
to its motion (this can be effective if your layer has a define ‘front’, such as an arrow shape). Towards
Target Position keeps the layer aligned towards a specified point in space. Towards Layer keeps
the layer aligned towards a specified layer.
• Blend: changes how the layer is blended onto layer below.
• Motion Blur: activates motion blur for the layer.
• Parent: links the layer’s transform to another layer. Ordinarily a layer’s transform is relative to the
center of the scene. Parenting changes this so that the layer’s transform is relative to the selected
pare * Include in Depth Map: includes or excludes the layer when generating the depth map for the
composite shot. This is important if the composite shot exists as a 3D Unrolled layer on another
timeline.
• Depth Source Layer: for 3D models or 3D effects, this option selects another layer within the
composite shot as the source of the depth map. The depth map acts like a mask, and the layer is only
rendered where it is nearer to the camera than the information in the depth map.
• Promote Lights: on embedded 3D composite shots containing lights, enabling this option allows the
lights to affect 3D layers in the parent composite shot.

Changing Layer Order

Once you’ve created more than one layer you can reorder them be dragging them up and down in the layer
list (on the left side of the timeline).

You can move multiple layers at the same time by Ctrl or Shift clicking them.

Trimming and Moving Layers

The Select tool enables trimming and moving of layers.

To move a layer backwards or forwards in time drag its colored duration bar on the timeline.

Dragging on the start or end of a layer will trim its duration. When a layer is trimmed you can see a dimmed
representation of the layer’s original duration.

Slicing Layers
The Slice tool is used to cut layers into two separate layers. The layer will be sliced at the frame where you
click.

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Rate Stretch
Retiming can be used to speed up or slow down playback for specific layers. Using the Rate Stretch tool to
change a layer’s in or out point will retain the contents of the layer and change its playback speed to fit into
the newly defined space on the timeline.

For example, dragging the out point of a layer so that the layer on the timeline is twice as long will cause the
layer to playback at half speed.

You can also use the Speed/Duration option in any layer’s menu to perform a more accurate speed
adjustment. This displays the Edit speed/duration window:

The two properties, speed and duration, can be linked or separated using the chain icon at the right. The
behavior is subtly different depending on the link state.

When unlinked, as in the picture above, changing the speed will retain the layer’s in and out positions on the
timeline while changing the playback speed of the layer’s content. Changing the duration will change the out
point of the layer without affecting its playback speed.

When the two properties are linked together, changing the speed will also automatically update the duration,
moving the out point of the layer to accommodate the same contents at the new speed. For example, a 2
second layer on the timeline when changed to 50% speed will have a new duration of 4 seconds.
Alternatively, you can change the duration and the speed will be automatically changed to fit the layer’s
contents perfectly into the new duration.

Snapping
The Snap button can be used to turn snapping on and off. Snapping ensures that layers connect directly
with no blank frames in-between.

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Layers snap to other clips and to the playhead.

You can also jump the playhead to the start or end of layers using the Page Up and Page Down keys.

Layer visibility
Any layer can be made visible or invisible at any time using the visibility icon.

Turning a layer invisible does not affect its properties.

Invisible layers will not appear in the viewer and will not be included in any exports.
Note that invisible layers can still be used as source layers for other effects.

Dimension mode
3D layers can be set to three states: 2D, 3D plane and 3D unrolled.

When set to 2D, the content of the layer works in full 3D (for example, you can orbit a camera around a 3D
object), but the rendered result of the layer is a 2D element. Therefore the 3D layer’s interactions with other
layers on the timeline is determined solely by its position in the layer stack (Z-depth is not a factor).

3D plane takes the 2D version and renders it as a 3D plane inside the 3D space. In the case of videos,
images and planes this is like having a flat piece of card. With 3D objects and particle simulations it is like
looking through a window onto a 3D scene. The 3D plane exists in 3D space, so its interactions are
determined by its position in 3D space. In the case of 3D objects and particle simulations note that it is the
flat 3D plane which exists in 3D space, not the plane’s contents.

3D unrolled renders 3D content directly into the 3D space. Multiple 3D unrolled layers will accurately
interact with each other in 3D space. This is the unified 3D space and enables powerful interactions – for
example, you can position a green screened actor directly inside the cockpit of a 3D model helicopter,
without needing any layering tricks.

See The Render Pipeline for more details.

Parenting
The menu at the right of the layer list is for parenting layers together. The menu shows a list of all the layers
in the current composite shot and you can choose one to be the parent of the selected layer.

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When a layer is parented, it takes its transform source from the ‘parent’ layer. If you move the parent layer,
the ‘child’ layer also moves.

You can still transform the child layer on top of the transformation already applied from the parent layer. The
child is transformed relative to the parent.

An unparented layer uses the centre of the 2D or 3D scene as its origin (0,0,0). A parented layer uses its
parent’s transform settings as its origin.

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6.8. Creating and Using Planes

Planes are flat, rectangular shapes that are created inside HitFilm. The color and opacity of a plane are
specified at the time of its creation, but can be edited at any time through the plane’s Properties. Editing the
color or opacity of a plane in its properties will affect every instance of that plane used within your project.

Planes can be in 2D or 3D and have many uses, for example:

• Solid color backgrounds.

• Invisible layers for receiving 3D shadows.
• Reference layers for parenting.
• Creating simple 3D geometry.
• Creating 2D shapes using masks.

Creating Planes
Planes can be created from the New menu in the Media panel or from the New Layer menu in a composite
shot timeline.

In both cases a new plane is created and is listed in the Project Media list. If you use the New Layer menu
on the timeline the plane will also be automatically added to the timeline as a new layer.

Plane Properties
When creating a new plane you need to choose its initial properties. You can always update these
properties later by editing the plane in the Media panel.

• Name: The plane will be listed in the Media panel and displayed on the timeline using this name.
• Width/Height: Determines the resolution of the plane. You can make it larger, smaller or the same
size as your project and composite shots.
• Aspect: The shape of the individual pixels, which in turn affects the shape of the plane frame. Some
formats use non-square pixels to create widescreen aspect ratios, so make sure you check your
camera’s specification if your plane looks the wrong shape.
• Color: Clicking the color box will display a standard color palette for choosing the plane’s color.
Alternatively, you can click and drag on the color pipette icon then move the mouse over any color on
your screen. The Opacity of a plane can also be edited here. White, grey, black, and completely
transparent swatches are also provided for quick selection.

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• Match Sequence/Composite Shot: This button will automatically adjust the plane’s settings to match
those of your currently active editor sequence or composite shot.

* The color of a plane is one of its core properties. Changing the color will affect all instances
of the plane in your project.

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6.9. Grade Layers

Grade layers are quick ways to color grade several layers at once.

The alternatives are to grade each layer individually (which gives you lots of control but can take some
time!) or to put all the layers into an embedded composite shot and grade that (which can be inconvenient if
you don’t want to embed those layers). Using grade layers can be faster and easier.

Creating Grade Layers

You can create grade layers from the New Layer menu in composite shot timelines.

When they are first created, grade layers will be invisible and will have no effect on your project. Any 2D
effects you add to the grade layer will affect all of the layers beneath it.

Grade layers are created at the same resolution as the currently open composite shot.

* Grade layers flatten any 3D layers they are above. This means that any 3D layers above
the grade layer will not be able to interact with 3D layers below.

Transforming Grade Layers

Grade layers can be transformed like any other layer, in 2D or 3D.

By transforming a grade layer you can change the area affected by it. Only layers directly behind the grade
layer will be affected.

* Masks can also be used to specify which parts of a grade layer affect the layers below.

3D Transform & Layer Order

If you transform a grade layer in 3D, its position in 3D space does not directly affect which layers it grades.
Even when in 3D, it is its position in the layer listing on the timeline which determines which layers are
affected.

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6.10. Transforming Layers

Transforming a layer means to change its position, scale or rotation.

In composite shots this can be done in 2D or 3D. The interfaces are largely the same, with 3D layers gaining
the Z (depth) dimension. See “ in 3D for more details.

To transform a layer, first select it on the timeline. You can then control it on the timeline, in the Viewer or in
the Controls panel.

In the Viewer you will see a transform widget:

Dragging on the arrow will move the layer on the horizontal or vertical, while dragging on the blue square
will rotate it. You can also click anywhere else on the layer to move it freely.

At the 4 corners of a layer are handles which can be dragged to resize it. Holding SHIFT maintains the
aspect ratio, while holding ALT (OPT on Mac)) rotates the layer. Holding CTRL (CMD on Mac) will set the
control point to the opposite corner, and resize the layer from that corner, rather than from the center.

The Controls panel provides fine control over the layer’s transform properties:

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Clicking once on a property lets you type in a new value. Dragging on a value increases or decreases it.

Holding CTRL (CMD on Mac) and clicking on a positive Transform value will switch it to a negative value
and vice versa (eg, -500 will become 500).

Anchor Points
Every layer has an anchor point. This is the layer’s origin around which it rotates.

The default anchor point for layers is in the center. For most purposes this is the most useful location for the
anchor point but there are some circumstances where moving the anchor point would be beneficial.

For example, if you had a simple rectangular plane and wanted to rotate it around one corner instead of its
center, you would move the anchor point to that corner then use the normal rotation controls.

2D Properties
• Opacity: The transparency of the clip.
• Anchor Point: Sets the location of the anchor point, with 0,0 being the center of the layer.
• Position: Moves the layer along the X and Y axes.
• Scale: Enlarges or shrinks the layer. The X and Y scales are linked by default so that your layer
retains its original shape. You can unlink them using the chain icon.

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• Rotation: Rotates the layer around its anchor point. Rotation is presented as number of turns and
degrees, making it easy to keyframe multiple rotations.

Some additional properties are available for 3D layers. These are discussed in the Working in 3D section.

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6.10.1. Animation
In HitFilm, animation refers to anything that changes over time, not just to movement. For example, this
could refer to changing a layer’s transparency over time, having its color shift from blue to red over time, or
increasing the number of particles created each second.

By default, changing a property will change it for the duration of the layer. Moving a layer to the right, for
example, will cause it to remain in that new position for its entire duration. If you want a property to change
over time – for example, having a layer move from left to right over five seconds – you need to start using
keyframes.

Your timelines are built up from multiple frames. A keyframe is a special frame which stores additional
information about a change to a property value. Keyframes are turned off for all properties by default. To
turn keyframing on for a property simply click the grey circle to the left of the property name. For more
information on using keyframes see Animating with Keyframes.

Keyframes
All properties have temporal animation. This is animation which happens over time. By adjusting the
temporal interpolation you can alter the speed at which animation plays out.

The default timeline view shows all your keyframes. Each property has its own row on the timeline and
keyframes are displayed here as grey icons. Here’s an example showing keyframes for a layer’s opacity and
position properties:

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Note that this view makes it easy to see how keyframes relate to each other – in this case, I can see that the
opacity of the layer changes while the layer moves position. However, there’s no way at a glance to see the
value of each keyframe, without moving the playhead and checking the numerical display on the left, or
observing the layer in the Viewer.

Value Graph
The value graph mode displays an alternate view. Here’s the same setup in value graph mode:

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The value graph shows the details for the currently selected property. At a glance you can see how the
value changes over time, without needing to move the playhead. In the case of the position property there
are two lines plotted – one for the X position (red) and one for the Y position (green).

The graph here shows that the layer is moving from left to right while also dropping lower in frame before
rising back up again. This information isn’t available in the default timeline view. The angle of the graph
shows the speed of the value change. A steep angle shows a faster animation.

However, because the value graph can only display a single property at a time it can’t be used to directly
compare multiple properties. If we wanted to see the opacity keyframes, we would have to first select it in
the layer list.

See The Value Graph for full details.

Spatial Controls
A layer’s position property has an additional spatial element. This is how the property changes in space,
which is separate to how it changes over time.

The animation of a layer in space is displayed using a motion path. This is draw onto the Viewer and shows
the path taken by the layer over time.

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Full details can be found in the chapter Spatial Animation in the Viewer.

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6.10.1.1. Animating With Keyframes

Keyframes are used to log any changes you make to properties. When you change a property value which
has keyframes enabled, the new value will be stored on the current frame as a keyframe. By creating
multiple keyframes on different frames you can change a value over time.

Activating Keyframing
Keyframing has to be explicitly turned on for each property you want to animate.

If keyframing is turned off, any changes you make will affect the setting for the duration of the layer. Moving
to a different frame and making a further change will also make that change for the entire layer.

Once keyframing is turned on for a property, every time you make a change it is stored on that precise
frame as a keyframe. You can the go to different frames and make adjustments to create multiple
keyframes. HitFilm then animate the setting from one keyframe to the next.

To turn keyframing on and off click the circle to the left of the property. When activated the keyframe icon
will turn blue and a new keyframe will be placed at the playhead’s current position.

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Creating Keyframes
Every time you change a setting in HitFilm, a keyframe is placed on the timeline at the playhead position.
Keyframes contain information about the changes you make.

HitFilm automatically interpolates from one keyframe value to the next. This means that you don’t need to
animate every single frame.

For example: If you have a keyframe on frame 1 which positions a layer on the far left of the screen, then
another keyframe on frame 24 positioning the layer on the far right, HitFilm will animate the layer moving
from left to right over the course of those 24 frames.

To duplicate selected keyframes, you can hold CTRL (CMD on Mac) and drag the existing keyframes to a
new location. The original keyframes will stay in position, while a new duplicate set is created at the time
you drag to.

Navigating by Keyframes
Once you have created several keyframes it can be useful to quickly move between them on the timeline.

You can do this using the Previous/Next Keyframe controls at the top of the timeline, which jump your
playhead between keyframes for the currently selected property.

You can also double-click on a keyframe on the timeline to jump the playhead to that position.

Adding and Removing Keyframes

Sometimes you may want to add or remove a keyframe to the current frame without actually changing any
settings.

This can be done by clicking the Add/Remove Keyframe button at the top of the timeline (positioned
between the keyframe navigation arrows).

If there is a keyframe on the current frame already, clicking the add/remove button will remove it.

If there is not a keyframe on the current frame, a new keyframe will be created using the settings from that
frame.

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Editing Keyframes
Once a keyframe has been created you can make further adjustments to its position and behaviour. To edit
the value of an existing keyframe you first need to move the playhead to the keyframe. If you don’t do this,
you will instead create a new keyframe on the current frame. The easiest way to do this is simply to double-
click on the relevant keyframe.

Selecting Keyframes
Keyframes can be selected using the Select tool. Selected keyframes are highlighted in blue.

• Simply Click a keyframe to select it. Selecting a different keyframe will deselect the first one.
• Holding CTRL (CMD on Mac) while selecting keyframes enables you to select multiple keyframes.
• Multiple keyframes can also be selected by dragging a selection box.

Moving Keyframes
Selected keyframes can be moved around the timeline by dragging them with the mouse.

Keyframes can only be dragged horizontally on the timeline. They can’t be dragged onto other properties.

* If you want to transfer keyframes from one property to a similar property in another layer
you can copy and paste them

Selecting three or more keyframes and holding the ALT (OPT on Mac) key while dragging on the keyframe
to the extreme left or right of the selection scales the keyframe positions.

* Scaling the keyframe positions may create sub-frame keyframes which don’t exist on
specific frames. These cannot be directly edited without first being moved to a primary
frame position.

Changing Temporal Interpolation

Interpolation affects how HitFilm animates from one keyframe to the next.

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You can change the temporal interpolation by right clicking selected keyframes and exploring the
Interpolation menu, or using the interpolation buttons along the top of the timeline. The interpolation menu
also displays options for spatial interpolation, which you can find out about in the chapter Spatial Animation
in the Viewer.

• Linear: Interpolates from one keyframe to the next without any smoothing.The value changes the
same amount on each frame.
• Smooth: As the keyframe approaches, the size of the value change per frame will get smaller,
resulting in a gradual adjustment into and out of the keyframe.
• Smooth In: The smoothing only occurs on the left of the keyframe.
• Smooth Out:The smoothing only occurs on the right of the keyframe.
• Constant: Each keyframe value is held as a constant until the next one is reached. There is no
interpolation. Temporal interpolation is represented on the value graph as a curve. A steeper curve
represents more rapid and abrupt interpolation. See The Value Graph for details.

The temporal interpolation of a layer’s position property is also represented as dots on the motion path in
the Viewer, with each dot representing a frame. Linear interpolation will show evenly spaced dots, as the
value change on each frame is the same. Switching to smoothed keyframes will cause the dots to
accumulate towards the keyframe, as more frames are used to create a more gradual value change.
Therefore a denser cluster of dots indicate relatively slower value change, while sparser dots indicate faster
change.

Here is linear temporal interpolation represented on the Viewer:

And here is the same animation with the keyframe on the right set to Smooth In:

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Note how the second example has a tighter cluster of dots (frames) as the layer approaches the keyframe
on the right. Also note how the layer itself (the small, grey square) is further to the right in the second
example, even though both images were taken on the same frame. This is because the change of value on
the left half of the animation, where more distance is covered in viewer frames (dots) is greater than on the
right.

For more information see Spatial Animation in the Viewer.

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6.10.1.2. The Value Graph

The value graph provides finer control over temporal interpolation between keyframes.

The graph plots the value of the most recently selected property against time, with a line representing the
change in value. As you add keyframes, the graph visually represents the change in value.

Take a look at this example:

This graph is showing the Position property, which is highlighted in the layer list on the left. The position
property draws two separate lines on the graph, one for the X coordinate (red) and one for the Y coordinate
(green). In this particular example you can tell at a glance that the layer has been animated to move from
left to right over the course of 5 seconds.

The keyframe at the left shows the X value (red) at -200, while the Y value (green) is at 0. This means the
layer is positioned to the left of center by 200 pixels. The second keyframe, at 5 seconds, shows that the Y
value has not changed, so the layer has not moved vertically. The X value has changed to 200, with the red
line drawn between the two keyframes revealing a linear animation from left to right.

Here is that same animation, with the keyframe on the right changed to Smooth In interpolation:

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Note how the smoothed keyframe is represented on the graph by a gradual curve. In the first image a
straight line was drawn between the keyframes, representing a linear move. The curve in this second
example shows that the speed of the value change alters over time. At the start of the animation, close to
the first keyframe, the angle of the curve is steeper, meaning that the animation here is faster. As the curve
becomes less steep, the animation slows down, creating a gentle shift into the value of the second
keyframe.

Keyframes on the Value Graph

Keyframes function similarly on the value graph as they do in the normal timeline view. You can use the
controls at the top of the timeline to jump between keyframes and to switch temporal interpolation type. See
Animating with Keyframes for full details.

Additionally, when in a keyframe mode other than linear or constant you will be presented with bezier
handles. These can be used to fine tune the shape of the curve.

Scaling the Graph

The scale of the graph is different for each property. With the auto zoom feature turned on the graph will
automatically scale appropriately so as to include all keyframes within the timeline’s height.

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If you turn off the auto zoom, you can then scale the height of the graph manually by holding CTRL or
SHIFT and scrolling the mouse wheel. This way you can zoom in on a specific area when needed.

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6.10.1.3. Spatial Animation in the Viewer

When transforming a layer’s position property you can fine tune the animation using the spatial controls in
the Viewer.

As you create keyframes for your animation they will be represented in the Viewer as small white squares.
Selecting a keyframe on the timeline or in the Viewer highlights it in blue.

Right clicking on a keyframe displays both the temporal and spatial interpolation options. Information on
temporal controls can be found in the chapter Animating with Keyframes.

There are three types of spatial interpolation:

• Linear: creates abrupt changes of direction without any curvature. The trajectory between each
keyframe will be a straight line, with hard angles at keyframes.
• Auto Bezier: creates a smooth curve automatically at keyframes, so that the trajectory from the
previous keyframe blends smoothly into the trajectory to the following keyframe. Bezier control
handles are displayed on the keyframe, and adjusting these will automatically switch the interpolation
to manual bezier.
• Manual Bezier allows you to define the curve of animation yourself by manipulating the bezier
handles. Keyframes have two handles, which can be adjusted to change the angle of curve.
• Lock Control Points: When Lock Control Points is activated, both control points will move at the
same time, ensuring that the curve going into the keyframe flows smoothly into the exit curve. If you
disable Lock control points, you can then create fully arbitrary angles. In both cases, the steepness of
the preceding or ensuing curve can be adjusted separately by stretching the length of each handle.

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Here is an example of a locked control point keyframe:

And here is an example of an unlocked control point keyframe:

By combining spatial interpolation with the temporal controls detailed in The Value Graph you can create
highly detailed animations.

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6.11. Using Point Layers

A point is an invisible layer which does not appear in your exported videos. The point exists in the viewer
and can be transformed like any other layer. It can exist in 2D or 3D.

Point layers become particularly useful when you parent other layers to them. You can use them to pivot
multiple layers around a specific point in space, for example.

Creating Point Layers

Point layers can only be created using the New Layer menu on a composite shot timeline.

Controlling Point Layers

Point layers do not have any unique properties and are controlled entirely using the standard Transform
properties.

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6.12. Motion Blur

HitFilm can optionally apply automatic motion blur to layers and some effects and transitions based on their
movement. This can greatly increase the realism of animations.

Motion blur needs to be turned on for each layer. This can be done by selecting the layer (or multiple layers)
and clicking the Motion Blur button at the top of the timeline.

Each composite shot has its own motion blur settings. These affect the amount of blur applied to layers. To
change a composite shot’s motion blur open its Settings window and switch to the Advanced tab. The
Settings window can be opened clicking the cog icon at the bottom left of the timeline, or clicking the same
icon next to the composite shot’s name in the Media panel.

Motion Blur Properties

• Enable: Turns motion blur on and off for the composite shot.
• Shutter Angle: A larger shutter angle will create more motion blur. The shutter angle simulates the
amount of time a real camera shutter is open.
• Shutter Phase: Positions the blur in relation to the moving object. This can be used to offset the blur
in front of or behind the object. For realistic motion blur this is best kept set to 0.
• Use Adaptive Samples: When activated, HitFilm will automatically estimate how many samples are
required for good quality motion blur and will only use as many as it needs, up to the value set in the
Max number of samples property. When turned off the max number of samples will always be used,
even when they’re not needed, which could impact on performance.
• Max Number of Samples: Motion blur is constructed by sampling the position of the layer over
multiple frames. A higher number of samples will result in a higher quality motion blur. Fewer samples
will be faster to render but may introduce visible banding in the motion blur.

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6.13. Compositing With Blend Modes

HitFilm includes multiple blend modes, which are used to control how layers and effects are combined
visually.

A layer’s blend mode can be changed from its contextual menu on the timeline or from the Control panel.
Some effects have their own blend modes, and masks also have a selection of blend modes.

Each blend mode combines pixels together in a unique manner. Before any blend mode calculations are
performed, the color values are mapped from the RGB range of 0-255 to a range of 0.0-1.0, where 0.0 is
pure black, and 1.0 is pure white. Blend modes fall into several categories, based on the general effect they
have on the combined layers.

• Add, Color Dodge, Divide, Lighten, and Screen: All of these options brighten the image. In all of
these modes, any black areas in the blended layer will disappear and have no effect.
• Darken, Color Burn, Multiply, and Subtract: All darken the image. In all of these modes, any white
areas in the blended layer will disappear and have no effect.
• Hard Light, Overlay and Soft Light: These modes all increase the contrast in the image.Areas of
50% grey in the blended layer will have no effect, while areas closer to black or white will have a
greater impact on the contrast of the resulting image.
• Difference and Exclusion: Both invert luminance or color values in the resulting image.
• Color, Hue, Lightness and Saturation: These modes all look at the blended layer in HSL color
space, and then apply one or two of the three HSL components of the blend layer to the base layer.

Blend Modes
Below is a list of all available blend modes and details of how they work. Blend Layer will refer to the to
layer, to which the blend mode is being applied. Base Layer refers to the layer below the blend layer, which
the blend layer will be blended with.

• Normal: The default blend mode. Layers are not mixed at all. The Blend Layer is displayed without
mixing any of the colors with the Base Layer. The Blend Layer will completely obscure the Base
Layer, unless the Blend Layer contains its own masking or alpha channel.
• Add: Pixel values are added together, resulting in a brighter image. Any pixels where the sum of the
addition produces a value higher than 1.0 will be clipped to 1.0 and will display as white. Useful for
compositing light-based visual effects such as light flares, muzzle flashes, lightswords and stock
explosions.Similar to Screen blend, but with somewhat more intense results.

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• Color: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the Hue and Saturation values from the
Blend Layer with the Luminance values of the Base Layer. This is often used to quickly tint images, by
using the Blend Layer as a color map.
• Color Burn: Simulates “burning” film in a darkroom by increasing the contrast of the Base Layer,
based on the color values of the Blend Layer. To do this it inverts the values of the Base Layer,
divides the result by the Blend Layer, then inverts the results. Like Multiply, Color Burn darkens the
image overall, but reduces highlights even more, and gives more saturated mid-tones. It is basically
the opposite of Color Dodge.
• Color Dodge: Simulates the effect of “dodging” film in a darkroom by decreasing the contrast of the
Base Layer based on the color values present in the Blend Layer. To do this it inverts the values of
the Blend Layer, then divides the Base Layer by those inverted values. Like Screen mode, Color
Dodge lightens the overall image, but tends to result in intense, saturated mid-tones and blown-out
highlights. It is basically the opposite of Color Burn.
• Darken: For each pixel, Darken compares the color value of the Base Layer to that of the Blend Layer
and displays whichever is darker. Darken can be useful for combining the black areas of multiple
layers when creating or refining masks. It is the opposite of Lighten.
• Difference: Takes the color value for each pixel, and subtracts the Base value from the Blend value.
The difference between these values is used as the new color value for the pixel. If the resulting
number is negative the positive equivalent value is applied (Example: “-64” would become “64”). If the
Blend color is pure white (255,255,255), the Base color will be inverted. This effect can yield dramatic
and psychedelic color shifts. Difference can be very useful for comparing identical layers to ensure
correct alignment. The Difference Key effect is based off this blend mode: a clean “background plate”
is used, and the identical areas in the footage to be keyed go completely to black, allowing the areas
isolated by the Difference blending to be enhanced and separated by means of a luma key.
• Dissolve: For each pixel, the value is randomly picked from either the Base or Blend Layer. Some
pixels will use the color data of the Base, and others will use the color data from the Blend. When first
applied it often appears as if the blend mode has no effect, because its results depend on adjustment
to the layer opacity. At 100% opacity of the layer, all pixels will take values from the Blend Layer. At
0% opacity, all pixels use Base values. At any value in between, pixels will be randomly chosen from
the Base and Blend Layers. Dissolve does not apply any kind of smoothing, blurring or anti-aliasing,
so the result tends to look very grainy.
• Divide: Divides the Base value by the Blend value, resulting in a lightening of the image. Since any
value divided by itself results in 0, this can be useful for removing color tints or casts from an image.
By using a plane of the color you want to remove as the Blend Layer, any areas in the Base Layer
containing the color of the plane will be neutralized to grey.
• Exclusion: Similar to Difference blending. However, in Exclusion the calculation ignores positive/
negative values, using absolute values only. This means similar values tend to get shifted to mid-
greys rather than black, resulting in a lower contrast image. Unlike Difference, which can be used in
keying, Exclusion is pretty much only useful for surreal, solarized color effects.

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• Hard Light: Increases contrast using a combination of Multiply and Screen blend modes. Hard Light
applies the Screen Blend mode to areas of the Blend Layer with values greater than 50%, and applies
the Multiply Blend mode to areas of the Blend Layer with values less than 50%. Hard Light is similar
to Overlay and Soft Light, but more extreme than both. It is essentially the same as overlay, except
that Hard Light is based on the values of the Blend Layer.
• Hue: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the Luminance and Saturation values of the
Base Layer with the Hue of the Blend Layer. Used carefully, this can alter colors while retaining the
tonal and saturation values of the image, which can result in accurate, subtle tonal shifts.
• Lighten: For each pixel, Lighten compares the color value of the Base Layer to that of the Blend
Layer and displays whichever is lighter. Lighten can be useful for combining the white areas of
multiple layers when creating or refining masks. It is the opposite of Darken.
• Luminosity: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the hue and saturation values from
the Base Layer with the Luminance values of the Blend Layer. Luminosity can be particularly useful
for sharpening. By blending a sharpened greyscale duplicate of a layer back onto the full color
original, you can effectively sharpen the image without crating undesirable color halos or artifacting.
• Multiply: Multiplies the Base value by the Blend value, resulting in a darker image overall. Any color
multiplied by black (0.0) creates black, and any color multiplied by white (1.0) remains unchanged.
Thus multiply can be effective for removing white areas of the Blend Layer. It gives the opposite result
of the Screen blend mode.
• Overlay: Increases contrast using a combination of Multiply and Screen blend modes. Overlay applies
the Screen Blend mode to areas where the Base layer contains values greater than 50%, and applies
the Multiply Blend mode to areas where the Base Layer contains values less than 50%. Similar to Soft
Light and Hard Light in the results it produces. It is essentially the same as Hard Light, except that
Overlay is based on the values of the Base Layer.
• Saturation: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the Luminance and Hue values of the
Base Layer and the Saturation values of the Blend Layer. This can be used for artistic effects, or for
selectively de-saturating parts of an image.
• Screen: The pixel values of both layers are inverted, multiplied, then inverted again, resulting in a
brighter picture. Effective for compositing transparent stock elements such as smoke and glows. It is
similar to Add in its results, but tends to be more subtle. It gives the opposite result of the Multiply
blend mode.
• Soft Light: Increases overall contrast and vibrance of an image, in a manner similar to Hard Light and
Overlay. Soft Light applies a half-strength Screen Blend mode to areas of the Blend Layer with values
greater than 50%, and applies the half-strength Multiply Blend mode to areas of the Blend Layer with
values less than 50%. The results are more subtle than Hard Light and Overlay.
• Subtract: Subtracts the Blend Layer value from the Base Layer value, resulting in a darkening of the
overall image. Negative values are clipped to 0 (black).

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6.14. The Layer Viewer

The Layer viewer is used for displaying a non-transformed, pre-effects version of your currently selected
layer. This is used for accurate masking and during 2D Tracking.

Accessing the Layer Panel

The Layer panel is always linked to the Viewer. You can display the Viewer or the Layer panel but you can’t
see them both at the same time.

To use the Layer panel, simply switch to it using the tab next to the Viewer, then select a layer on the
timeline.

You can switch between the Viewer and the Layer panel at any time when in a composite shot timeline.

Masking
The Layer panel shows your selected layer before any transformation or effects are applied. This can be
very useful when compositing: even if you’ve animated your layer so that it is difficult to work on directly in
the Viewer, you can switch to the Layer panel to get an undistorted view.

Check out the Masking section for more details.

Tracking
The Layer panel is used for positioning 2D tracking points. For details on HitFilm’s 2D tracking head over to
the Tracking section.

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6.15. Masking
Masking is used to manually create a matte. A matte determines which parts of a layer are visible.

Practically, this means that masks are used to cut holes in your layers.

You can draw masks manually inside HitFilm or use mocha’s planar tracking to automatically track shapes
for you. See Planar Tracking with mocha HitFilm for details.

Creating Masks
Masks can only be created in composite shots.

To create a mask you use the mask drawing tools, which are used to draw elliptical, rectangular and
freehand shapes. First select a layer on the timeline, then use one of the mask tools to begin drawing. You
may want to use the Layer Viewer to make it easier to see your layer.

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Rectangle and Ellipse Shapes

• Elliptical Mask: draws a circular or elliptical mask.

• Rectangular Mask: draws a square or rectangular mask.

Click and drag on the Viewer to create the shape. This will create a new mask on the currently selected
layer. Releasing the mouse will set the shape.

Holding SHIFT while drawing the shape will constrain it to a perfect square or circle. Holding ALT (OPTION
on Mac) will set the center of the mask at the original point you pull from.

To deform the shapes see ‘Editing masks’, below.

Freehand Mask

For all mask shapes other than basic rectangles or ellipses, you will use the Freehand Mask tool. Freehand
masks can be used for creating even very complex mask shapes.

With the Freehand Mask tool selected you can click on the Viewer to draw points. Clicking and dragging
creates a curved line, while clicking and releasing creates a linear, straight line.

The shape of curved points can be further adjusted using the extension handles.

You can change the type of any point by right clicking on it and choosing the required type from the menu:

• Make Curved Locked: Both extension handles work in tandem. Adjusting one will adjust the other
simultaneously. This is useful for maintaining smooth curves.
• Make Curved Unlocked: The extension handles can be adjusted separately. This is useful for
creating sharp corners while retaining a curved line.
• Make Linear: The point forms an angled corner and the line either side is straight.
To activate a freehand mask you must close it. To do this simply click again on the first point you
created, having created at least 3 points. The mask will close and activate.

Editing Masks
Once a mask has been created it can be edited and customized. There are two primary ways to edit a mask.

1. Using the Freehand Shape tool, you can edit or animate the individual points of the mask, individually
or in groups.

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2. Using the Selection tool, you can edit or animate the mask as a whole, using the Position, Scale, and
Rotation properties.

* Prior to version 8, editing individual mask points was the only way masks could be edited or
animated.

Editing the Shape

If you want to make adjustments to the mask shape use the freehand shape tool. This will display all of the
available mask shape points of the currently selected mask. Masks can be selected on the timeline or in the
Controls panel.

Individual points can be clicked and dragged to change the shape. Curved points have additional bezier
controls for changing the curvature. Clicking on a connecting line will add a new linear point. Clicking and
dragging on a connecting line will add a new curved point.

To edit multiple points at once, you can drag a marquee around the points to select them. A bounding box
will appear, enclosing the selected points.

• Dragging any corner will uniformly scale the selected points from the center of the bounding box.
• Holding SHIFT will override the aspect ratio lock, and allow freeform scaling from the center of the
bounding box.
• Holding CTRL (CMND on Mac) will uniformly scale the selected points from the opposite corner of the
bounding box.
• Holding SHIFT+ CTRL (SHIFT + CMND on Mac) will allow freeform scaling from the opposite corner
of the bounding box.
• Holding ALT (OPT on Mac) and dragging any corner will rotate the selected points around the center
of the bounding box.

* Double-click any selected point to select all points in the mask.

Right-clicking on a selected point opens a menu with several additional options.

• Select All can be used to select all points in the mask.

• Invert Selection will select all unselected points, and deselect the currently selected points.
• Reset will restore the mask to its original shape.

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Transforming the Shape

Using the Select tool in the Viewer you can transform the mask shape in the same way you would the layer
itself. The currently selected mask on the timeline or in the Controls panel will also be selected in the
Viewer, with a bounding box around the shape. This can be used to scale and position the shape without
changing the shape.Click within the mask and drag to reposition it. Hold SHIFT and drag to reposition the
anchor point from the center of the layer.

• Dragging any corner will uniformly scale the selected points from the anchor point of the mask.

• Holding SHIFT will override the aspect ratio lock, and allow freeform scaling from the anchor point of
the mask.
• Dragging any edge point will scale the mask on that specific axis.
• Holding CTRL (CMND on Mac) will uniformly scale the selected points from the opposite corner of the
bounding box.
• Holding SHIFT+ CTRL (SHIFT + CMND on Mac) will allow freeform scaling from the opposite corner
of the bounding box.
• Holding ALT (OPT on Mac) and dragging on an edge point will rotate the shape.

Animating Masks

To animate the mask over time you must have the Path property’s keyframes enabled. See Animating with
Keyframes for details.

The mask’s entire shape is stored in the Path property. You cannot keyframe individual mask points.

Mask Properties

A mask’s properties can be customized in the Controls panel or on the timeline.

• Inverted: Toggles whether the mask selection area is inside or outside of your specified shape.
• Blend: Multiple mask shapes can be blended together in various ways for different results.
• Shape
◦ Expansion: This can be used to contract or expand the mask without needing to change its
shape or position.
◦ Feather: There are three types of feathering; working from Inside the mask shape, Outside, or
Both. Which you use will depend on the specifics of your shot.

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◦ Feather Strength: A stronger feather creates a softer edge to the mask.

◦ Roundness: This is a useful way to change a linear shape into a curved shape without needing
to alter the points.
• Transform
◦ Path: If keyframing is turned on for this property the mask shape can then be animated over
time.
p(banner tip). You cannot add or remove mask points using keyframing. A mask shape will have
the same number of points for its entire duration.
◦ Opacity: Adjusts the transparency of the mask.
◦ Anchor Point: Sets the location of the mask’s anchor point, with 0,0 being the center of the
mask.
◦ Position: Moves the mask along the X and Y axes. This is useful for quickly moving the mask
without changing its shape.
◦ Scale: Enlarges or shrinks the mask. The X and Y scales are linked by default so that your
layer retains its original shape. You can unlink them using the chain icon.
◦ Rotation: Rotates the mask around its anchor point. Rotation is presented as number of turns
and degrees, making it easy to keyframe multiple rotations.
◦ Extra Transform: Used by mocha HitFilm. See Planar Tracking with mocha HitFilm for details.

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6.16. Tracking
HitFilm includes multiple options for tracking:

• Optical flow and template match tracking for fast feature tracking and stabilization inside HitFilm,
described below.
• Planar tracking for advanced roto and camera solving with mocha HitFilm from Imagineer Systems.
• Importing 3D camera tracking data from Boujou, SynthEyes, PFtrack and more (sold separately).

2D Feature Tracking
HitFilm’s 2D tracker is designed for quickly tracking moving features in your videos.

The Track panel is where you control all of your 2D tracking inside HitFilm. The Track panel only displays
information if you have a tracker selected on the timeline.

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Tracking is split into two steps. First you track parts of a video layer, then you apply that tracking data to a
layer either to stabilize or transform it.

* Tracking can only be performed on video layers.

When you track a layer the information is stored in a Tracker on the timeline, under the Track section. A
tracker can then contain one or two tracking points, which store the actual animation keyframes.

Creating A Tracker
A new tracker can be added to any video layer by clicking the + button on the timeline, found to the right of
the Tracks section.

This will add a new tracker to the layer, containing a single tracking point, and will automatically switch to
the Layer viewer.

* You can give your trackers more descriptive names.

Tracking Point Properties

Tracking points contain several properties which can be edited manually from the Controls panel or timeline.
However, these properties will most commonly be populated using the Track panel.

Step 1: Track Your Points

The first step is to track points on your video layer. To do this you must switch to the Track and Layer
panels.

* racking points are only displayed on the Layer panel. For more information see The Layer
viewer.

Tracking Setup

There are several properties that can be adjusted in the Track panel prior to tracking your points.

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• Type: You can choose between tracking a single point or two points. If you want to track rotation or
scale transformation you will need to use the double point option. For simpler position tracking you
only need a single point.
• Method: HitFilm has two types of tracking, Optical Flow and Template Match. Choosing a specific
tracking method can affect the quality of your results. Both methods should provide high quality tracks
but you may find that certain situations better suit one or the other.
◦ Optical Flow observes all movement within the search area, determining the flow of brightness
to track the object. This is useful if the tracked feature is repeated several times inside the
search area, or if the shape of the tracked feature changes slightly over time. Optical flow can
also sometimes continue to track a feature even if it is obscured for a few frames, by continuing
to track the overall flow of movement. This method can also have unpredictable results in some
circumstances, particularly when tracking small features that are moving rapidly across textured
surfaces.
◦ Template Match looks for an exact copy of the feature within the search area so can
sometimes provide more predictable results. It can also search using the RGB channels as well
as the luminance channel.

The *Options*button displays advanced technical settings which affect the tracking systems:

• Error Tolerance: This setting determines when HitFilm will automatically stop the tracking if the
accuracy drops below a certain point. A high tolerance setting will cause tracking to continue even
when the system is unsure of the results. A low tolerance will cause HitFilm to stop tracking if it is
uncertain. The default setting offers a good balance.
• Iterations: More iterations will provide more accurate optical flow tracking but will take longer to
process.
• Channels: The template match method can examine the Luminance or RGB channels when tracking.
• Comparison Method: Template match can use varying methods to identify and track the feature
within the search area.

Positioning the Tracking Point

The Layer panel displays your selected layer. The currently selected tracker is also displayed.

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Tracking points consist of three elements:

• Feature Offset: This central point is used to create the actual transform data that will then be applied
to other layers. This enables you to track one area while creating relative keyframes in a different
location. The feature offset can be moved outside of the feature and search areas.
• Feature Area: This red box should be placed around the element you wish to track.

• Search Area: On each frame the green search area will be used to locate the feature area’s new
position. It is therefore important that the search area is big enough to cover the movement in the
video from frame to frame.
Positioning the tracking point elements correctly is key to a successful track.

* If you are working with two points, note that it is the primary point that determines the
position of the track. The secondary point is is used for reference to determine scale and
rotation.

Once you have positioned your tracking points you are then ready to begin tracking.

Track Controls

The four track controls are used to track forwards and backwards through the video. You can track frame by
frame, or use the play forwards/backwards buttons to track the entire video in the chosen direction.

As HitFilm tracks the video keyframes will be added to tracking points on the timeline. You can stop the
track at any time by clicking anywhere in the interface.

* Even if you stop the track, any keyframes created up to that point will be retained.

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Repositioning the Feature Area

During tracking, if the feature you are tracking leaves the frame or becomes untrackable for some other
reason, you can reposition the Feature Area without moving the Feature Offset. If this becomes necessary,
hold ALT (OPT on Mac), and drag the Feature Area to a new feature that is in frame, or better suited to
tracking.

Step 2: Apply to layer

Once you have created tracking data in step 1, you then need to choose what to do with it. This is also done
using the Track panel.

• Purpose: Choose between Stabilize or Transform.

• Layer: If you select Transform as your Purpose, you also need to choose a layer to apply the
Transform data to.
• Property Checkboxes: You can choose which aspects of the track you wish to apply to the layer
using the checkboxes. If you want to use Rotation and Scale tracking you need to select double points
in step 1.

Stabilize

You can stabilize your tracked shot using HitFilm. When the stabilize option is selected, the tracking data
will be applied to the source layer. This will transform the layer so that the tracked point remains in the same
position in the frame.

You can stabilize based on any point in the frame. If you apply stabilize after tracking a person walking
along, the shot will be altered to keep the person perfectly centered in the frame. If you track an immobile
background element, the stabilize will eliminate any handheld wobble.

Anchor point keyframes are added to the selected layer, replacing any existing keyframes.

* Stabilizing a shot will transform it within the composite shot. This is likely to reveal the edge
of the layer as it moves around. To counter this you should increase the scale of the shot so
that it fills the frame at all times.

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Transform

Selecting transform from the Purpose menu enables you to then select a different layer. The tracking data
will then be applied to that layer.

This is useful if you want a layer to track to a particular part of your video. Perhaps you want to replace a
sign, or to track a light flare onto a street lamp. You can apply the tracking data to any layer, including point
layers, which can open up exciting visual effects possibilities.

Position keyframes are applied to the chosen layer, replacing any existing keyframes.

* Applying tracked transform data to a new Point Layer provides many benefits. For example,
you can then link multiple items (a 3D light, a light flare effect, a light rays effect etc) to that
one point layer and move them as one.

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6.16.1. Planar Tracking with Mocha HitFilm

HitFilm Pro includes a special version of Mocha from Imagineer Systems. Using Academy Award-winning
planar tracking technology, Mocha provides advanced tracking solutions for multiple situations.

Two main areas are covered by Mocha’s features:

• Shape tracking: Rapidly track moving shapes in your shot and export the data to a mask inside
HitFilm. Incredibly powerful for compositing and grading.
• 3D camera solving: Track multiple planes to create a 3D camera solve. This can be exported to
HitFilm as a 3D scene complete with camera and reference points.

Launching Mocha
In HitFilm Pro 2017 Mocha now functions as a plugin. It can be added to any clip from the Effects panel.
After Mocha is added to your video, open the controls and click the “Launch Mocha UI” button to open
Mocha and begin tracking.

Using Mocha
Mocha is a sophisticated program. Imagineer have a series of learning resources available on their website.

A series of tutorials focused on using Mocha’s camera solving features alongside HitFilm can be found here.

Transferring Mocha Data to HitFilm

Once you have completed your work inside Mocha you need to transfer it back to HitFilm. Mocha creates
composite shot files which can be imported into HitFilm.

For shape tracking, use the Export Shape Data… option in Mocha’s Track module.

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For 3D camera solving, use the Export Camera Data… option in the Camera Solve module.

For corner pinning data, use the Export Tracking Data… option in the Track module.

Exported composite shot files can then be imported to an existing HitFilm project using the Import menu.
See Saving & loading projects details.

Upgrading to Mocha Pro

HitFilm users can upgrade to the full version of Mocha Pro for a discounted rate. See Imagineer’s website
for details.

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6.16.2. Importing 3D Camera Tracking Data

HitFilm supports the .ma format for importing 3D camera data from other tracking products, such as Boujou
and SynthEyes.

Use the 3D camera tracking data option from the Import menu in the Media panel to select your .ma file.

HitFilm will analyze the camera data and open an options window:

The name and frame rate are used to create a new composite shot. If the .ma file includes details for the
tracked video file you can also import this automatically.

3D camera data uses includes point cloud data. You can choose to import a specified number of points,
which will be represented as 3D point layers inside HitFilm.

The new composite shot will be created with the 3D camera including the camera tracked animation.

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6.17. Working in 3D
3D compositing adds depth to your scenes. In addition to the X and Y coordinates, you also have a Z
coordinate.

Switching to 3D
To change a composite shot into 3D you need to add a camera. This can be done using the New Layer
menu at the top of the composite shot timeline.

A default camera will be added and the scene will automatically switch into 3D. For more information on
cameras see Virtual Cameras.

If you add a 3D layer to a timeline a camera will be automatically added.

Once you have a 3D camera, you will need some 3D content otherwise the camera will not have anything
with which to interact. See Working with Layers for information on creating 3D layers.

Customizing the 3D Viewer

To aid navigation and placement in the 3D space you can change the Viewer to display multiple views from
different angles.

You can display up to 4 views simultaneously from different angles. The View menu in the Viewer is used to
add additional 3D views.

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The c urrent view mode is displayed at the top left of each view. Clicking on this displays all the available
modes:

Active Camera View

The active camera view shows what will be rendered when you export. This is what will appear in your
rendered videos. If you have multiple camera layers on your timeline, the active camera is defined as being
the top-most active camera layer on the current frame.

Changing the position and orientation when in active camera view will change your camera’s transform
properties.

For more information on cameras see Virtual Cameras.

Perspective View

The perspective view is a free-roaming way to explore your scene without affecting the position of your
camera.

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Orthographic Views

The orthographic views provide flat, 2D views of your 3D scene. The orthographic views do not show
perspective or depth.

You can choose from front, back, left, right, top and bottom views.

As they are presented in a 2D ‘blueprint’ form, the orthographic views are very useful for precise positioning
of layers in the 3D space.

The orthographic views are controlled in a similar way to the Viewer when it is in 2D mode.

Zoom and pan controls in the corner of the Viewer can be clicked and dragged for quick movements.

Resetting the Views

You can reset a view using the Reset Current View option, in the View menu.

Navigating 3D Space
Navigating in a 3D composite shot is different than in a 2D composite shot as you also have to take the Z-
axis (depth) into consideration.

Orbit Tool

The quickest and easiest way to move around the 3D space is using the orbit tool. This has two modes:
Orbit Around Selected Layers and Orbit Around Clicked Point. You can switch between these two
modes by clicking and holding on the Orbit tool button.

* When the orbit tool is selected, you will not see the wireframe outlines of your layers and
you will not be able to use the Viewer transform controls. Change back to the Select tool to
return to the normal mode.

Orbit Around Selected Layers uses your current layer selection for orbiting. This can be a single layer or
multiple layers. This way you can be certain of what you are going to orbit around, even in complex scenes.

Orbit Around Clicked Point tries to determine where you want to orbit around based on where you click in
the Viewer.

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• If you click on a layer the view will orbit around that specific point on the layer.
• If you click on an empty space it will orbit around that point on the 3D grid.

3D Move Controls

To the right of the 3D Viewer are the move controls. These will vary depending on your current view and are
operated by clicking and dragging on them with the mouse.

• Dolly/Track Z: Moves the camera or view forwards and backwards along its own Z axis.
• Pan/Track XY: Moves the camera or view horizontally and vertically along its own X and Y axes.
• Zoom: adjusts the camera’s field of view, zooming in and out.
• Rotate/Tumble: Rotates the camera or view without moving its position.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Using keyboard shortcuts makes navigating in HitFilm’s 3D space much faster. The shortcuts are as follows:

• Orbit: ALT+Left mouse

• Dolly: ALT+Right mouse
• Zoom: CTRL/CMD+Right mouse
• Rotate: Middle mouse
• Pan: Right mouse (perspective & orthographic views only), *ALT*+Middle mouse or
*CTRL*/*CMD*+Left mouse
• Canvas Pan: Right mouse (active camera view only)
• Select Object: Left mouse

Render Options
At the bottom-left of the 3D Viewer is a button for turning render options on and off.

Clicking the button will turn ALL render options on and off, which is a quick way to switch between a fast
performing Viewer and a high quality render.

Holding the mouse button down on the button opens a menu where you can choose specific items to turn on
and off:

• Lights: Turns rendering of lights on and off.

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• Shadows: Turns rendering of shadows and ambient occlusion on and off.

• Reflections: Turns dynamic reflections on and off.
• Motion Blur: Turns motion blur on and off.
• Depth of Field: Turns depth of field on and off.
• Toggle All Render Options: turns everything on and off.

These settings only affect the Viewer. They do not affect your final export, which is always rendered with all
elements activated.

You can also change these settings from the Viewer’s Options menu.

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6.17.1. Transforming Layers in 3D

Your 3D layers can be transformed along X, Y and Z axes.

* Even if you have changed your composite shot to 3D by adding a camera or a 3D effect,
your 2D layers will still be 2D. You can change 2D layers into 3D using the timeline toggle.
See Working with Layers for more information.

3D layers have additional Viewer controls for transforming in 3D.

• A third, blue position arrow controls the Z axis (depth).

• Rotation is split into three separate wheels for the X, Y and Z axes.

Aside from these additional controls, transforming layers in 3D is functionally identical to transforming layers
in 2D.

3D Properties
3D layers have a additional transform properties, which are available in the Controls panel and on the
timeline.

• Opacity: The transparency of the clip.

• Anchor Point: Sets the location of the anchor point, with 0,0,0 being the center of the layer.
• Position: Moves the layer along the X, Y and Z axes.
• Scale: Enlarges and shrinks the layer. The X, Y and Z scales are linked by default so that your layer
retains its original shape. You can unlink them using the chain icon.
• Orientation: Sets the starting orientation for the layer. This works separately to the rotation
properties.
• Rotation: Rotates the layer around its anchor point. When in 3D the rotation properties are split into
separate properties for X, Y an Z axes.

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Alignment of Transform Controls

The alignment of the Viewer controls can be adjusted using the Align menu at the top of the Viewer. The
controls can be aligned to Local, World or View.

This is useful if, for example, you have already rotated a layer to an arbitrary angle but wish to move it
horizontally according to the floor plane, or according to the camera view.

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6.17.2. Lighting a 3D Scene

Light layers are used for creating a custom lighting setup for your 3D scenes.

* If you don’t have any light layers, your 3D layers will not use the lighting system. Your
layers will receive a default, flat, non-directional lighting.

Lights only affect 3D layers. You can add lights to a composite shot containing only 2D layers but they will
not have any effect.

Creating Lights
Lights can only be created from the New Layer menu on composite shot timelines.

You can create as many lights as you want in a composite shot and they will all work together, just like
using real lights on a set.

Achieving Realistic Results

The 3D lights can be positioned and set up just like real lights on a set. You will often want to use multiple
lights to create your scene, especially when working with 3D models. This way you can create classic
setups such as 3-point lighting with key, back and fill lights.

When working with 3D models, for best results 3D lights should be combined with reflective materials. See
Setting Up Materials for details.

Additional post-processing can be applied using effects, such as lens flares, film grain, specular highlights,
anamorphic streaks and so on. See Grade Layers and Visual Effects for details.

Shadows
Point, spot and directional lights can all cast shadows. These shadows will automatically update as lights
and layers move around in 3D space.

To enable shadows you need to do the following:

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1. Turn on Cast Shadows in the Light properties of any light layers which you want to be casting
shadows.
2. Turn on Casts Shadows in the Material properties of any layers which you want to cast shadows.
You need to have at least one layer casting shadows.
3. Turn on Receives Shadows in the Material properties of any layers on which you want to see
shadows. You need to have at least one layer receiving shadows.

* Layers do not need to be illuminated to receive shadows.

* Spot and directional lights provide faster performance when casting shadows than point
lights.

Customizing Lights
The Light properties change depending on the light type. There are 4 types of light, each with very different
behaviour. The light type can be set in the light’s layer properties.

Ambient

An ambient light floods the entire composite shot with light from all sides. It is a non-directional light and
does not have a source.

Ambient lights cannot cast shadows and do not have any falloff, so objects will be equally lit regardless of
their position and orientation.

This makes it the least ‘realistic’ of the lights but it can be very useful to use as a fill light.

• Color: Changes the color of the light.

• Intensity: The higher the intensity, the brighter the light.

Point

A point light emanates from a single source point in all directions, behaving in a similar way to the sun, or to
a flare.

Depending on your settings, layers farther away from the light will be less illuminated.

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• Color: Changes the color of the light.

• Intensity: The higher the intensity, the brighter the light.
• Cast Shadows: Turns shadows on and off for the selected light layer.
• Falloff: Sets whether the light decreases over distance in a realistic manner.
• Reach: If Falloff is on, this adjusts how quickly the light loses intensity over distance.
• Shadow Opacity: If Cast Shadows is on, this adjusts the visibility of the shadows.
• Shadow Diffusion: If Cast Shadows is on, this changes the softness of the shadow edge.
• Shadow Color: Changes the color of the shadow.

Spot

Spot lights emit light in a single direction, emitting in a cone shape from a single source point, just like a real
spotlight.

Depending on your settings, layers towards the edge of the light cone will be less illuminated.

• Color: Changes the color of the light.

• Intensity: The higher the intensity, the brighter the light.
• Cast Shadows: Turns shadows on and off for the selected light layer.
• Falloff: Sets whether the light decreases over distance in a realistic manner.
• Reach: If Falloff is on, this adjusts how quickly the light loses intensity over distance.
• Cone Angle: Widens and narrows the size of the spot light cone.
• Feather: Changes the softness of the edge of the spot light cone.
• Shadow Opacity: If Cast Shadows is on, this adjusts the visibility of the shadows.
• Shadow Diffusion: If Cast Shadows is on, this changes the softness of the shadow edge.
• Shadow Color: Changes the color of the shadow.

Directional

Directional lights emit light in a single direction. Unlike spot and point lights, directional lights are emitted
from an infinitely large source plane, with all the light rays moving parallel to each other.

This results in all objects in the chosen direction being lit equally from that angle.

* A directional light requires the layer’s Alignment property to be set to Towards Target
Position.

• Color: Changes the color of the light.

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• Intensity: The higher the intensity, the brighter the light.

• Cast Shadows: Turns shadows on and off for the selected light layer.
• Falloff: Sets whether the light decreases over distance in a realistic manner.
• Reach: Falloff is on, this adjusts how quickly the light loses intensity over distance.
• Shadow Opacity: If Cast Shadows is on, this adjusts the visibility of the shadows.
• Shadow Diffusion: If Cast Shadows is on, this changes the softness of the shadow edge.
• Shadow Color: Changes the color of the shadow.

* The target direction is set using the standard Transform Target property.

Promoting Lights from Embedded Composite Shots

Embedded composite shots have an additional option in their Layer materials called Promote Lights.

When Promote lights is activated, any lights inside the embedded composite shot will also affect layers in
the parent composite shot.

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6.17.3. Layer Materials

Layers can be switched between 2D and 3D. See Working with Layers for details about switching
dimensions. Once a layer is switched to 3D it gains the Materials group, which defines how the layer
interacts with 3D lights and other 3D layers.

See Lighting a 3D Scene for more details on lighting a 3D scene.

3D model layers have additional material properties. See Importing 3D Objects for more information.

Material Options
A 3D layer has multiple options for adjusting its material.

Illumination and Shadows

• Illuminated: controls whether a 3D layer is affected by 3D lights. Exact behavior of the layer under
different light types can be customized.
• Ambient: determines how much the layer is illuminated by ambient lights.
• Diffuse: determines how much the layer is illuminated by point, directional and spot lights.
• Specular: adjusts the strength of specular highlights when illuminated by point, directional and spot
lights. A low specular value will create a more matte surface.
• Shininess: adjusts the size of the specular highlight. A low shininess creates a large, diffuse highlight
while a high value creates a smaller, defined highlight.
• Emissive: causes the layer to emit a visible color even when not under direct lighting. Therefore the
layer will still be visible in darkness, acting like a light-emitting source (eg neon).

A layer can be set to receive shadows. These shadows will only be cast from layers which have Cast
shadows activated.

You can also set a layer to cast shadows even when the layer’s visibility is turned off. This makes it easier
to create a shadow pass, in which you can cast shadows onto a white background for further compositing
purposes, such as blending the shadow pass into live action footage.

* Note that shadows are only cast if a 3D light source is activated which also has Cast
shadows enabled. See Lighting a 3D Scene for more information.

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Reflections

Only 3D model layers can receive reflections, but all 3D layers can cast reflections. A 3D model will only
reflect layers which have Cast Reflections activated.

As with shadows, you can also cast reflections even when the layer itself is not visible. This is very useful
for creating ‘bounce boards’, similar to using a reflector on set to provide fill light. In HitFilm you can create
solid color planes, set to be invisible, which cast reflected light onto your 3D models. By having the casting
layer be invisible you can position the ‘bounce board’ anywhere you like without it being visible in shot.

Ambient Occlusion

Layers can shade each other based on proximity. This replicates the absence of light that occurs where
surfaces meet in the real world (this can be observed by the naked eye in the corners of rooms).

This example is of a 3D model but the same principles apply to other 3D layers. Compare this image without
ambient occlusion:

With this image showing ambient occlusion on the vehicle:

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The ambient occlusion in the second image highlights detail by shading areas where different surfaces are
in close proximity. There is also subtle ambient occlusion being cast onto the white floor around the wheels.
Ambient occlusion can then be combined with illumination and shadows cast from actual 3D lights.

Layers can be set to receive and cast ambient occlusion separately.

Once ambient occlusion is activated, additional options are displayed for customizing the appearance of the
occlusion.

The Depth Scale can be used to adjust the appearance of ambient occlusion for different scale models.

If you experience visual glitching with some models, try increasing the Blur Radius or Samples.

* Note that 3D layers cannot cast ambient occlusion onto 3D models. However, 3D models
can cast ambient occlusion onto all other 3D layer types, and 3D layers can cast ambient
occlusion onto each other (eg a plane in proximity to another plane, or an image in proximity
to a video).

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6.17.4. Virtual Cameras

Cameras are used in 3D composite shots. If you have any 3D layers you must have a camera for them to be
visible.

* If you only have 2D layers in your composite shot, a camera will not have any effect.

When you add 3D effects to your timeline or switch 2D layers to 3D a camera will be created automatically.

Creating Cameras
Cameras can be created manually from the New Layer menu on any composite shot timeline. The camera
will be added to the timeline as a new layer.

Multiple Cameras

You can create multiple cameras in the same composite shot. Each camera can be positioned separately,
enabling multiple views of the same 3D scene.

Only one camera can be used at a time. HitFilm uses three methods to determine which camera is the
active camera:

1. The timeline layer order – the camera on the highest layer is the active camera.
2. Camera layer visibility – only cameras that are visible can be active cameras. If you have turned off
a camera layer’s visibility it won’t be used as an active camera.
3. Camera layer duration – the duration of the layer on the timeline determines whether a camera can
be active or not. If the layer duration does not cover the current frame, the camera will not be used as
an active camera.

Customizing Cameras
Camera layers have a number of unique properties.

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Layer Properties
• Depth Of Field: Turns depth of field for this camera on or off. This default to off, ensuring that all 3D
layers will be in focus.
• Focus Distance Layer: Locks the focus to a specific layer. The focus will then automatically track
that layer as the camera and selected layer move in relation to one another.

Lens
• Aperture: Size of the camera’s virtual aperture in pixels. The larger the number, the larger the
aperture, and the shallower the depth of field. Note that this is different to real camera apertures,
whereby a smaller number represents a larger aperture. Only has an effect if Depth of field is turned
on.
• Zoom: Adjusts the camera between wide angle and telephoto.
• Focus Distance: Moves the focal point closer to or further away from the camera. This setting will
only have an effect if Depth of Field is turned on.
• Blur: Changes the amount of blur applied to out of focus areas. Only has an effect if Depth of Field is
turned on.

Camera Properties

Unlike Layer properties and Lens, Camera properties are found by choosing Properties from the camera
layer’s menu on the timeline.

• Name: The name of the camera on the timeline.

• Near Clip Distance: The closest point at which layers are rendered.
• Far Clip Distance: The farthest point at which layers are rendered.

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6.17.5. Distance-Based Fog

Fog Properties
When working in 3D, your layers exist in a 3D space.

With fog turned off, all layers are rendered the same regardless of their distance from the camera. A layer in
the far distance will be just as bright as a close-up layer.

If you turn fog on, layers will gradually fade to the fog color over a given distance, simulating atmospheric
haze.

• Enable: Turns the fog on and off.

• Near Distance: The distance at which layers begin to fade into the fog.
• Far Distance: The distance at which layers will be completely fogged.
• Density: When using exponential fall offs, this increases the rate at which the fog thickens.
• Fall Off: Change between a linear fall off and various exponential fall offs. Exponential fall offs are
more natural but can be more difficult to predict.
• Color: Change the color and brightness of the fog.

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6.17.6. Working with Depth Maps

In addition to 2D and 3D compositing, HitFilm allows you to overlap or combine the two using depth maps.
Working with models or effects in 3D Unrolled makes it very easy to arrange them interactively within
HitFilm’s Unified 3D workspace. But working in 2D provides the advantage of being able to apply effects
directly to models or particle systems. Using depth maps, your layers can remain in 2D, so effects can
easily be applied, but they can still be rendered accurately into the depth of the 3D scene.

Depth maps are greyscale images that represent the distance from the camera to each object in the scene.
Once generated, the depth map can be used as a matte, and applied to to other layers to control their
visibility.

When a 3D model or particle simulator layer is set to 2D, the Layer Properties will include a Depth Source
Layer menu. You can use this menu to select any other 2D layer on the timeline, so that the layers will be
rendered as if they were 3D, using the depth map.

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6.18. Creating Text & Titles

HitFilm Pro offers a variety of tools for creating text and titles. The Text Effect allows you to quickly
generate text on any timeline, by applying the effect to a Plane or other media object. The Text Tool can be
used in Composite Shots to generate text layers which can be converted to 3D and interact with HitFilm’s
3D lights and cameras. Boris 3D Objects allow you to generate complex 3D titles with a fine degree of
control. Then there are several other effects designed to simplify the creation of specific text objects, such
as End Credits Crawl and Pulp Sci-Fi Title Crawl. HitFilm’s own tools provide a very fast workflow for
simple text, while Boris 3D Objects generates provides a greater level of control for refining the quality of 3D
text shapes.

The Text Effect

The Text effect lets you quickly generate text on any timeline, including the Editor. To add Text, drag the
Text effect from the Effects panel onto a Plane, an image, or a video clip, to add text to that object. Open
the controls for the effect in the Controls panel, and then click the A icon displayed to the right of the Text
property. This will open the Edit Text dialog, where you can enter the text you wish to add to the layer. Once
you are finished editing the text, click the OK button to close the Edit Text dialog and apply the changes.
You can then edit the text and further customize the effect in the Controls panel, or directly on the timeline
when working in a composite shot.

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• Text: This is where you edit the contents of the Text effect. Click the “A” icon to open the Edit Text
window. You can then enter whatever text you wish the effect to display.

• Cancel: discards any changes you have entered and closes the Edit Text window.
• OK: Confirms the text you have entered and closes the Edit Text window. Once the window closes,
the text will be updated on the viewer.
• Transform
You can control the alignment and positioning of the Text effect through these controls.
◦ Offset From: Select the position from which the layer movement will be measured. By default
the text is Centered, but you can also place it in the Bottom Left, Bottom, Bottom Right, Left,
Right, Top Left, Top, or Top Right.
◦ Position Offset: Sets the distance, in pixels, which the layer is moved from the default position
selected in the Offset From menu.
◦ Rotation: Sets the rotation of the layer, in degrees.
• Format
The Format controls allow you to set the details of the text style for the effect.
◦ Font: Select the font to be used, from a list of all fonts installed on your computer.
◦ Style: If your selected font includes different styles (Bold, Light, Italic, etc.), you can select your
desired style here.
◦ Alignment: The text alignment can be adjusted here. You can align the text to Left, Center, or
Right, or Justify the text to keep both sides aligned
◦ Color: Allows you to select a font color.

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◦ Opacity: Sets the transparency of the Text, from completely invisible at 0.00 to completely
opaque at 1.00.
◦ Font Size: Sets the size of your text. In general, if you want to enlarge your text, it is better to
increase the font size rather than increase the layer Scale above 100%.
◦ Line Spacing: Defines the vertical spacing between each line of text.
◦ Enable Word Wrap: Toggles word wrap on and off. Enabling word wrap means that as soon as
the text gets too long to fit in a single line, a line break will be created automatically, and a new
line is started automatically.
◦ Word Wrap Width: Defines the width at which word wrap will be implemented. You can create
margins in your text layer by setting the Word Wrap Width to a smaller value than the width of
the layer the text effect is applied to. For example, if your text is applied to a Full HD layer that
is 1920 pixels wide, and you set the Word Wrap Width to 1800, the 120 pixels that remain will
be split to create a 60 pixel wide margin on each side of the layer.
◦ Blend: Determines how the Text is blended with the layer it is applied to. None will prevent the
layer from being displayed at all, so only the text is visible. Normal displays the text over the
top of the layer, so both are visible. Details on all the other Blend Mode options can be found on
the page about Compositing With Blend Modes.
◦ Motion Blur: Sets the amount of motion blur applied to the layer when its position is animated.

The Text Tool: Creating Text Layers

The built-in Text Tool is excellent for creating custom text layers which can then be manipulated like any
other layer. Text layers are always created in a composite shot timeline, and cannot be created in the
Editor. If you want to create text in the Editor, use the Text effect, explained above.

There are several ways to create a text layer.

• Select Text from the New Layer menu on a composite shot timeline. This will display the text
properties where you can set the size of your text layer. Using this method and setting the width of the
text layer to match the width of your composite shot is an easy way to ensure that your text is
perfectly centered.
• Use the Viewer Text Tool to click anywhere in the Viewer. Clicking once will display the text properties
dialog where you can set a specific resolution for your text layer, or you can click and drag to draw a
text box of any size and location.
Once the text layer is created you can then type directly into the text box in the Viewer.

Editing Text

You need to have the Text tool selected in the Viewer to edit text.

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With the Text tool selected only text layers will be highlighted in the Viewer. Select the text layer you wish to
edit, then begin typing.

You can select text and move the cursor as you would in an ordinary text application.

* You can continue to edit text even if it is in 3D.

Text is displayed inside text boxes. Text will automatically wrap to the next line of a text box.

The shape and size of the selected text box can be adjusted by dragging the handle on its bottom-right
corner when the Text tool is selected. The text will automatically update as the text box is changed.

Text properties such as size and font are controlled from the Text panel. The text panel affects the currently
selected text and any text you’ll create in the future. If you want to change the attributes of existing text,
make sure you have it selected in the Viewer with the Text tool.

• Character
The character properties are as follows:
◦ Font Name: Lists all the compatible fonts available on your computer.
◦ Font Weight: If your selected font includes different weights (Bold, Light, Italic, etc.), you can
select your desired weight here.
◦ Size: Sets the font size, to control the size of your text. In general, if you want to enlarge your
text, it is better to increase the font size rather than increase the layer Scale above 100%.
◦ Line Spacing: Defines the vertical spacing between each line of text.
◦ Character Spacing: Sets the horizontal spacing between each individual character.
◦ Outline Size: Sets the width of the text outline. At 0px no outline will be visible.
◦ Color: Allows you to select a font color.
◦ Outline Color: Lets you choose the color of the outline, which will only be visible if the Outline
Size is greater than 0px.
• Paragraph
The selected text can be set to Left Aligned, Centered or Right Aligned.

Animating Text

If you have the Viewer Select tool selected you can transform the text layer like any other layer in the
viewer, with full rotation and position controls.

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* Note that you will not be able to transform text layers if you have the Text tool selected.

3D Text

Text layers can be converted to be 3D objects that integrate directly into HitFilm Pro’s 3D compositing
environment. By converting the text layer to 3D, you can make it a 3D plane that can be rotated on the X, Y,
and Z axes. By adding Geometry effects and adjusting the Materials, you can transform it into an actual 3D
object which can be illuminated by Lights.

• Geometry
1. Convert the Text layer to 3D.
2. Apply the Extrude Geometry effect to the text layer. (For full details on the Geometry effects,
see the Geometry Effects page.)
• Materials
In the Materials you can adjust how the text layer is affected by 3D lights you add to your scene. You
can also apply an Environment Map to text, so that the text can receive specular or diffuse reflections
from a specific layer on your timeline, or from the entire composite shot which contains the text.
1. Open the Materials controls for the Text layer, and enable Receives Ambient Occlusion and
Casts Ambient Occlusion.
2. Open the Environment Map menu and select Use Composite Shot. This will apply all other
layers in the composite shot as an environment map. If you have a single layer you prefer to
use, you can select it instead.
3. Adjust the Specular Reflectivity and the Diffuse Reflectivity to control how much of an impact
the Environment Map has on your layer.

Boris FX 3D Objects
This is available in the Effects library and can be applied like any other effect. You will usually want to apply
the 3D Objects effect to a plane or grade layer, which can then serve as a host.

For details on using Boris FX 3D Objects, see the Boris documentation included with the plugin. To access
the help, click the Help button in the plugin’s main controls.

The Boris plugin features its own lighting and camera controls, which allow you to create three dimensional,
illuminated text objects, even on a 2D timeline. If you are working in a 3D timeline, however, you can set
Boris to use HitFilm’s native lights and camera, so the Boris text is integrated into HitFilm’s Unified 3D
workspace. You can use either the built-in Boris lights or HitFilm’s native light layers, or use both together.

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• Use Comp Lights: allows the Boris text to use HitFilm’s native light layers, and is disabled by default.
• Use Built-in Light: illuminates the text with the lights included in Boris. One light is enabled by
default, but you can have up to three lights in your Boris Text effect, by enabling the tickboxes for
additional lights.
• Use Comp Camera: overrides the built-in Boris camera, and displays the text based on its 3D
position relative to the active HitFilm camera layer. By default this option is off, and the camera built
into Boris is used to display the text.

You can also find the Boris FX documentation installed on your computer here:

Windows: C:\Program Files\Boris FX, Inc\Boris Continuum Complete OFX 10.0\Documentation

Mac: Library/Application Support/BorisFX/BCC OFX 10/Documentation

End Credits & Text Crawl Effects

The end credits and text crawl effects provide a very rapid way to generate text. More details can be found
in Generate.

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6.19. Importing 3D Objects

To import a 3D model, click the drop-down arrow on the Import button in the Media panel and choose Import
3D model.

* HitFilm supports the .lwo, .3ds, .abc, .fbx and .obj formats.

The 3D model properties window will appear with information about your selected model. The information
displayed will vary depending on the way the model has been designed.

There are three sections for customizing the model during import – Groups, Materials and Advanced. You
can return to adjust Materials and Advanced at any time during your project, but Groups can only be
changed during import.

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For details on each section see the following chapters:

• Animation Groups
• Setting Up Materials
• Advanced Properties

* Note that static 3D model geometry is saved within the HitFilm project file, so you will
experience larger project filesizes when working with 3D models.

Preview
A preview of the 3D model is rendered in the window on the left. You can move the camera around using
the tools in the top right corner, tracking forwards, backwards, left, right, up and down.

Left clicking and dragging in the window will orbit the camera around the model.

Importing

Once you have finished adjusting the 3D model’s properties, click OK to add it to your Media library. It can
then be used like any other media asset. See 3D Objects on the Timeline for details.

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6.19.1. Animation Groups

3D models can be animated using two methods in HitFilm.

If a model is set up with animation groups these can be used to animate individual parts of the model using
HitFilm’s standard animation tools – for example, spinning the rotors on a helicopter or opening a car door.

For more advanced animation you can import Alembic of FBX animation files creates in 3D animation
software. See Alembic Animation for details.

Setting Up Groups
Some 3D models are built using groups. These are pre-defined parts within the main model. During import
you can select groups you want to animate inside HitFilm using the *Groups*panel.

Selecting a group in the list will highlight it in the preview. Checking the box will create transform controls on
the timeline for each group.

You can also rename a group by right-clicking and choosing the Rename option from the menu.

After importing the model and adding it to the timeline, you can then animate the specified groups from the
layer’s Models section. Each group selected during import will have its own listing and can be animated
individually.

* Setting up groups can only be done during import. Make sure you define your groups at this
stage as they cannot be edited later without re-importing the model.

* Groups cannot be created inside HitFilm, they must be part of the original model’s design.

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6.19.2. Setting Up Materials

A model’s textures are listed in the Materials panel. This is displayed during import and can be accessed
again at any time after import byfinding the 3D model in the Media panel, and clicking the cog icon next to it,
or choosing Properties from its menu.

The appearance of a 3D model in your scene can be drastically altered using the materials options. For
realistic results we recommend setting up each material.

* Once you’ve got a model perfectly set up, you can always save it out to a project file which
can be used as a template in the future, saving time.

Models will often have multiple materials, representing different parts of the model. The glass in a car’s
windows will be a separate material to the metal on the doors, for example.

Selecting a material in the list will highlight it with a red mesh in the preview, so that you can see precisely
which part of the model you are adjusting.

Texture Maps
At the top of a material’s options are four texture map slots. These are used to add detail and color to the
3D geometry.

Compare the difference between an untextured model:

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And the same model with textures and materials set up:

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Most 3D models have been designed with textures. HitFilm will attempt to import textures automatically
during import, if they are located in the same folder as the 3D file.

If textures are not found automatically or if you want to change a texture, you can locate a new one using
the folder icon. You can remove a texture from a slot using the X button.

Diffuse Map

The diffuse map is used to add surface detail and color to the model. Here is an example of a helicopter,
with the diffuse map providing dirt detail on the hull as well as lettering:

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The image file for the diffuse map looks like this:

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Textures are not made inside HitFilm. Instead, they are produced when the 3D model is designed and
created. However, you can customize textures using any normal image editor, and changes made can be
then re-applied in HitFilm.

Specular Map
Specular highlights are created by your lighting setup. By default all surfaces on the model are equally likely
to receive specular highlights. Sometimes, however, you may want to restrict specularity based on the
material – for example, if you have a normally shiny surface (such as polished metal) covered in dirt and

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scratches, you will want to restrict the specularity only to the clean areas. This can be achieved using a
specular map.

Observe the helicopter, without a specular map:

In the above example the specular highlight has been made blue and more extreme, so as to illustrate the
point. Ordinarily you would opt for a subtler appearance. Note how the specular highlight is bright along the
entire length of the helicopter, including over the UNITED STATES ARMY text.

Here is the same model with a specular map added:

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This time, note how the specularity has been restricted. Dirtier areas of the helicopter are less reflective.
The UNITED STATES ARMY text is now visible and is not creating highlights – as if the black paint of the
text is preventing it. Using a specular map can drastically improve the realism of your 3D models.

3D models are usually provided with a specular map, but they can also be created by hand. They are
greyscale images, with black areas representing non-specular areas and white areas representing high
specularity. The specular map for this helicopter is very simple:

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The specular map slot also restricts the behavior of the reflectivity options, detailed below.

Normal Maps & Bump Maps

Normal Maps are hugely powerful textures which can be used to add the appearance of additional 3D detail
to a model, without actually increasing its polycount. Normal maps are used to create detailed models
without negatively impacting performance.

Take this example of a smooth 3D sphere:

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This sphere has no surface detail at all. By applying a normal map this result is achieved:

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The sphere model now appears to have substantial surface detail. However, it is still the same smooth
sphere. The illusion of surface detail is being created entirely by the normal map. The huge benefit is that
the model is still very simple, which keeps rendering times low.

There are restrictions to how normal maps function. If you move your camera very close it will become
apparent that the detail is texture-based. Similarly, viewing the model from an oblique angle can reveal that
the surface detail is only an illusion. And while the normal mapped surface reacts to the position of 3D lights
for illumination and shading, normal maps won’t cast actual 3D shadows. Normal maps are therefore best
used for subtle, fine surface detail, while major features are represented by actual geometry.

Bump Maps perform a similar task to normal maps but using a different, less sophisticated technique.
Bump maps can be created by hand much like a specular map, as they are greyscale images with white
representing maximum height and black representing minimum height. Normal maps have to be generated
from by 3D modelling software and the textures include information for X, Y and Z vectors.

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A common workflow would be to produce a high poly model first, then generate a normal map which can be
applied to a low poly version. This retains the illusion of fine detail while keeping fast performance.

Because bump maps are inherently relative, with no actual defined height, you can adjust the scale of bump
mapping using the Max Bump Depth property. This does not affect normal maps.

Lighting Colors

The various color properties are used to set up the default colors for the material. These combine with the
texture maps and your lighting setup.

• Diffuse color alters the base color of the material under a point, spot or direction light. The luminance
of this color determines the brightness of the diffuse texture map.
• Specular color determines the color used for the material’s specular highlights. Specular highlights
are only visible if there is a 3D light source in the scene.
• *Ambient*Color defines the color of the material under an ambient light source.
• *Emissive*Color is the color of the material regardless of the lighting setup. Even when the model is
unlit or shadowed, it will still emit this color. This is useful for simulating light sources, such as neon
objects or lights on a vehicle.

Illumination Model
There are two illumination models available for materials: Phong and Cook-Torrance. In general, Phong is
more suitable for plastics with a single specular highlight, while Cook-Torrance is more suitable for metals
with a rougher surface that distributes the light less evenly.

* Note that the specular highlight for both illumination models is determined by the specular
color, described above. A specular map can also be used to restrict the specular highlights
of a material.

Phong

Phong generates a defined highlight similar to plastic materials. Light bounces off the surface evenly. This
model has less control than Cook-Torrance.

The color of the highlight is determined by the specular color.

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A small Shininess will generate a large highlight, as seen here:

A larger shininess value will generate a smaller, sharper highlight:

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Cook-Torrance

This illumination model provides greater control and is more suitable for metal surfaces. Bounced light is
scattered across the surface, as if reflecting off multiple ‘microfacets’, rather than a focused, singular
bounce as with Phong.

The Fresnel determines the scattering of light. Several metal presets are provided to make it easier to
choose a suitable material.

Roughness determines the spread of the specular highlight. A low roughness creates a defined, sharp
highlight, while a high roughness diffuses the specular highlight across the surface, moving towards a more
matte material.

Specular Reflectance adjusts the intensity of the specular highlight.

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In this example a copper fresnel is being used to generate a more realistic metallic appearance, compared
to the Phong images above:

Here is the same setup in a more natural lighting scenario:

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Reflectivity
There are two types of reflectivity. Specular reflectivity is what we normally think of when we talk about
reflections – seeing a visible reflection of an object in the surface of another. Diffuse reflectivity doesn’t
produce a direct reflection but causes the object to be illuminated by surrounding objects.

Here is an example image with a single light source and no reflectivity:

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The overall lighting in the above image is unconvincing, because the skull is not being illuminated by it
surroundings. While the blue wall and grey floor are not directly emitting light, they should nevertheless be
bouncing light.

Here is the same shot with diffuse reflectivity turned on, and no other changes:

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This time the skull sits far more naturally in the scene. It is brighter and is receiving diffuse blue light from
the back wall. This still only uses a single light source, but the overall lighting impression is far more
realistic. The diffuse reflectivity technique is subtle and hugely powerful – for very little effort you can
achieve much more convincing lighting.

Here is the same scene using specular reflectivity instead of diffuse:

The result is very different. The reflections are very sharp and defined, as if the skull were a shiny chrome
material.

Here is a more extreme example, using the same settings but a different background wall:

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And the same background again, but with a diffuse reflectivity setup:

You can, of course, combine the two, which is what you will normally want. That’s how the copper skull was
created, using a mixture of diffuse and specular reflectivity:

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The amount of diffuse and specular reflectivity can be adjusted per material.

You can also use an environment map image for reflectivity, in addition to the actual 3D scene. An
environment map is usually a panoramic, wrap-around image representing a particular location. While this is
not as accurate as reflecting the actual 3D scene, it is often more convenient. For example, if you are
compositing an object into a live action plate, you are more likely to have a panoramic image of the location
than a full 3D recreation.

A 3D layer can be assigned a single environment map. This is set in the material properties of the layer on
the timeline. See 3D Objects on the Timeline for more information.

Refraction
Refraction occurs when light is deflected while passing through a semi-transprent object. In HitFilm
refraction causes a vertically inverted version of the scene to be visible on the surface of the material.

As with reflectivity, refraction can also use the 3D model layer’s environment map. See 3D Objects on the
Timeline for more information.

The Index of Refraction sets the amount of refraction, which differs depending on the density of the material
the light is passing through. Water has a refraction index of 1.7 while glass typically starts about 1.55, for
example.

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The Refraction Amount determines the visibility of the refraction.

Here is an example of the skull object set up to look more like crystal:

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6.19.3. Advanced Properties

The advanced panel contains additional controls for defining how the model behaves in HitFilm.

After adjusting the advanced settings the Update Preview button must be clicked to see the changes in the
preview.

Coordinate System
Flip YZ axis can be used to alter the default orientation of the model. This is useful if the model has been
built in software that uses a different coordinate system to HitFilm.

*Center Anchor Point*will ensure the anchor point is at the center of the model. This can be useful if the
model is offset in 3D space.

* The coordinate system can only be adjusted during import.

3D Model Units/Scale
The scale of an imported model has to be adapted to the HitFilm 3D scene.

Auto Normalize will scale the model automatically to fit within a cube 500 units on a side. This will ensure
the model fits neatly within the frame of a default HitFilm camera.

If you are working with multiple models or multi-file models that have been created to a specific scale you
should uncheck auto normalize and set the Single Unit Scale. This will ensure all models use the same
scale.

The unit scale can be set using the drop-down menu and the value set with the slider.

* The scale of a model directly affects the behaviour of ambient occlusion. Small scales will
produce deeper ambient occlusion, creating the impression of a smaller model.

* The model scale can only be adjusted during import.

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Normals

* In most cases the Normals properties should not be changed. Only alter them if the model is
rendering incorrectly.

Normals are used to determine how light interacts with a surface. The Normal of each polygon is the angle
which the polygon faces.

• Flip Normals: In the event of lighting seeming inaccurate, with areas appearing dark when they
should be light, activate the Flip Normals property.
• Unify Normals: This option calculates the normals for all faces so they are facing away from the
center of the model. If you have a model which is so broken that some polygons are not visible, or the
order of the polygons is inconsistent, this option may help to repair the model and make it usable.

h3. Generate Method

The Generation Method can be used to create normals for models that do not have them, or to alter the
existing normals. This gives you several options for how the normals are handled, to modify their
appearance.

• From File: reads the normals from the file, without any modification
• Generate Faced + Auto Smoothing: generates normals for each face, and then smooths all normals
within the specified angle tolerance
• Generate Faceted: generates normals for each face of the model
• From File + Auto Smoothing: reads the normals from the file, then smooths all normals within the
specified angle tolerance

UV Mapping
UV mapping determines how textures are applied to a surface. If textures are appearing inverted or upside-
down, make sure you activate the Flip UV Coordinates property.

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6.19.4. 3D Objects on the Timeline

After Importing 3D models they will be available in the Media panel. These can then be added to composite
shot timelines like any other media asset.

* 3D models exist within their own 3D space inside the 3D scene. Therefore other 3D layers
such as particle simulators cannot intersect or move through 3D models, as the rendering
order is defined by the layer position on the timeline.

Using Multiple 3D Models

3D models can exist on their own individual layers, or within a single 3D model layer. When dragging a new
model to the timeline from the Media panel, you can choose to drop it onto the timeline as a new layer, or on
top of an existing 3D model layer.

If a 3D model layer contains multiple models, they are listed individually inside the Models group.

See Working with layers for information on more generic model layers.

World Transform
These transform controls move the entire 3D scene contained within the 3D layer. All 3D models inside the
3D layer will be affected.

Material
Fine control is provided over a 3D model layer’s lighting. These settings affect the entire layer. If you want to
adjust individual materials within the model, see Setting up Materials.

Illumination and Shadows

Illuminated controls whether a 3D model is affected by 3D lights. The way a model reacts to lights can be
adjusted when Setting up Materials.

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A model can be set to receive shadows. These shadows will only be cast from layers which have Cast
Shadows activated. This includes the selected model, which will only self-shadow and cast shadows with
both options enabled.

You can also set a layer to cast shadows even when the layer’s visibility is turned off. This makes it easier
to create a shadow pass, in which you can cast shadows onto a white background for further compositing
purposes, such as blending the shadow pass into live action footage.

The Self shadow bias can be used to restrict how much of the model casts shadows onto itself. Some
models produce shadows where there should be none, and this helps to remove unwanted glitches. Raising
it too high will cause unrealistic results.

* Note that shadows are only cast if a 3D light source is activated which also has Cast
Shadows enabled. See Lighting a 3D Scene for more information.

Reflections

Similar to shadows, you can also control exactly how reflections are generated.

When a model is set to receive reflections, it will obey the reflection settings defined in the 3D model’s
Properties. When Receives Reflections is activated, the model will receive reflections from any other 3D
layers set to cast reflections.

When Cast Reflections is activated, the model layer will cast reflections onto other 3D model layers.

As with shadows, you can also cast reflections even when the model is not visible.

Reflections are generated dynamically and will combine with the environment map, if one is being used.

* Note that reflections will only be visible if other layers have been set to cast reflections, and
if the 3D model has materials set up to show diffuse or specular reflectivity.

Environment Map

An Environment Map can be used for reflections and refraction. This is a single layer, usually a
wraparound panoramic image of a location which is representative of the desired reflections.

These can be used on their own or in combination with the real-time reflections.

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* Note that the effects of an environment map will only be visible if other layers have been set
to cast reflections, and if the 3D model has materials set up to show diffuse or specular
reflectivity.

Ambient Occlusion

Models can self-shade based on proximity of surfaces to other surfaces. This replicates the absence of light
that occurs where surfaces meet in the real world (this can be observed by the naked eye in the corners of
rooms).

Compare this image without ambient occlusion:

With this image showing ambient occlusion on the vehicle:

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The ambient occlusion in the second image highlights detail by shading areas where different surfaces are
in close proximity. There is also subtle ambient occlusion being cast onto the white floor around the wheels.
Ambient occlusion can then be combined with illumination and shadows cast from actual 3D lights.

Models can be set to receive and cast ambient occlusion separately.

Once ambient occlusion is activated, additional options are displayed for customizing the appearance of the
occlusion.

The Depth Scale can be used to adjust the appearance of ambient occlusion for different scale models.

If you experience visual glitching with some models, try increasing the Blur Radius or Samples.

Include Semi-Transparent Triangles applies ambient occlusion to materials containing transparency, or

using 32-bit textures.

Models

Each model in a layer will be listed in this property group and can be transformed individually.

If animation groups were selected during importing the model these will be listed as sub-models within the
relevant model with their own transform properties.

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The Anchor Point Orientation property determines the orientation of the model group’s coordinate system.
This is useful for setting up correct rotation of particular animation groups, such as the rotor blades on a
helicopter.

The Animations section can be used to apply Alembic animation data. See Alembic Animation for details.

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6.19.5. Alembic Animation

Alembic .ABC files can be used to drive a 3D model’s animation. Alembic files can store complex animation
data with full IK rigging. This means that you can import pre-animated models into HitFilm, including
advanced character animation, which wouldn’t be possible to animate directly inside HitFilm.

You still retain complete control over 3D camera angles and lighting when using animation files. Alembic
animation can therefore be considered as 3D stock footage, just as you might use 2D stock in your projects.

For example, here we can see a human character performing a complex cartwheel animation which would
be impossible to animate inside HitFilm:

More information on the Alembic format can be found here: http://www.alembic.io/

* Note that Alembic files do not have to contain animation data. If your Alembic file is not an
animation, it can be imported using the normal 3D Model Import process.

To import an Alembic animation file, choose the 3D model animation option from the Import Menu.

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Applying Alembic Animation to a 3D Model

Alembic animations must be applied to corresponding 3D geometry. The animation file needs to have been
created alongside a specific model, which should be imported separately. Applying animation created for
one model to a different model will create unpredictable results.

Alembic files are listed in the Media Panel. You first need to add the associated 3D model to the timeline, to
create the 3D model layer.

Once you have your 3D model layer, expand its property groups to find the Models group. This is where
your specific models are listed, with each model having an Animations slot.

You can now drag the related Alembic animation file onto the Animations slot to add it to the layer.

Note that you can add multiple Alembic animations to a single model. These animations can be set up to
work sequentially or simultaneously.

Controlling Alembic Animation

* It should be noted that you cannot change the specifics of the animation inside HitFilm. The
animation itself can only be altered in 3D modeling and animation products.

Using the animation’s controls you can change the playback rate of the animation, including reversing
playback, or play a specific section.

The Strength property adjusts the intensity of the animation on the model. For character animation you will
normally want this at 100%. If the animation is being used to warp or distort a model, this can be used to
adjust its effect.

By default the animation will playback as intended by the animator. Enabling Custom Playback gives you
more direct control over the playback, enabling you to choose a specific part of the animation or keyframing
the animation’s progress. For example, if you have an animation which lasts 5 seconds by default, you can
use Custom Playback to play it in slow motion by setting its 0% and 100% Playback keyframes 10
seconds apart.

When Custom Playback is deactivated you can optionally turn on Loop, which will repeat the animation
indefinitely.

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7. Visual Effects
HitFilm includes a huge library of built-in effects. You can also install compatible OpenFX plugins from other
developers. All of the available effects are listed in the Effects panel.

Effects Panel Pro

The effects in HitFilm are organized topically into folders. The Effects panel also lists your created presets.
See the Presets chapter for more information.

* Effects marked with the [Layer only] tag can only be used in composite shots. All other
effects can be used in the editor.

* You cannot animate effects on the editor timeline. For keyframe animation see Compositing.

Searching for

If you are looking for a specific effect and know its name, you can type it into the Search bar. As you type
the list will be instantly updated to display relevant results.

You can also filter the list to show specific types of effect using the Show All menu.

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Controlling Effects
Effects are added to clips and layers by dragging them from the Effects panel onto the chosen clip.

You can then customize the effect in the Controls panel, or directly on the timeline when working in a
composite shot.

To make changes to an effect, first select the relevant clip or layer on the timeline. Its properties will be
displayed in the Controls panel, with all applied effects listed in the effects section.

You can expand the effects section and individual effects to reveal more controls and details.

Clicking once on a property lets you type in a new value. Dragging on a value increases or decreases it.

Presets
HitFilm contains two types of presets.

Plugin Presets

Plugin presets are built into individual effects, and can be accessed through the Preset menu in the controls
for most effects. They only impact the effect they are contained in.

Not all effects have a preset menu, and the number of presets available will vary from one effect to the next.
Select any preset from the menu to apply it to the effect. You can quickly try different presets to find the one
best suited to your project.

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Presets

Standard Presets can be created for 3D effects and combinations of 2D effects.

Presets store your chosen settings so that you can quickly recreate them elsewhere in your project or even
in completely different projects. To learn more about creating and using presets, see the Presets page.

Transitions
The Effects library also contains the editor transitions. These can only be used when Editing.

Transitions provide interesting ways to blend from one clip into the next and can only be used on the editor
timeline.

You can drag transitions from the Effects panel onto the timeline. Transitions need to be applied to the start
or end of a clip, or between two adjacent clips. A green indicator will show where the transition will be
placed.

Once you have applied a transition it can then be selected on the timeline. The transition’s properties can be
adjusted in the Controls panel.

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Click here for detailed information on the different transitions.

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7.1. 360° Video

These tools are designed specifically for working with 360° video.

360° Animated Lasers [Layer Only]

360° Animated Lasers is available in the 360°: Neon Lights Pack.

This effect is the same as the standard Animated Lasers, but modified to be used with 360° video. See the
page on Animated Lasers for details on the controls of the effect.

360° Blur

360° Blur is available in the 360°: Toolkit Pack.

A standard, fast blur, optimized for use with 360° video.

• Radius: Sets the intensity of the blur.The radius, in pixels, defines the area that will be calculated into
the blur of each pixel.
• Iterations: The number of times the blur is calculated. More iterations give a smoother result, and a
larger blur.
• Dimension: The blur can be applied Horizontally, Vertically, or Both.
• Clamp To Edge: Enabling this feature prevents the blur from expanding outside the edges of the
layer it is applied to. Disabling it will allow the blur to expand outside the layer edges.

360° Bulge

360° Bulge is available in the 360°: VFX Pack.

Creates the illusion of a bulging shape pushing through the layer.

You can choose from multiple shapes and adjust the size and shape of the bulge.

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360° Channel Blur

360° Channel Blur is available in the 360°: Toolkit Pack.

Blurs color channels individually. Useful for creating the impression of chromatic aberration.

Radius
• Radius Red: Sets the radius of the blur on the red channel. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.

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• Radius Green: Sets the radius of the blur on the green channel. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.
• Radius Blue: Sets the radius of the blur on the blue channel. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.
• Radius Alpha: Sets the radius of the blur on the alpha channel, which determines the transparency of
the image. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.

Dimension
• Dimension Red: Select whether the red channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal and
Vertical.
• Dimension Green: Select whether the green channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal
and Vertical.
• Dimension Blue: Select whether the blue channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal
and Vertical.
• Dimension Alpha: Select whether the alpha channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal
and Vertical.

360° Fisheye Converter

360° Fisheye Converter is available in the 360°: Toolkit Pack.

When working with video captured with two opposing 180° lenses, such as video from the SamSung Gear
360, the 360° Fisheye effect allows you to convert the video into a standard equirectangular format for
editing.

360° Fractal Noise

360° Fractal Noise is available in the 360°: VFX Pack.

Generates a range of textures optimized for use with 360° video, using procedural methods.

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Each fractal method includes a range of properties for customizing the appearance of the effect.

360° Glow

360° Glow is available in the 360°: VFX Pack.

Adds a glowing aura to bright areas of the layer, optimized for use with 360° video.

Per Channel Intensity properties enable you to shift the glow color.

Advanced options provide further customization of the glow’s appearance, including creating a specific color
gradient.

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360° Glow Darks

360° Glow Darks is available in the 360°: VFX Pack.

Adds a diffuse, glowing aura to dark areas of the layer, optimized for use with 360° video.

Size and intensity of the blur can be edited with the included controls. Per Channel Intensity properties
enable you to shift the glow color.

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360° Lightsword (2-Point Auto) [Layer Only]

360° Lightsword (2-Point Auto) is available in the 360° Neon Lights Pack.

A 2-Point Lightsword effect optimized for use with 360° video. The controls are the same as for the standard
Lightsword (2-Point Auto) effect. For more details, please see the page on Lightswords.

360° Lightsword (4-Point Manual) [Layer Only]

360° Lightsword (4-Point Manual) is available in the 360°: Neon Lights Pack.

A 4-Point Lightsword effect optimized for use with 360° video. The controls are the same as for the standard
Lightsword (2-Point Auto) effect. For more details, please see the page on Lightswords.

360° Lightsword (Glow Only) [Layer Only]

360° Lightsword (Glow Only) is available in the 360°: Neon Lights Pack.

A version of the Lightsword Glow effect optimized for use with 360° video. The controls are the same as for
the standard Lightsword (2-Point Auto) effect. For more details, please see the page on Lightswords.

360° Magnify

360° Magnify is available in the 360°: VFX Pack.

Zooms in on a specific area of the layer. The shape, size and position of the magnification can all be
changed.

360° Neon Path [Layer Only]

360° Neon Path is available in the 360°: Neon Lights Pack.

A useful tool for creating animated Neon Path effects. You can use a Text Layer or a Mask to define the
shape of the effect, and then control the position and movement of the Neon line on the selected path.

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360° Text [Layer Only]

360° Text is available in the 360°: Toolkit Pack.

Creates text with unwrapped spherical distortion, for use with 360° video. Apply the text to your 360° video
layer before applying the 360° video viewer. The text will appear distorted initially, until the 360° viewer is
applied to render the 360 video properly onto a sphere.

360° Twirl

360° Twirl is available in the 360°: VFX Pack.

Twists the layer around the effect’s center point.

360° Unsharpen

360° Unsharpen is available in the 360°: Toolkit Pack.

A tool for bringing out or improving fine detail in a 360° video layer.

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360° Video Transform

On 360° video, this can be applied to adjust the position of the video layer without losing its wraparound
appearance. It can also be used effectively on wraparound environment maps.

Applying this to an ordinary layer will create distorted, unusual results.

* This effect was called Environment Map Transform in previous versions of HitFilm.

360° Viewer [Layer Only]

Apply this effect to a 360° video layer to wrap the layer onto a spherical shape for viewing. This wraps the
selected layer onto a spherical shape.

When placed as the bottom layer in a 3D composite shot, this creates a convincing, wrap-around
background for 3D shots. Examples would be a sky background for a cityscape or plane shot, or a space
nebula for a spaceship fly-by.

The environment map viewer will automatically update as the camera is panned in all directions.

* This effect was called Environment Map Viewer in previous versions of HitFilm.

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7.2. Audio
A variety of audio effects are available in HitFilm to adjust your audio.

Audio Reverse
Plays the selected clip backwards. There are no controls, the effect simply reverses the audio on the clip
when it is applied.

Balance
Pan the audio from left to right within the stereo field of your project.

• Balance: Negative values pan the audio farther to the left channel, and positive values pan it to the
right channel. Zero sends the audio in equal amounts to both channels.

Cathedral
Simulate the acoustics of a cathedral/large cavernous space.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Channel Levels
Used to adjust the volume of each audio channel individually.

• Left: Adjusts the overall level of the Left channel, in a dB scale. 0.0 dB is the original source volume.
• Right: Adjusts the overall level of the Right channel, in a dB scale. 0.0 dB is the original source
volume.

Compressor

Compressor is available in the Audio: Toolkit Pack.

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Compression reduces the total range in volume between the loudest and quietest points in the audio. This
allows you to either reduce the audio peaks without making the quiet bits too quiet,or increase the level of
the quiet moments, without pushing the peaks too high and causing them to clip.

• Input Gain: Adjusts the gain of the source audio being fed into the Compressor effect.
• Threshold: The Threshold is the level above which the audio will be compressed, and below which
the audio will remain unaffected.
• Limiter: Sets a fixed level which the audio peaks will not be allowed to exceed. Limiting should be
used judiciously, because excessive clipping can cause unwanted distortion.
• Ratio (x:1): The ratio at which audio levels will be attenuated once they exceed the Threshold.
• Knee: Low values will result in a hard knee, or a severe transition at the threshold, while higher
values will create a soft knee, and a more gentle transition from uncompressed to compressed audio.
• Attack Time: Defines how quickly, in milliseconds, the audio will be compressed once it exceeds the
Threshold. Faster attack times are good for ensuring that extreme peaks in the audio are caught and
reduced right away.
• Release Time: Defines how quickly, in milliseconds, the compressor will stop reducing the audio
level, once the source level falls below the threshold.
• Output Gain: Sets the overall level of the audio after the compression has been applied.

Doppler Shift

Doppler Shift is available in the Audio: Toolkit Pack.

When combined with an animated layer, this effect introduces realistic Doppler Shift to an audio layer.

The effect should be added directly to your audio layer. In the effect’s properties you can link it to a separate
layer, which can then be animated. For example, if a point layer is created and animated to move towards
camera, the audio will receive a Doppler Shift as if the sound is approaching camera.

A practical example would be to use a constant audio recording of a helicopter, which is then linked via the
Doppler Shift effect to an animated 3D helicopter in your scene. The helicopter audio will be shifted
automatically as the vehicle moves.

• Sound Position: Use this menu to select any layer on your timeline. The selected layer’s position will
be used to calculate the Doppler Shift.
• Speed of Sound: Defined in meters per second. Works in conjunction with the Scene Size, which
defines how many pixels are equal to a meter within your specific scene.
• Scene Size: Defines how many pixels in the scene correspond to a real meter. This makes it possible
to get accurate Doppler Shifting for a variety of scene setups.

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• Distance Falloff: When activated, the audio will diminish in volume the farther away it is from the
position set in the Volume Distance.
• Volume Distance is the distance from the camera at which audio will be at 100% volume. As audio
gets farther away it will become quieter. At the default of 1000px, if the audio moves closer to camera
it will become louder than 100%.

Echo
Generates echoes from the original audio. You can adjust the number of echoes, and how delayed they are
from the original. The falloff determines how much of the echo is heard before it diminishes and becomes
inaudible.

• Delay: The time in milliseconds between the original audio signal, and the start of the echo. When the
Number of Echoes is set higher than one, this value is also used to set the amount of time between
the start of each echo.
• Falloff: Defines how much the Level of each echo will be reduced from the previous instance. At the
default setting of 50%, the first echo will be half the level of the original signal, the second echo will be
25% of the original level, etc.
• Number of Echoes: The number of times the original audio will be repeated in echo.

Equalizer

Equalizer is available in the Audio: Toolkit Pack.

The equalizer is used to adjust the strength of specific frequencies in an audio clip. This can be used to
selectively adjust the bass and treble, for example, depending on the intent.

The presets menu provides quick access to common equalization tasks, such as high pass, low pass and
bass boost.

The Master Gain control is used to control the volume of the clip. This operates separately to the volume
property of the clip and should be used to set the base volume of an audio clip. The volume property can
then be used to fine tune volume and mix clips over time.

Recorded audio will often have a low gain when imported. To set your gain to a satisfactory volume for
standard playback on typical equipment, you can observe the default gain using the audio meters. Playback
the clip and note the peak audio level, as displayed in the peak boxes. You can then make the appropriate
adjustment to the Master Gain. For example, if you have a dialogue track which has been recorded with a

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peak of -18dB, making it rather quiet in the mix, you can set the Master Gain to 9.00dB in order to raise the
overall gain to -9dB. This results in louder audio while still leaving headroom to adjust the volume if
required.

Large Room
Simulates the ambient reverb of a large room. A longer reverb than the Medium Room effect.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Medium Room
Simulates the ambient reverb of a medium sized room.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Noise Reduction

Noise Reduction is available in the Audio: Toolkit Pack.

Noise Reduction is a quick way to clean up audio which is suffering from unwanted background noise.

After applying the effect, move the playhead to a frame containing the noise you wish to remove, and no
other audio. This should be a frame where there is no other interfering noises. For this reason when
recording audio is is always worth recording a section of ‘clean’ audio before recording your actual subject.
Clicking the Capture Noise Print button samples the audio contained in frame, so that HitFilm can
recognize the noise.

• Capture Noise Print: Clicking this button records whatever audio is present at the current playhead
location. The effect will then use this Noise Print to remove the noise from all other frames of the
video.

Once you have Captured a Noise Print, some additional controls will appear. In many cases the noise will
be immediately removed. The controls also allow you to fine tune how the noise removal is handled.

• Reset Noise Print: Removes the noise print, so you can select a different frame.
• Add to Noise Print: Allows you to select additional frames of noise, and add them to the noise print.

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• Threshold Level: On frames where the noise print overlaps with your dialog or other desired audio,
removing all of the noise can sometimes create unnatural results. Reducing the Threshold Level
restores a bit of the noise, can can be effective for getting a more natural result, while still retaining
significant Noise Reduction.
• Reduce By: Defines, in dB, how much the noise print will be reduced in each frame of your video. If
the results of the reduction are sounding unnatural, try lowering the Reduce By value, so the noise is
not removed entirely.

Pitch
Adjusting the pitch can be useful for particular effects, or to counter the natural pitch change caused by
adjusting playback speed of a clip.

• Semitone Shift: Sets, in semitones, how far the audio is shifted. Moving the slider to the left will shift
the pitch lower, and moving to the right will shift the pitch higher. A semitone is equal to the pitch
change between one key and the next on the piano. From C to C#, for example, is a semitone. 12
semitones is an octave.

Shortwave Radio
Simulates the sound of a shortwave radio.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Small Room
Simulates the ambient reverb of a small room. A shorter reverb than the Medium Room effect.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

Telephone
Simulates the sound of telephone audio.

• Gain: Reduces or increases the overall volume of the processed audio signal.

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Tone
Generates a continuous tone of a defined frequency. The Type you select makes a bigger difference at
lower Frequencies. The higher the Frequency, the harder it is to distinguish between the Types.

Type
• Sine: A Sine wave gives a smooth, rounded sound.
• Square: A Square wave gives a harsh, cutting sound
• Frequency: Sets the number of waves per second, which defines the pitch of the tone that is
generated.

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7.3. Behaviors
Behaviors are a new variety of Effects introduced in HitFilm Pro in late 2017. They can be applied to layers
to control the layer’s movement using physics equations or values taken from another layer.

* Behaviors can only be used on layers within composite shot timelines, and are not available
in the Editor.

Acceleration [Layer Only]

Causes the layer to accelerate in a user-specified direction.

• Acceleration: Sets the speed at which acceleration will occur. The distance the layer travels per
second will be increase by the specified number of pixels for each second of travel. So if Acceleration
is set to 100, for example, the layer will travel 100 pixels in the first second, 200 pixels in the second
second, and 300 pixels in the third second, for a total of 600 pixels traveled in three seconds.
• Orientation: Sets the direction, in degrees in which travel will occur.The X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis
are all represented, so you can move the layer in any direction you wish.

Attract To [Layer Only]

Attract To is available in the Behaviors: Starter Pack.

This behavior allows you to move the layer it has been applied to toward the specific location of another
layer. This is sometimes simpler that determining the exact angles in which a layer needs to move. For
example, you can set up a Point layer at the exact destination you want to use, then select that point layer
as a Target in the Attract To controls.

• Target: The layer containing the Attract To behavior will move toward the position of the layer you
select in this menu.
• Acceleration: Sets the speed at which acceleration will occur. The distance the layer travels per
second will be increase by the specified number of pixels for each second of travel. So if Acceleration
is set to 100, for example, the layer will travel 100 pixels toward the Target in the first second, 200
pixels in the second second, and 300 pixels in the third second, for a total of 600 pixels traveled in
three seconds.
• Distance:

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• Falloff: Choose between Linear and Quadratic Falloff

• Target Radius:

Drag [Layer Only]

Drag is available in the Behaviors: Starter Pack.

When drag is applied to a layer, any movement of the layer will be slowed down based on the amount of
drag applied. The higher the Drag value, the slower the layer will move, and the less distance it will cover.

• Drag: Specifies the amount of drag applied to the layer’s motion.

Follow [Layer Only]

Follow is available in the Behaviors: Starter Pack.

The Follow behavior allows you to move the layer it has been applied to based on the movement of another
layer.

• Target: The layer containing the Follow effect will follow the movement of the layer you select in this
menu.
• Attraction: Defines the strength of the attraction between the two layers.
• Distance: Sets the closest distance the two layers will get to one another. Once the layer the Follow
effects is applied to reaches this distance from the Target layer, it will stop.

Gravity [Layer Only]

The Gravity behavior drags your layer downward at a progressively accelerating rate, like actual gravity.

• Acceleration: Sets the speed at which acceleration will occur. The distance the layer travels per
second will be increase by the specified number of pixels for each second of travel. So if Acceleration
is set to 100, for example, the layer will travel 100 pixels toward the Target in the first second, 200
pixels in the second second, and 300 pixels in the third second, for a total of 600 pixels traveled in
three seconds.

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Mix Parent Position [Layer Only]

Mix Parent Position is available in the Behaviors: Starter Pack.

This behavior allows you to adjust the intensity of the parenting between layers. While standard parenting is
absolute, and always affects the child layer at 100% of the parent layer’s position values, you can use Mix
Parent Position to reduce the impact that parenting has on the child.

• Source Layer: This menu is used to select the Layer whose position you wish to use as a source.
• Mix: Sets the percentage of the source layer’s movement that will be applied to this layer. If the Mix is
set to 70%, for example, and the Source layer moves 100 pixels down and 200 pixels to the left, the
layer the Mix Parent Position behavior is applied to will move 70 pixels down and 140 pixels to the
left.

Repel From [Layer Only]

Repel From is available in the Behaviors: Starter Pack.

This behavior moves the layer it has been applied to away from the specific location of another layer. This
allows you to push one layer around using a second layer, and keep a minimum distance between them.

• Target: The layer containing the Repel From behavior will move away from the position of the layer
you select in this menu.
• Acceleration: Sets the speed at which repulsion will be accelerated. The distance the layer travels
per second will be increase by the specified number of pixels for each second of travel. So if
Acceleration is set to 100, for example, the layer will travel 100 pixels toward the Target in the first
second, 200 pixels in the second second, and 300 pixels in the third second, for a total of 600 pixels
traveled in three seconds.
• Distance: The minimum separation between this layer and the Target Layer. Once the tow layers
reach this distance from one another, this layer will begin moving away from the target layer.
• Falloff: Choose between Linear and Quadratic Falloff

Rotate By Layer [Layer Only]

Rotate By Layer is available in the Behaviors: Starter Pack.

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This behavior allows you to adjust the intensity of the parenting between layers. While standard parenting is
absolute, and always affects the child layer at 100% of the parent layer’s rotation values, you can use Mix
Parent Position to reduce the impact that parenting has on the child. Each axis is separated, so they can be
controlled independently

• Rotate By Layer: This menu is used to select the Layer whose rotation values you wish to use as a
source.
• Rotation X Amount: Sets the percentage of the source layer’s X rotation that will be applied to this
layer. If the Mix is set to 50%, for example, and the Source layer rotates 180 degrees on the X axis,
the layer the Mix Parent Position behavior is applied to will rotate 90 degrees on the X axis.
• Rotation Y Amount: Sets the percentage of the source layer’s Y rotation that will be applied to this
layer. If the Mix is set to 50%, for example, and the Source layer rotates 180 degrees on the Y axis,
the layer the Mix Parent Position behavior is applied to will rotate 90 degrees on the Y axis.
• Rotation Z Amount: Sets the percentage of the source layer’s Z rotation that will be applied to this
layer. If the Mix is set to 50%, for example, and the Source layer rotates 180 degrees on the Z axis,
the layer the Mix Parent Position behavior is applied to will rotate 90 degrees on the Z axis.

Throw [Layer Only]

Causes the layer to travel in a user-specified direction. The Throw behavior is similar to the Accelerate
behavior, except the object travels at a consistent speed

• Speed: Sets the speed at which movement will occur, in pixels per second.
• Accelerate Time: The amount of time, in seconds, which the layer will take to accelerate from a
stationary position to full speed. After the Accelerate time, the layer will continue to move at a fixed
rate of Speed, in the direction you have chosen.
• Orientation: Sets the direction, in degrees in which travel will occur.The X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis
are all represented, so you can move the layer in any direction you wish.

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7.4. Blurs
The Blurs folder contains all of the blur-related effects.

* Some blurs include a Clamp to Edge property, which ensures that the effect extends to the
edge of the frame.

* See Motion Blur for information on the automatic motion blur feature.

Angle Blur
Blurs the layer in a specific direction. Can be useful for an impression of fast movement.

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• Angle: Rotating the Angle wheel controls the direction of the blur
• Length: Sets the strength of the blur, defined in number of pixels
• Clamp To Edge: Enabling this feature prevents the blur from expanding outside the edges of the
layer it is applied to. Disabling it will allow the blur to expand outside the layer edges.

Bilateral Blur

Bilateral Blur is available in the Edit: Beautify Pack.

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Smooths images for a softer, untextured appearance, while retaining fine edge detail.

• Radius: Sets the intensity of the blur.The radius, in pixels, defines the area that will be calculated into
the blur of each pixel.
• Threshold: Sets the amount of edge contrast that must be present for an edge to be retained. Higher
values will result in fewer edges being held out from the blur.
• Dimension: The blur can be applied Horizontally, Vertically, or Both.

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Blur
A standard, fast blur.

• Radius: Sets the intensity of the blur.The radius, in pixels, defines the area that will be calculated into
the blur of each pixel.
• Iterations: The number of times the blur is calculated. More iterations give a smoother result, and a
larger blur.
• Dimension: The blur can be applied Horizontally, Vertically, or Both.
• Clamp To Edge: Enabling this feature prevents the blur from expanding outside the edges of the
layer it is applied to. Disabling it will allow the blur to expand outside the layer edges.

Diffuse
Creates a soft focus appearance by duplicating the footage, blurring the copy, and then blending the
duplicate back onto the original footage.

• Radius: Sets the intensity of the blur.The radius, in pixels, defines the area that will be calculated into
the blur of each pixel.
• Opacity: Controls the opacity of the duplicate blurred footage. Lower opacity levels will give a more
subtle result.

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Lens Blur
The lens blur is designed to more closely mimic the depth of field bokeh effects created by real lenses. It
can be used in conjunction with a depth map to selectively blur different areas of the frame to different
degrees.

Here’s an example of lens blur in action:

Here is the original frame:

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Note how the face remains in sharp focus while the rest of the image becomes progressively more blurred.
This is based upon a simple depth map created by hand inside HitFilm using some planes and masks:

The circle at the top keeps the face in focus, while the left-to-right gradient oval causes her arm to become
progressively more blurred. The rest of the image, being black, is fully blurred.

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Lens blur can be heavily customized.

• Source Layer: can be optionally used to apply a depth map, as shown in the example above.
• Source Channel: You can use various channels from the source layer as the depth map, such as
luminance and alpha.
• Radius: adjusts the strength of the blur.
• Focal Distance: is used to rack focus based on the depth map, adjusting which point on the map is in
focus. This is analogous to changing focus on your camera.
• Focal Range: defines the depth of field. A larger focal range will cause more of the frame to remain in
focus, while a small focal range will cause a shallower area to remain in focus.
• Specular Threshold: Sets the luminance level above which highlights will be blown out to white,
rendering as specular highlights based on the Iris settings below.
• Specular Brightness: sets the brightness of the specular highlights. Lower threshold and higher
brightness will make the bokeh more obvious. The bokeh shape can be further customized in the Iris
section.
• Quality: defines the visual quality of the blur. If you are trying to match your footage to other footage
shot with a lower quality lens, reducing the quality may help. Reducing quality also allows the effect to
render more quickly.
• Iris
The iris section can be used to switch between multiple primitive shapes. These can then be rotated
and warped using the curvature, pinch and shift options to create custom shapes. The View Iris option
can be useful for dialing in the shape of the iris.
◦ Shape: Select a shape based on the number of blades you wish to be used for the iris. More
blades tend to give a smoother blur and higher quality results.
◦ Rotation: Sets the rotation of the shape selected above.
◦ Curvature: Sets the curvature of each blade of the iris. A value of 0.0 creates a straight side.
Negative values will curve the sides inward, while positive values curve it outward.
◦ Pinch: Limits the area affected by the curvature. Higher pinch levels will reduce the width of the
curve, so it is pinched close to the vertices of the iris shape.
◦ Shift: Offsets the center of the curvature.
◦ Opacity Curve: Feathers the edges of the iris shape, from the outer edge and the center.
◦ Highlight Location: Sets the distance of the circular highlight from the center of the iris.
◦ View Iris: Enabling this option shows the iris shape in white, so you can see exactly how the
adjustments above affect the shape that will be used to render the specular highlights.

Motion Blur
This uses optical flow techniques to identify movement in a layer and apply artificial motion blur. This can be
very useful for animation or for adding exaggerated motion blur to a live action shot.

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• Mode: You can use the default settings used by the entire composite shot by selecting Comp
Settings, or use Custom settings. If you select Custom, the following settings will become available.
• Custom
◦ Shutter Angle: A larger shutter angle will create more motion blur. The shutter angle simulates
the amount of time a real camera shutter is open.

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◦ Shutter Phase: Positions the blur in relation to the moving object. This can be used to offset
the blur in front or behind the object. For realistic motion blur this is best kept to half the value
of the shutter angle.
◦ Samples: Motion blur is constructed by sampling the position of the layer over multiple frames.
A higher number of samples will result in a higher quality motion blur. Fewer samples will be
faster to render but may introduce visible banding in the motion blur.
• Optical Flow
Motion blur is calculated by tracking the movement of every pixel in the image using optical flow
techniques. The amount of blur applied to each pixel is based on the speed at which it is moving.
These advanced settings let you adjust how the movement in the frame is tracked.
◦ Window Size: The number of pixels surrounding the current pixel that is scanned to calculate
the motion of the current pixel.
◦ Sigma: A value in the algorithm used for tracking, that alters the way it tracks. Changing the
Sigma can affect the result. If the blur is calculated incorrectly, trial and error can be used to
see if changing sigma improves results.
◦ Iterations: The number of times the tracking algorithm is performed. The results of all iterations
are averaged, so more iterations will give a more accurate result, but will also take longer to
calculate.
◦ Downsamples: Optical Flow can only track movement smaller than one pixel, so before the
tracking algorithm runs, the image must be downsampled. You can create multiple levels of
downsampling, and the algorithm will be calculated for each downsample level. More
downsamples can improve the results, but will take longer to calculate.
◦ Start Downsample: By default the tracking algorithm starts with the first downsample, skipping
the full resolution image, which makes it less susceptible to being misled by noise in the image.
Increasing the Start Downsample can speed up the results, but reduces the resolution of the
tracking results, which may negatively impact accuracy.

Radial Blur
Creates a circular shaped blur. The center of the blur can also be moved using the control point in the
Viewer.

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• Center Position: The center point from which the blur is calculated can be positioned anywhere you
like. You can either manually type in a value, or select the Position property, then drag the Center
Point shown in the Viewer to a new location.
• Use Layer: If you wish to link the center of the blur to the position of a different layer, you can use this
property to select any layer on your timeline.
• Angle: Controls the amount of blur applied. Since radial blur has a greater effect on the image the
farther you get from the center point, the amount of blur is defined in degrees, rather than pixels.

Zoom Blur
A blur emanating out from a central point. The center of the blur can also be moved using the control point
in the Viewer.

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• Quality: Affects the smoothness of the blurred results. Increasing the quality will smooth the results,
but may take longer to calculate.
• Strength: The distance, in pixels, that each pixel will be blurred.
• Center Position: The center point from which the blur is calculated can be positioned anywhere you
like. You can either manually type in a value, or select the Position property, then drag the Center
Point shown in the Viewer to a new location.
• Use Layer: If you wish to link the center of the blur to the position of a different layer, you can use this
property to select any layer on your timeline.

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7.5. Channel
Channel effects are used to manipulate the channels in a layer, such as RGB or luminance.

Channel Blur

Channel Blur is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

Blurs channels individually. Useful for creating the impression of chromatic aberration.

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Radius
• Radius Red: Sets the radius of the blur on the red channel. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.
• Radius Green: Sets the radius of the blur on the green channel. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.
• Radius Blue: Sets the radius of the blur on the blue channel. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.
• Radius Alpha: Sets the radius of the blur on the alpha channel, which determines the transparency of
the image. A higher radius creates a bigger blur.

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Dimension
• Dimension Red: Select whether the red channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal and
Vertical.
• Dimension Green: Select whether the green channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal
and Vertical.
• Dimension Blue: Select whether the blue channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal
and Vertical.
• Dimension Alpha: Select whether the alpha channel blur is Horizontal, Vertical, or both Horizontal
and Vertical.

Channel Mixer

Channel Mixer is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

Used to mix the color channels together. The red channel can have some of the blue channel introduced to
it, for example. This can be useful for adjusting the color balance in a natural way, since the adjustments are
based on another color channel from the source image.

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The channel mixer is an effective option for creating a black and white image with extensive control over the
contrast. Setting all values to zero, and then increasing the Red value in each color channel to 1.0, for
example, will give you a black & white image of only the red channel. The same technique can be used with
the green or blue channels as well.

Red
• Red: Sets the amount of the source red channel that is used to create the red output of your image.
The default value of 1.0 delivers the red channel in its original state.

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• Green: Sets the amount of the source green channel that is used to create the red output. This is set
to 0.0 by default. Decreasing this value will darken the red output, based on the contrast contained in
the green channel. Increasing the value will brighten the red output, based on the contrast of the
green channel.
• Blue: Sets the amount of the source blue channel that is used to create the red output. This is set to
0.0 by default. Decreasing this value will darken the red output, based on the contrast contained in the
blue channel. Increasing the value will brighten the red output, based on the contrast of the blue
channel.
• Const: Controls the base value of the red channel. This value is calculated after the three channels
above are mixed, and increases or decreases the total output of the red channel, based on the sum of
the three channels above.

Green
• Red: Sets the amount of the source red channel that is used to create the green output of your image.
This is set to 0.0 by default. Decreasing this value will darken the green output, based on the contrast
contained in the red channel. Increasing the value will brighten the green output, based on the
contrast of the red channel.
• Green: Sets the amount of the source green channel that is used to create the green output of your
image. The default value of 1.0 delivers the green channel in its original state.
• Blue: Sets the amount of the source blue channel that is used to create the green output. This is set
to 0.0 by default. Decreasing this value will darken the green output, based on the contrast contained
in the blue channel. Increasing the value will brighten the green output, based on the contrast of the
blue channel.
• Const: Controls the base value of the green channel. This value is calculated after the three channels
above are mixed, and increases or decreases the total output of the red channel, based on the sum of
the three channels above.

Blue
• Red: Sets the amount of the source red channel that is used to create the blue output of your image.
This is set to 0.0 by default. Decreasing this value will darken the blue output, based on the contrast
contained in the red channel. Increasing the value will brighten the blue output, based on the contrast
of the red channel.
• Green: Sets the amount of the source green channel that is used to create the blue output. This is set
to 0.0 by default. Decreasing this value will darken the blue output, based on the contrast contained in
the green channel. Increasing the value will brighten the blue output, based on the contrast of the
green channel.
• Blue: Sets the amount of the source blue channel that is used to create the blue output of your image.
The default value of 1.0 delivers the blue channel in its original state.

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• Const: Controls the base value of the blue channel. This value is calculated after the three channels
above are mixed, and increases or decreases the total output of the blue channel, based on the sum
of the three channels above.

Channel Swapper

Channel Swapper is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

Replaces channels with other channels. For example, you can have a layer’s alpha (transparency) set to
correspond to its red values, or its saturation. This is useful for both color grading and compositing. Channel
swapping is also frequently used in Infrared (IR) photography.

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• Take Red From: Select the source channel that will be used to generate the red output.
• Take Green From: Select the source channel that will be used to generate the green output.
• Take Blue From: Select the source channel that will be used to generate the blue output.
• Take Alpha From: Select the source channel that will be used to generate the alpha output.

Channel Time Shift

Channel Time Shift is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

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Moves red, green and blue channels backwards or forwards in time individually. This creates a trailing effect
on moving objects, or can create a chromatic aberration style distortion.

• Red Shift: Sets the number of frames by which the red channel is shifted from the current frame
number. Positive values will take frames from later in the clip, while negative values will take frames
from earlier in the clip.
• Green Shift: Sets the number of frames by which the green channel is shifted from the current frame
number. Positive values will take frames from later in the clip, while negative values will take frames
from earlier in the clip.
• Blue Shift: Sets the number of frames by which the blue channel is shifted from the current frame
number. Positive values will take frames from later in the clip, while negative values will take frames
from earlier in the clip.
• Alpha: Selects the frame that will be used for the alpha channel. By default it uses the Current Frame.
Average will calculate the average of the values of all three color channels, and use that frame. Red
Shift, Green Shift and Blue Shift will take the value from the selected channel, and use that frame as
the alpha. The alpha setting applies when you are working with a layer that included alpha
transparency. On standard video, the alpha setting will have no effect, since the entire frame is
completely opaque.

Color Space Converter

Changes the color space of the layer to a different color space. Useful for color grading and compositing.

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• From: Select the source channel or color space from which the conversion will be calculated.
• To: Select the destination color space to which the source channel or color space will be converted.
• Invert: Toggling this option will invert the results of the conversion.
• Alpha: Controls how the alpha channel is handled. Normal will give the typical result based on the
conversion options you have selected. Solid will override the conversion settings and create a solid
alpha, so the layer remains entirely opaque.

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7.6. Color Correction

Color correction effects are designed to enhance the visual quality of layers by adjusting their colors. Color
correction is intended for the initial color manipulation and for fixing problems.

* Also see Color Grading.

Auto Color
HitFilm includes three Auto grading effects to adjust the layer’s color, contrast or levels.

Compare the following image in each of these three effects to see the different results they give.

• Threshold: sets the threshold below which colors will remain unaffected.
• Blend With Original: the effect of the Auto Color can be softened by increasing this setting. Higher
values retain more of the original color.
• Select Frame: by default the auto grading effects update on each frame, which can cause
fluctuations in the layer’s appearance as the contents of the frame change. By activating the Select
frame property you can manually choose a frame to use as the source for the automatic adjustment,
which will be used for the duration of the layer.

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Auto Contrast
HitFilm includes three Auto grading effects to adjust the layer’s color, contrast or levels.

Compare the following image in each of these three effects to see the different results they give.

• Threshold: sets the threshold below which colors will remain unaffected.
• Blend With Original: the effect of the Auto Contrast can be softened by increasing this setting.
Higher values retain more of the original color.
• Select Frame: by default the auto grading effects update on each frame, which can cause
fluctuations in the layer’s appearance as the contents of the frame change. By activating the Select
frame property you can manually choose a frame to use as the source for the automatic adjustment,
which will be used for the duration of the layer.

Auto Levels
HitFilm includes three Auto grading effects to adjust the layer’s color, contrast or levels.

Compare the following image in each of these three effects to see the different results they give.

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• Threshold: sets the threshold below which colors will remain unaffected.
• Blend With Original: the effect of the Auto Levels can be softened by increasing this setting. Higher
values retain more of the original color.
• Select Frame: by default the auto grading effects update on each frame, which can cause
fluctuations in the layer’s appearance as the contents of the frame change. By activating the Select
frame property you can manually choose a frame to use as the source for the automatic adjustment,
which will be used for the duration of the layer.

Brightness & Contrast

Quick adjustment of the layer’s brightness and contrast.

• Brightness: adjust to the left to decrease brightness, or to the right to increase brightness.
• Contrast: adjust to the left to decrease contrast, or to the right to increase contrast.

Color Balance
Individually adjust the balance of red, green and blue in the layer’s shadows, midtones and highlights.

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The Preserve luminosity property retains the layer’s original brightness when altering the colors.

Shadows
• Red Balance: adjust to the left to reduce red tones in the shadow areas, or to the right to increase
red tones in the shadow areas.
• Green Balance: adjust to the left to reduce green tones in the shadow areas, or to the right to
increase green tones in the shadow areas.
• Blue Balance: adjust to the left to reduce blue tones in the shadow areas, or to the right to increase
blue tones in the shadow areas.

Midtones
• Red Balance: adjust to the left to reduce red tones in the midtones, or to the right to increase red
tones in the midtones.
• Green Balance: adjust to the left to reduce green tones in the midtones, or to the right to increase
green tones in the midtones.
• Blue Balance: adjust to the left to reduce blue tones in the midtones, or to the right to increase blue
tones in the midtones.

Highlights
• Red Balance: adjust to the left to reduce red tones in the highlights, or to the right to increase red
tones in the highlights.

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• Green Balance: adjust to the left to reduce green tones in the highlights, or to the right to increase
green tones in the highlights.
• Blue Balance: adjust to the left to reduce blue tones in the highlights, or to the right to increase blue
tones in the highlights.

Color Correction Wheels

Color Correction Wheels is available in the Color: Correction Pack.

This effect provides a visual way to quickly adjust the highlights, midtones and shadows of your layer.

You can drag on the color wheels to adjust the color balance of highlights (top wheel), midtones (middle
wheel) and shadows (bottom wheel). The further out from the center of the color wheel you drag the point,
the more saturated the colors will become.

The sliders can be used to adjust the strength and lightness of the adjustment, and the rotator on the
wheels changes the hue.

Master Controls

The Master Controls are applied to the entire tonal range of the image, from the brightest highlights to the
darkest shadows. Everything is affected.

• Saturation: Adjusts the master saturation of the entire layer. Positive Values add saturation, and
negative values reduce saturation.
• Exposure: Positive values brighten the image, and negative values darken the image.
• White Balance: Sets the neutral value on which color adjustments are based. In most cases, you will
want to use the pipette tool to select an area in your image which should be neutral grey, but you can
also manually specify an RGB value.

Highlights
• Strength: The amount of color adjustment applied. This slider directly translates to the distance of the
control point from the center of the top color wheel.
• Hue: The hue toward which the colors are adjusted. This radial dial is directly equivalent to the top
color wheel, and represents the angle at which the control point sits within the wheel.
• Saturation: The saturation of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Saturation slider
beside the top color wheel.

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• Lightness: The Lightness of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Lightness slider
beside the top color wheel.

Midtones
• Strength: The amount of color adjustment applied. This slider directly translates to the distance of the
control point from the center of the middle color wheel.
• Hue: The hue toward which the colors are adjusted. This radial dial is directly equivalent to the middle
color wheel, and represents the angle at which the control point sits within the wheel.
• Saturation: The saturation of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Saturation slider
beside the middle color wheel.
• Lightness: The Lightness of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Lightness slider
beside the middle color wheel.

Shadows
• Strength: The amount of color adjustment applied. This slider directly translates to the distance of the
control point from the center of the bottom color wheel.
• Hue: The hue toward which the colors are adjusted. This radial dial is directly equivalent to the bottom
color wheel, and represents the angle at which the control point sits within the wheel.
• Saturation: The saturation of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Saturation slider
beside the bottom color wheel.
• Lightness: The Lightness of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Lightness slider
beside the bottom color wheel.

Here you can see the difference the color wheels effect can make to a layer, with the original shown first
and the color corrected version below it:

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Color Temperature
Use to warm or cool the colors in your layer. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin.

• Temperature: adjusting to the left reduces color temperature, introducing more orange and red into
the image. Adjusting to the right increases the color temperature, shifting it towards blue.

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Crush Blacks & Whites

An alternative to simply altering the contrast, this enables you to change the black and white points
separately for finer control.

• Black: Increasing this slider will raise the threshold below which shadow areas will be pushed into
black
• White: decreasing this slider lowers the threshold above which highlights will be pushed into White.

Curves
Curves is a powerful color correction and grading tool, based on an editable graph. Here’s an example of
the curves graph as shown in the Controls panel:

The horizontal axis on the graph represents the input, which is the original image. The vertical axis
represents the output, which is the graded result. Therefore if you follow a line vertically up from any point
on the graph until you hit the curves, then track to the left, you can see how the input is being changed.

Therefore with the default curves graph you can see that the input values are identical to the output values:

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Two easy presets are provided, one of which resets the graph to the default straight line and another which
creates an s-curve:

Where the graph becomes steeper you will see increased contrast, whereas a shallower incline will reduce
contrast. In the case of an s-curve, the center of the graph is steeper, which increases contrast in the mid-
tones, at the expense of detail in the shadows and highlights.

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Given that the focus of a frame is often in the mid-tones (such as actor’s faces), an s-curve is often an
effective way to add perceived detail and contrast to a shot.

Curves can be used to adjust the RGB channels combined or each channel individually. Adjusting individual
channels can be useful for correcting white balance and lighting issues.

Custom Gray
This creates a grayscale image while providing finer control over how that image is generated. This is useful
for creating specific black and white looks, as each RGB channel can be emphasized to a lesser or greater
degree when creating the result, providing fine control over contrast.

• Red: Positive values increase the lightness of the red channel, negative values decrease the
lightness of the red channel. Increasing the red level can help lighten skin tones, to bring the viewer’s
focus onto human subjects.
• Green: Positive values increase the lightness of the green channel, negative values decrease the
lightness of the green channel.
• Blue: Positive values increase the lightness of the blue channel, negative values decrease the
lightness of the blue channel.
p(banner tip). The sum of the values of the Red, Green, and Blue channels should equal 1.00 to
maintain the overall luminosity of the original image. Total values above 1.00 will brighten the image
overall, and total values below 1.00 will darken it.

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• Offset: Raises or lowers the luminosity of the entire image equally, affecting all tones in the image
equally
• Exposure: Raises or lowers the exposure of the image. This adjustment primarily affects the
Highlights and Midtones, while the Shadow areas remain unaffected. Thus, reducing Exposure lowers
the overall contrast of the image, while increasing Exposure increases the contrast between the
brightest and darkest areas.

Exposure
Simulates the effect of letting more light into the camera lens. The end result is a brightening or darkening of
the footage, but in a more natural, dynamic way than a direct Brightness adjustment. In addition to changing
brightness, reducing Exposure lowers the overall contrast of the image, while increasing Exposure
increases the contrast between the brightest and darkest areas. The available controls give you access to
the three main tonal ranges of the image, allowing you to fine-tune the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows
separately.

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• Exposure: Primarily brightens or darkens the highlights of the image, with minimal effects on the
shadows.
• Offset: Brightens or darkens the shadow areas of the image, with minimal effects on the Highlights.
Start with minor adjustments, as excessive changes here can create unnatural results.
• Gamma: Shifts the midtones of the image.

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Gamma
Individually alter the gamma of red, green and blue channels. Gamma is weighted toward the midtones of
the image, and will change the midtones the most, with a more minimal impact on the highlights and
shadows.

• Red: Raises or lowers the red levels in the image, especially in the midtones.
• Green: Raises or lowers the green levels in the image, especially in the midtones.
• Blue: Raises or lowers the blue levels in the image, especially in the midtones.

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Hotspots
A quick and easy way to isolate and alter the bright areas of your layer. Hotspots allow you to select and
modify the brightest areas of your image, based on a user-defined brightness threshold.

• Threshold: Sets the brightness threshold on which the effect is based. Only areas above your
Threshold setting will retain detail.
• Threshold Add Color: All areas of the image below the threshold level will be filled with the color you
select here. By default the color is black, which can be useful for isolating the hot spots in your image

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for compositing purposes. For example, you could duplicate your footage, apply Hot Spots to the top
copy, then set the blend mode of the top copy to Screen to blend the results of the Hot Spots effect
onto the original copy of the footage below it.
• Saturation: Adjusts the intensity of the colors in any areas brighter than the Threshold.
• Brightness: Alters the brightness of all areas in your footage which are brighter than the Threshold.
• Smooth Source: Applies a blur to the source image before calculating the threshold, which is useful
for smoothing the transition areas around the threshold and removing graininess in the result.

Hue, Saturation & Lightness

Control over the hue, saturation and lightness of your image. The Master controls affect the entire image,
while the individual color controls (Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta) allow you to limit adjustments
to a specific color family.

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• Hue Shift: Shifts the colors by rotating them the specified number of degrees around the color wheel.
The colors are oriented around the color wheel in the sequence they are listed in the effect (red,
yellow, green, cyan, blue, magenta), and the distance between each color family is 60 degrees. The
Master control will affect the entire image, while the lower controls will only affect a range of colors
within the specific color family you adjust.
• Saturation: Increases or decreases the saturation, or color intensity. The Master control will affect the
entire image, or you can select a specific color family and adjust it separately from all other colors in
the image.

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• Lightness: Lightens or darkens the image. The Master control will affect the entire image, or you can
select a specific color family and adjust it separately from all other colors in the image. Increasing the
Lightness can result in a perceived decrease in saturation, so in many cases it may be useful to
adjust Lightness and Saturation in combination to get the result you desire.

* The Master controls in the Hue, Saturation & Lightness effect are a quick way to adjust the
overall Saturation and Lightness of your image.

Levels Histogram
Levels gives you detailed information about the channel composition of the layer through the use of a
Histogram Display.This allows you to make manual adjustments to the tonality of the layer to improve its
appearance. A Histogram is a graph which allows you to quickly see at a glance the exact range of tonal
values in your image. Histograms are also available in the scopes panel, and more information about
histograms is available in Introducing Scopes. The histogram is a more accurate way to assess colors than
by eye.

The histogram displays a readout of the tones in your image. The tones range from pure black on the left to
pure white on the right. The height of the graph at any point indicates the relative frequency of that specific
tone in the image. Information for different channels of your image can be viewed, based on your selection
in the Channels menu.

Channels Menu
• RBG: Displays three separate histograms at once, one for each color channel of your image. Each
histogram is colored to match the channel it represents.
• RGB Combined: Averages the values of all three channels, and displays a single histogram that
represents the overall tonal values of the image.
• Red: Displays the tonal values of the Red channel of the image.
• Green: Displays the tonal values of the Green channel of the image.
• Blue: Displays the tonal values of the Blue channel of the image.
• Alpha: Displays the tonal values of the Alpha channel of the image.

The Histogram

The primary method for viewing the levels in your image is the Histogram. The image below is represented
by the histogram shown to its right.

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The histogram contains a Graph and a Gradient. Beneath the graph are three triangles, representing the
Input Black (black triangle), the Gamma (grey triangle) and the Input White (white triangle). Looking at this
histogram, notice that the graph does not begin at the Input Black, it ends before the Input White, and nearly
all the image data is positioned below the mid-point Gamma control. By default, pure black is set to 0.0, and
pure white is set to 1.0. Shifting the white or black input values evenly redistributes the tonal range of the
image between black and white. However, adjusting them too far can result in clipping of the image, and
loss of detail in the shadow or highlight areas.

By adjusting these controls we can optimize the dynamic range of tones in our image. Slide the Input Black
control to the right control until it touches the edge of the visible graph. Then, slide the White Input to the
left, until it touches the edge of the visible graph. Shifting the Gamma will then redistribute the midtones
between the white and black points. The image below shows how this basic adjustment can improve the
image by darkening the blacks to true black, raising the highlights to pure white, and brightening the overall
image with a Gamma shift.

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There are also two triangle controls below the gradient, representing the Output Black (black triangle) and
Output White (white triangle). Shifting these will reduce the contrast in the image, by reducing the intensity
of the black point or white point of the image. This can be useful for creating a flat image in preparation for
applying final grading adjustments. The image below shows how adjusting the Output Black and Output
white affects our result.

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Controls
• Input Black: Sets pure black in the image to the selected value. Any tones below the selected value
will be clipped to pure black. Linked to the black triangle below the graph.
• Input White: Sets pure white in the image to the selected value. Any tones above the selected value
will be clipped to pure white. Linked to the white triangle below the graph.
• Gamma: Redistributes the midtones between the defined input black and input white. Adjusting
Gamma to the left will brighten the midtones, and adjusting it right will darken the midtones. Linked to
the grey triangle below the graph.
• Output Black: Offsets the black point from 0.0 to the selected value.This is useful for lightening
shadow areas of the image. Linked to the black triangle below the gradient.
• Output White: Offsets the white point of the image from 1.0 to the selected value. This can be
beneficial for reducing the brightness of the highlights in your image. Linked to the white triangle
below the gradient.

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Pro Skin Retouch

Apply realistic and subtle post-production make-up to your actors, with fine control over skin color, detection
thresholds, skin treatment and highlight glow.

Skin retouching has three distinct sections. Skin Detection is used to define the area to be processed. This
area is called the skin matte. Skin Treatment contains the main controls for adjusting the amount of
processing applied to the skin matte. Glow is used to add a subtle glow to the skin area, to soften it.

Skin Detection

HitFilm will automatically try to select common skin tones. Adjusting the settings below will allow you to
ensure that all skin tones are selected, regardless of what color shifts or lighting is present in your footage.

• Skin Color: Sets the base color for skin detection. This should be adjusted based on the subject’s
skin color, by dragging the eyedropper onto a typical portion of the subject’s skin in the viewer.
• Brightness Threshold: Limits the skin detection based on brightness. Higher values will include a
wider range of highlights and shadows in the selection. This can be useful for selecting skin in shots
with uneven lighting, but higher values also make it easier for unwanted areas of the frame to be
included in the skin matte.
• Chroma Threshold: The skin detection is performed in the YUV color space. The chroma threshold
defines the distance around the selected color used to create the detection circle. Increasing this
setting includes a wider chromatic range in the selection, which can also easily begin to select
unwanted areas of the frame. This setting shuld be kept at the lowest value that is acceptable for your
footage.
• Softness: Applies a feather to the edge of the skin matte, to more naturally blend it with the rest of
the frame.
• Elliptical Deformation: Adjusts the shape of the YUV detection circle into an ellipse, which is a more
optimized shape for skin detection.
• Blur Selection: Blurs the resulting skin matte.

Skin Treatment

These controls define how the area inside the skin matte is modified.

• Smooth: Smoothes the skin by applying a blur within the area of the skin matte.
• Edge Threshold: The skin treatment attempts to retain edge detail while smoothing the skin. The
edge threshold determines how much detail is retained.

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• Saturation: Adjusts the color intensity of the skin. A subtle saturation boost often creates a healthy
appearance.
• Exposure: Adjusts the exposure within the skin matte. Since human faces are the most common
subject of video shots, this allows you to easily highlight underlit skin, and draw the viewer’s eyes to
your subject.

Glow
• Brightness: Adjusts the strength of the glow. Subtle use is recommended for average shots, but
higher values can also be useful for creating elf-glow effects.
• Threshold: Applies a threshold to the skin. Higher thresholds reduce the amount of skin used to
generate the glow.
• Radius: Higher radius values will increase the size of the glow, creating a softer, more diffuse result.
• Colorize: The glow can be tinted towards a specific color using the color picker.If you want to tint the
glow away from normal skin color, to give it a sickly green tinge or an ethereal blue tint, for example,
you could select those colors here.

View

Switching between these view modes makes it easier to adjust the skin detection settings.

• Final Result: This option shows the processed skin composited back onto your source layer, so you
can see the exact results of the effect.
• Skin Matte: Shows a greyscale representation of the skin matte, so you can see exactly what areas
are selected. White indicates selected areas, black indicates unselected areas, and grey indicates
areas of partial selection. The darker a grey area is, the less effect the Skin Treatment settings will
have in that area.
• Skin: Isolates the selected area and hides all parts of the layer that are outside of the skin matte.

White Balance
If your video was shot with incorrect white balance, or has an undesirable color shift, this effect can help to
correct the problem. Use the color pipette to select a part of the video that should be white (or neutral grey)
and the layer will be corrected.

In the example below, the white balance has been set to the frames of the sunglasses. The first image is the
original, with an overly warm, yellowish appearance, while the second image shows the corrected white
balance.

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YUV Color Correction

YUV Color Correction is available in the Color: Correction Pack.

YUV Color Correction is similar to the standard Color Correction Wheels, but operates within the YUV color
space rather than in RGB color space. So the footage is converted to YUV, the adjustments you make are
applied, and then the results are converted back to RGB for display. YUV separates the brightness of the
image from the color data. The Y channel is the brightness data. The U channel stores chrominance data on

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a vertical axis through the center of the color wheel, and the V channel stores chrominance data on a
horizontal axis through the center of the color wheel.

Highlights
• Brightness: Adjust the Y value of the highlights, altering their brightness without affecting the
chrominance values. This slider is the same as the slider to the left of the top color wheel.
• UV Shift Amount: The strength of color adjustment applied. This slider directly translates to the
distance of the control point from the center of the top color wheel.
• UV Shift Direction: The hue toward which the colors are adjusted. This radial dial is directly
equivalent to the top color wheel, and represents the angle at which the control point sits within the
wheel.
• Hue Shift: Adjusts the highlight colors of the image by rotating them around the color wheel. The
outer wheel’s relationship to the main wheel reflects the amount of this adjustment.
• Saturation: The saturation of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Saturation slider
to the right of the top color wheel.

Midtones
• Brightness: Adjust the Y value of the midtones, altering their brightness without affecting the
chrominance values. This slider is the same as the slider to the right of the middle color wheel.
• UV Shift Amount: The strength of color adjustment applied. This slider directly translates to the
distance of the control point from the center of the middle color wheel.
• UV Shift Direction: The hue toward which the colors are adjusted. This radial dial is directly
equivalent to the middle color wheel, and represents the angle at which the control point sits within
the wheel.
• Hue Shift: Adjusts the midtone colors in the image by rotating them around the color wheel. The outer
wheel’s relationship to the main wheel reflects the amount of this adjustment.
• Saturation: The saturation of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Saturation slider
to the left of the top color wheel.

Shadows
• Brightness: Adjust the Y value of the shadows, altering their brightness without affecting the
chrominance values. This slider is the same as the slider to the left of the bottom color wheel.
• UV Shift Amount: The strength of color adjustment applied. This slider directly translates to the
distance of the control point from the center of the bottom color wheel.
• UV Shift Direction: The hue toward which the colors are adjusted. This radial dial is directly
equivalent to the bottom color wheel, and represents the angle at which the control point sits within
the wheel.

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• Hue Shift: Adjusts the shadow colors in the image by rotating them around the color wheel. The outer
wheel’s relationship to the main wheel reflects the amount of this adjustment.
• Saturation: The saturation of the selected hue. This slider is the same control as the Saturation slider
to the right of the bottom color wheel.

YUV Color Transform

YUV Color Transform is available in the Color: Correction Pack.

Transforms your media from RGB to YUV color space

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7.7. Color Grading

Color grading effects are for giving your project a unique visual style.

* See also Color Correction.

Bleach Bypass

Bleach Bypass is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

Bleach Bypass simulates the harsh, high contrast look of bleach bypass film processing. Often used for war
movies. Bleach bypass takes its name from a technique used to develop color film stock. By skipping the
bleaching step in the development process, the silver in the film emulsion is retained, resulting in a black-
and-white image laid over the color image. The final image has reduced saturation, and increased contrast
and graininess.

• Amount: The intensity of the Bleach Bypass effect applied to your source video.
• Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the video. Actual film is typically shot 1 stop underexposed to
prepare for bleach bypass processing, to compensate for the brightening that occurs during the
process. This slider allows you to compensate for the brightness of your source video to get the result
you want.
• Silver Source: You can change the source used to create the Silver map used by the bleach bypass
here. Choose the Intensity of the image, the Luminosity of the image, or the Lightness of the
image. This is a case where its best to just try the options, and see which one gives the most pleasing
result.

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Cine Style

Cine Style is available in the Color: Cine Pack.

Using an s-curve shift, cine style creates a cinematic, Hollywood-style look. It is a fast method for achieving
a professional, high quality finish. While it offers a rapid grade, it still provides controls for fine tuning the
appearance. Cine style includes built-in Grain, Vignette and Letterboxing features. These can be turned on
or off independently, to create your desired final look.

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• S-Curve: Adjusts the contrast of the image, by applying an s-curve based on the Curves effect.
• Color Adjustment: Controls the color shift applied to the image, which boosts contrasting colors, By
default, it pushed toward the teal and orange palette popular in Hollywood blockbusters, but this can
be changed using the Color Adjustment Settings below.

Color Adjustment Settings

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• Shift:
• Hue: The primary hue toward which the color will be shifted.

• Exposure: Adjust the exposure of the image. Use this control and the S-Curve control to find the
balance of contrast and brightness that you need.
• Saturation: Increases the color intensity within the image.

2.35:1 Letter Box

Cinematic films often use a wider aspect ratio than standard 16:9 video cameras. You can add a Letter Box
to your video to give it a more cinematic look.

• Enabled: Toggles the letterbox on and off.

• Offset: Adjusts the vertical position of the video, so you can ensure the most important elements of
the frame are visible within the letter box.

Grain

The film stock which was used traditionally on Hollywood films, and from which films take their designation,
often has a characteristic grain which is often lacking in video. Adding subtle grain can help your video have
a more filmic appearance.

• Enabled: Toggles the Grain on and off

• Amount: The intensity of the Grain effect.
• Size: The size of the grain. Grain is generally of a similar size, but its size relative to the frame will
vary based on the size of the film. So grain in 8mm film will appear larger than grain in 35mm film.
Adjust the size here to get the look you are after.
• Monochrome: Toggles between full color grain and grain that is black and gray only.
• Seed: Each seed gives a different random pattern to the grain.

Vignette

Some camera lenses cause a vignette distortion which darkens the corners of the frame. These controls can
be used to simulate that look, or simply to bring more focus to the center of the frame by darkening the
edges.

• Enabled: Toggles the Vignette on and off.

• Center

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◦ Position: By default the vignette is centered on the frame, but you can reposition the center
anywhere within the frame
◦ Use Layer: This menu allows you to select any other layer on the timeline, and use its position
coordinates as the cneter of the vignette.
• Horizontal Stretch: Adjusts the width of the vignette.
• Vertical Stretch: Adjusts the height of the vignette.
• Softness: Controls the width of the feather applied to the edges of the vignette.
• Curvature: Changes the radius used in the corners of the vignette effect
• Opacity: Adjusts the transparency of the image within the vignette
• Background
◦ Opacity: Adjusts the opacity of the vignette color applied to the image.
◦ Color: Select the color which will be used by the vignette. Black is the default.

Classic Cine Style

Classic Cine Style is available in the Color: Cine Pack.

This effect is all about recreating retro film looks. It includes several presets and can also be fully
customized. Here’s an example of a preset recreating the look from 1950 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes:

Basic contrast is controlled with the built-in s-curve adjustment and exposure and saturation can be easily
adjusted.

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The film grain effect is integrated into classic cine style, applying a range of procedural grains based on
8mm, 16mm and 32mm film stocks.

The red, green and blue channels can be adjusted individually and letterbox and vignette controls are also
included.

Color Cycle
Color cycle loops the color palette. It includes numerous presets for quickly generating specific looks, such
as this hue cycle:

The input phase is used to determine which channel from the source is used to map through the color
cycle.

Adjusting the phase shift will cause the colors to cycle. Each color can be adjusted individually, including
adjusting its alpha transparency. This can therefore be used to generate mattes based on specific color
ranges.

Color Map
The color map effect can be used to apply a color range from one layer to another layer. This is most
commonly used with a color gradient.

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In the following example this color gradient is used:

The image below shows the result of using the color map effect with the color gradient above.

The top image is the original, ungraded shot. The middle image shows the full effect of the color map, with
the original colors mapped to the new blue gradient. The bottom image shows the color mapped version
blended back onto the original to create an appealing color grade.

In the color map properties you first need to select the color map source. This can be any other layer on
your timeline.

The X axis and Y axis property groups define how the color map source is mapped onto the layer.

In the above example, using the luminance channel for the X axis results in the gradient’s colors being
sampled from right to left, starting with the brightest end of the gradient. The Y axis in this case has no
effect as the colors in the gradient are uniform from top to bottom.

Color Phase

Color Phase is available in the Color: Starter Pack.

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Each color channel can be phased, shifting it to a different color range.

Color Vibrance

Color Vibrance is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

This effect is ideal for adding color to greyscale, procedural effects such as particles and textures.

Here’s a grayscale planet created using a combination of fractal noise and sphere effects inside HitFilm:

Here’s the same shot with color vibrance applied:

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Color vibrance is particularly effective at retaining detail in bright areas without creating excessive bloom.

The strength of the vibrancy and the luminance preservation can be adjusted, as can the color and phasing
of the effect.

Day for Night

A quick way to convert a shot filmed in the day to having the appearance of being filmed at night.

Applies a gradient based on the Horizon property, with separate controls for the near and far areas.

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Duo Tone

Duo Tone is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

Creates a two tone look based on two specified colors.

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Threshold is used to adjust the location color split in the image’s brightness scale, while softness is used to
adjust the overall contrast.

Grading Transfer [Layer Only]

Grading Transfer is available in the Color: LUT Pack.

Matches the look of a layer to another layer. This is a quick way to grade based on an existing source.

The transferred grade can then be further customized, either globally or specific to the shadows, mid-tones
and highlights.

Brightness shift affects how much of the source’s brightness is transferred, while chrominance shift
affects how much of the source’s color is transferred.

Hue Colorize
Applies a new hue to the layer,.

Hue Shift
Moves the entire color spectrum of the layer through different hues.

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Invert
Inverts the colors.

LUT

LUT is available in the Color: LUT Pack.

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LUT files are used to transform color values, which helps to ensure accurate color correction across multiple
software and hardware setups. The LUT effect can import .cube LUT files.

LUT also provides a powerful way to provide a one-click grade, simulating specific film stocks and
processing techniques. Applying a LUT to flat footage can produce high quality results very quickly.

Take a look at this comparison:

On the left is the original footage, which was purposely shot to be ‘flat’, providing a neutral starting point for
the grade.

The middle image is using a LUT designed to mimic the look of KODACHROME film. The only additional
alteration I’ve made is to slightly reduce the saturation. In about 10 seconds I went from a basic flat look to a
highly dramatic and filmic grade.” Find out more about KODACHROME and grab the LUT
here.”:https://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/everything-looks-better-on-kodachrome-k-tone-lut/

The image on the right is using a Kodak 2393 emulation LUT, Again, I’m achieving a good film look with
literally a couple of clicks, and note how different this look is to the KODACHROME. You can download
several film emulation LUTs and find some great behind-the-scenes info here.

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Shadows & Highlights

Shadows & Highlights is available in the Color: Starter Pack.

Provides fine control over the contrast and sharpness of a layer.

Three Strip Color

Simulates the three strip color film process commonly used in the early days of color film, resulting in richer,
deeper colors.

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Two Strip Color

Simulates the two strip color film process. More information on the process can be found in this article on
Wikipedia.

Vibrance

Vibrance is available in the Color: Starter Pack.

Adds pop to your image, emphasizing edge detail by increasing local contrast.

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Vignette
Adds a colored overlay to the edges of the layer. You can customize the color, shape and softness of the
vignette.

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Vignette Exposure
This alternate vignette effect adjusts the exposure of the edges of the frame, instead of applying an overlay.
This can produce a subtler and more natural vignetting result.

The vignette can also be pushed brighter, which creates a halo effect or can be used to reduce the effects
of unwanted vignetting in the source footage.

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7.8. Depth
The depth effects can aid in creating the illusion of depth when blending 2D layers with 3D models or 3D
effects. HitFilm also

Depth Mask
Depth Mask can be applied to a 2D layer to mask the layer based on the depth of another layer on the same
timeline. For example, you may want a video layer to intersect with a 3D model that you have imported.
Normally this would require that the model be set to 3D unrolled, which prevents you from applying effects
to the model. But if you apply a Depth Mask to the video, then select the 3D model as the depth layer, they
can intersect while still retaining their 2D qualities.

• Depth Layer: Select the layer to be used as the depth source. If a video or image is chosen, the color
data will be used as a depth map. If a 3D model or particle layer is selected, the Z-depth data of the
layer will be used.
• Invert: Inverts the depth map.
• Softness: Feathers the depth map. This will be particularly noticeable where the layers appear to
intersect.
• Depth Shift: Adjusts the apparent depth of the depth layer, in relation to the layer the effect is applied
to. Positive values will move it closer to the camera, and negative values will move it farther away.
Note that the actual position of the Depth Layer is unaffected.

Depth Matte
Depth Matte creates a greyscale depth map, based on the depth of another layer on the same timeline. For
example, you could apply Depth Matte to a grade layer, then select a 3D model layer as the Depth Layer to
generate a greyscale depth map of the 3D layer’s contents.

• Depth Layer: Select the layer to be used as the depth source. If a video or image is chosen, the color
data will be used as a depth map. If a 3D model or particle layer is selected, the Z-depth data of the
layer will be used.
• Invert: Inverts the depth map.
• Softness: Feathers the depth map. This defines the total distance between the foreground (black and
background (white) of the map.

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• Depth Shift: Adjusts the apparent depth of the depth layer, in relation to the layer the effect is applied
to. Positive values will move it closer to the camera, and negative values will move it farther away.
Note that the actual position of the Depth Layer is unaffected.

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7.9. Distort
The Distort effects are used to change the shape and behaviour of a layer.

Bulge
Creates the illusion of a bulging shape pushing through the layer.

You can choose from multiple shapes and adjust the size and shape of the bulge.

Chromenator
Creates the appearance of liquid metal.

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Derez (VGHS)
Custom-built for Freddie Wong’s Video Game High School web series. Creates a digital glitching
appearance.

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Displacement
Shifts the pixels in particular directions according to the displacement source. This can create excellent
invisibility and other distortion effects.

You can select the source layer and source channels, plus adjust the strength of the displacement.

Energy Distortion

Energy Distortion is available in the VFX: Distortion Pack.

Distorts your footage based on a procedurally generated fractal pattern. You can adjust the appearance of
the distortion using the controls.

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• Distortion: Adjusts the intensity of the distortion applied to the layer.

• Scale: Sets the scale of the distortion
• Diffusion Bias: Set the amount of the image that is affected by diffusion blurring. Increasing the
setting will make the blur more prevalent.
• Diffusion Strength: Sets the strength of the blur in the areas affected by diffusion
• Distortion Rotation: Sets the angle in which the distortion is applied.
• Distort Single Axis: Enabling this option applies the distortion in a single direction. The specific
angle used can be set with the Distortion Rotation setting above.

Animation

By default the Energy Distortion is animated. You can set the details of the movement within the effect here.

• Wind Direction: Sets the direction of the movement

• Wind Speed: Sets the speed of the movement along the axis determined in the Wind Direction, by
altering the position of the noise. Higher values will create more movement in the distortion.
• Noise Speed: Sets the speed of the movement of the fractal noise the distortion is based on. This
speed alters the shape of the noise, while the Wind Speed property affects its position.

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Noise
• Seed: Acts as a randomizer for the shape of the noise. Each seed value sets a unique starting shape
for the procedurally generated noise.
• Interpolation: Provides options for how the noise is interpolated. Linear Interpolation uses the
simplest path to connect points in the rectilinear grid the effect is based on. Cubic interpolation uses
smoother paths to interpolate the grid. Neither option is better than the other, they just provide
different options for the effect.

Transform

Multiple layers of fractal noise are combined to create the final noise that the distortion is based on. The
Transform controls adjust the primary noise, while the Sub Settings alter the sub levels of noise that add
detail to the distortion.

• Position: Sets the position of the primary fractal noise the distortion is based on.
• Use Layer: You can select another layer on your timeline, to parent the position of the distortion to
that layer
• Rotation: Sets the rotation of the primary fractal noise
• Axis Scale X: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the X
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion horizontally.
• Axis Scale Y: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the Y
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion vertically.

Sub Settings
• Sub Levels: Sets the number of sub levels that are used to calculate the distortion. Higher levels
create greater detail in the distortion.
• Influence: Controls the intensity with which the sub levels alter the primary noise.
• Scale: Sets the scale of the sub levels, thus impacting the size of the detail added by the additional
sub levels.
• Rotation: Alters the angle of the sub levels which are laid over the primary noise.
• Offset: Sets the position of the sub levels in relation to the primary noise position.
• Center Subscale: Enabling this option links the center of all subscale layers, so they stay aligned
when offset using the above control.

Fluid Distortion

Fluid Distortion is available in the VFX: Distortion Pack.

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Distorts your footage based on a procedurally generated fractal pattern. You can adjust the appearance of
the distortion using the controls.

• Distortion: Adjusts the intensity of the distortion applied to the layer.

• Scale: Sets the scale of the distortion
• Diffusion Bias: Set the amount of the image that is affected by diffusion blurring. Increasing the
setting will make the blur more prevalent.
• Diffusion Strength: Sets the strength of the blur in the areas affected by diffusion
• Distortion Rotation: Sets the angle in which the distortion is applied.
• Distort Single Axis: Enabling this option applies the distortion in a single direction. The specific
angle used can be set with the Distortion Rotation setting above.

Animation

By default the Fluid Distortion is animated. You can set the details of the movement within the effect here.

• Wind Direction: Sets the direction of the movement

• Wind Speed: Sets the speed of the movement along the axis determined in the Wind Direction, by
altering the position of the noise. Higher values will create more movement in the distortion.
• Noise Speed: Sets the speed of the movement of the fractal noise the distortion is based on. This
speed alters the shape of the noise, while the Wind Speed property affects its position.

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Noise
• Seed: Acts as a randomizer for the shape of the noise. Each seed value sets a unique starting shape
for the procedurally generated noise.
• Interpolation: Provides options for how the noise is interpolated. Linear Interpolation uses the
simplest path to connect points in the rectilinear grid the effect is based on. Cubic interpolation uses
smoother paths to interpolate the grid. Neither option is better than the other, they just provide
different options for the effect.

Transform

Multiple layers of fractal noise are combined to create the final noise that the distortion is based on. The
Transform controls adjust the primary noise, while the Sub Settings alter the sub levels of noise that add
detail to the distortion.

• Position: Sets the position of the primary fractal noise the distortion is based on.
• Use Layer: You can select another layer on your timeline, to parent the position of the distortion to
that layer
• Rotation: Sets the rotation of the primary fractal noise
• Axis Scale X: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the X
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion horizontally.
• Axis Scale Y: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the Y
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion vertically.

Sub Settings
• Sub Levels: Sets the number of sub levels that are used to calculate the distortion. Higher levels
create greater detail in the distortion.
• Influence: Controls the intensity with which the sub levels alter the primary noise.
• Scale: Sets the scale of the sub levels, thus impacting the size of the detail added by the additional
sub levels.
• Rotation: Alters the angle of the sub levels which are laid over the primary noise.
• Offset: Sets the position of the sub levels in relation to the primary noise position.
• Center Subscale: Enabling this option links the center of all subscale layers, so they stay aligned
when offset using the above control.

Heat Distortion
Applies automatic heat distortion with built-in displacement and diffusion. The behavior can be adjusted for
faster or slower movement.

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• Scale: Sets the scale of the distortion

• Distortion: Adjusts the intensity of the distortion applied to the layer.
• Diffusion Bias: Set the amount of the image that is affected by diffusion blurring. Increasing the
setting will make the blur more prevalent.
• Diffusion Strength: Sets the strength of the blur in the areas affected by diffusion
• Distortion Rotation: Sets the angle in which the distortion is applied.
• Distort Single Axis: Enabling this option applies the distortion in a single direction. The specific
angle used can be set with the Distortion Rotation setting above.

Animation

By default the Energy Distortion is animated. You can set the details of the movement within the effect here.

• Wind Direction: Sets the direction of the movement

• Wind Speed: Sets the speed of the movement along the axis determined in the Wind Direction, by
altering the position of the noise. Higher values will create more movement in the distortion.
• Noise Speed: Sets the speed of the movement of the fractal noise the distortion is based on. This
speed alters the shape of the noise, while the Wind Speed property affects its position.

Noise
• Seed: Acts as a randomizer for the shape of the noise. Each seed value sets a unique starting shape
for the procedurally generated noise.

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• Interpolation: Provides options for how the noise is interpolated. Linear Interpolation uses the
simplest path to connect points in the rectilinear grid the effect is based on. Cubic interpolation uses
smoother paths to interpolate the grid. Neither option is better than the other, they just provide
different options for the effect.

Transform

Multiple layers of fractal noise are combined to create the final noise that the distortion is based on. The
Transform controls adjust the primary noise, while the Sub Settings alter the sub levels of noise that add
detail to the distortion.

• Position: Sets the position of the primary fractal noise the distortion is based on.
• Use Layer: You can select another layer on your timeline, to parent the position of the distortion to
that layer
• Rotation: Sets the rotation of the primary fractal noise
• Axis Scale X: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the X
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion horizontally.
• Axis Scale Y: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the Y
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion vertically.

Sub Settings
• Sub Levels: Sets the number of sub levels that are used to calculate the distortion. Higher levels
create greater detail in the distortion.
• Influence: Controls the intensity with which the sub levels alter the primary noise.
• Scale: Sets the scale of the sub levels, thus impacting the size of the detail added by the additional
sub levels.
• Rotation: Alters the angle of the sub levels which are laid over the primary noise.
• Offset: Sets the position of the sub levels in relation to the primary noise position.
• Center Subscale: Enabling this option links the center of all subscale layers, so they stay aligned
when offset using the above control.

Insect Vision
Creates the tiled appearance of a multi-faceted insect eye.

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Magnify
Zooms in on a specific area of the layer. The shape, size and position of the magnification can all be
changed.

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Mosaic
Creates a tiled, mosaic appearance by reducing the number of distinct pixels in the layer.

Puppet

Puppet is available in the Motion: Puppet Pack.

The Puppet tool allows you to set up specific control points within your layer, then animate the position of
each point to move or distort the layer’s contents. After adding the Puppet effect to your layer, Click in the
Viewer to add new control points. A new control point will be added at each location you click. Drag any
existing point to a new location to distort the image beneath it. If you wish to reposition a point without
distorting the image, hold Shift while you drag the point. While shift is help, the mesh that is used to
generate the distortion will be visible, and points can be repositioned without altering the distortion.

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• Mode: The Mode changes automatically as you edit the effect in the Viewer. If you want to manually
force a specific mode, you can do so here.
1. Animate: In Animate Mode the control points are pined to the layer, and moving any control
point will distort the layer accordingly. Note that keyframing must still be enabled for individual
control point properties in order to change the values over time.

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2. Edit: In Edit mode you can add points and change the position of existing points without
affecting the source layer. The mesh is overlaid onto your image when Edit mode is active.

When Edit mode is selected, some additional controls appear, which allow you to fine tune the mesh used to
distort the image.

• Expansion: Expands the boundaries of the mesh beyond the borders of the layer. If you get
unwanted creasing along the edges of your layer when it is distorted, try increasing the expansion to
smooth out the edges.
• Tessellation: Controls the size of the triangles that make up the mesh. Increasing tessellation
creates more faces, for smoother curves in the distortion. Increased tessellation may also increase
processing time.
• Rigidity Map: You can use a map to add rigidity to certain areas of the layer, and further control how
it is distorted.

Control Points

You can create as many control points as necessary within the Puppet tool. Control points are numbered in
the order in which they are created, and each control point will have two controls:

• Position: Identifies the exact position of the control point at the current frame, on the X and Y axes.
• Z-Order: Controls the depth order of the points. If your points are moved so that parts of the layer
overlap, the Z order determines which point is in front. In overlapping areas, point with higher Z-order
values will be rendered in front of points with lower values.

Smoke Distortion

Smoke Distortion is available in the VFX: Distortion Pack.

Distorts your footage based on a procedurally generated fractal pattern. You can adjust the appearance of
the distortion using the controls.

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• Distortion: Adjusts the intensity of the distortion applied to the layer.

• Scale: Sets the scale of the distortion
• Diffusion Bias: Set the amount of the image that is affected by diffusion blurring. Increasing the
setting will make the blur more prevalent.
• Diffusion Strength: Sets the strength of the blur in the areas affected by diffusion
• Distortion Rotation: Sets the angle in which the distortion is applied.
• Distort Single Axis: Enabling this option applies the distortion in a single direction. The specific
angle used can be set with the Distortion Rotation setting above.

Animation

By default the Energy Distortion is animated. You can set the details of the movement within the effect here.

• Wind Direction: Sets the direction of the movement

• Wind Speed: Sets the speed of the movement along the axis determined in the Wind Direction, by
altering the position of the noise. Higher values will create more movement in the distortion.
• Noise Speed: Sets the speed of the movement of the fractal noise the distortion is based on. This
speed alters the shape of the noise, while the Wind Speed property affects its position.

Noise
• Seed: Acts as a randomizer for the shape of the noise. Each seed value sets a unique starting shape
for the procedurally generated noise.

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• Interpolation: Provides options for how the noise is interpolated. Linear Interpolation uses the
simplest path to connect points in the rectilinear grid the effect is based on. Cubic interpolation uses
smoother paths to interpolate the grid. Neither option is better than the other, they just provide
different options for the effect.

Transform

Multiple layers of fractal noise are combined to create the final noise that the distortion is based on. The
Transform controls adjust the primary noise, while the Sub Settings alter the sub levels of noise that add
detail to the distortion.

• Position: Sets the position of the primary fractal noise the distortion is based on.
• Use Layer: You can select another layer on your timeline, to parent the position of the distortion to
that layer
• Rotation: Sets the rotation of the primary fractal noise
• Axis Scale X: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the X
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion horizontally.
• Axis Scale Y: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the Y
axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion vertically.

Sub Settings
• Sub Levels: Sets the number of sub levels that are used to calculate the distortion. Higher levels
create greater detail in the distortion.
• Influence: Controls the intensity with which the sub levels alter the primary noise.
• Scale: Sets the scale of the sub levels, thus impacting the size of the detail added by the additional
sub levels.
• Rotation: Alters the angle of the sub levels which are laid over the primary noise.
• Offset: Sets the position of the sub levels in relation to the primary noise position.
• Center Subscale: Enabling this option links the center of all subscale layers, so they stay aligned
when offset using the above control.

Twirl
Twists the layer around the effect’s center point.

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Waves
Creates a corrugated effect. You can also choose another layer as the displacement source and alter the
lighting on the bright and dark sides of the wave.

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Witness protection
This is a quick way to obscure an item within a shot, such as a face, number plate or product logo. You can
choose between blur or pixelate styles.

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7.10. Generate
The Generate effects are used to create new visual elements. These can be applied to layers like any other
effect.

3D Extrusion

3D Extrusion is available in the VFX: Starter Kit Pack.

Extruding creates the appearance of 3D depth in a flat 2D layer. This is often used to enhance titles but can
be used on any layer.

3D extrusion can use the 3D lights in your scene. The material behavior of the extrusion can be adjusted in
the Illumination property group.

* For 3D extrusion to cast shadows the layer must also be set to 3D.

Another layer can be used as an environment map for extruded text. This is effective for creating reflective
text or for inheriting some of the lighting in a background plate.

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Animated Lasers

Animated Lasers is available in the VFX: Starter Kit Pack.

Animated Lasers allow you to quickly generate laser bolts and other ray-based effects. See Animated
Lasers for full details.

Audio Spectrum

Audio Spectrum is available in the Motion: Audio Visual Pack.

Generate spectrum patterns based on an audio layer.

* Requires a layer containing audio to function correctly.

Audio Waveform

Audio Waveform is available in the Motion: Audio Visual Pack.

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Generate waveform patterns based on an audio layer.

* Requires a layer containing audio to function correctly.

The appearance of the spectrum and waveforms can be heavily customized, while behavior is determined
via the audio input controls.

Auto Volumetrics

Auto Volumetrics is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack.

Generates volumetric lighting effects which can be positioned in 3D. The volumetric rays are based on a
source layer.

Often the most effective way to apply auto volumetrics is to a simple plane layer. You can then specify a
separate source layer in the Light source properties. Applying the effect to a separate plane provides
greater flexibility when moving a 3D camera, as the rays can emanate away from the layer boundaries of the
source itself.

The light position determines the angle of the rays. You can also link the light position to another layer, such
as a light or point layer.

Caustics
Simulates the distortion caused by viewing through a body of water.

Clone

Clone is available in the Composite: Toolkit Pack.

Quickly create duplicates of your layer and arrange them in grid patterns.

Clouds
Generates a moving, randomly generated cloud texture.

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Drop Shadow
Adds a drop shadow to the layer. You can change the scale, distance and appearance of the shadow, or
choose to render the shadow without the layer.

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End Credits Crawl

Creates scrolling end credits with automatic formatting and animation, designed to mimic classic feature film
credits.

The effect is split into multiple design elements and automatically reflows text and adjusts the layout
depending on the copy you provide. Formatting and layout for element titles, role descriptions and names
can be adjusted independently, giving you a lot of flexibility within the core framework.

If you omit titles or roles, the layout will be automatically updated to still make sense. For example,
removing roles will reflow the names into a multi-column layout by default, which is useful for crediting a
large stunt or VFX team who all share the same role.

Fractal Noise
Generates a range of textures using procedural methods.

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Each fractal method includes a range of properties for customizing the appearance of the effect.

Grid
Creates a grid pattern. You can adjust the spacing and size of the grid lines.

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Hyperdrive

Hyperdrive is available in the VFX: Retro Pack.

Quickly create the star-streaked look of a ship jumping to hyperdrive. For full details, see the Hyperdrive
page.

Letterbox
The fastest and easiest way to add letterboxing to your movie. Presets enable you to quickly pick from
standard film aspect ratios.

Lightswords
See Lightswords.

Neon Path [Layer Only]

Neon Path is available in the VFX: Neon Lights Pack.

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A useful tool for creating animated Neon Path effects. You can use a Text Layer or a Mask to define the
shape of the effect, and then control the position and movement of the Neon line on the selected path.

PiP

PiP is available in the Edit: Starter Pack.

Quickly create a picture-in-picture effect using any other layer in your timeline, and adjust the size and
position of the PiP effect.

Pond Ripple
Creates ripples which expand and distort the layer.

The size and behavior of the ripples can be adjusted.

Pulp Sci-fi Title Crawl

Pulp Sci-fi title Crawl is available in the VFX: Retro Pack.

An instant way to get perfect Star Wars and Flash Gordon-style openings, complete with separate sections
for the teaser, main title and the crawl itself.

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The text is entered into the Teaser, Movie Title, Episode Number, Episode Title and Text Crawl properties.
Clicking the font ‘A’ symbol opens a new window for editing the Movie Title and Text Crawl text.

The formatting and animation of the teaser, movie title and text crawl can be adjusted in separate property
groups, with the text reflowing automatically to suit the classic pulp look.

The Movie Title can also be switched to use an image instead of text. This can be useful for creating a more
authentic appearance when recreating movie logos.

Radio Waves
Creates geometric shapes that can be warped and animated. Shapes can be heavily customized.

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Reflection
A quick and easy way to create a reflection of the layer.

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Sphere
Creates a sphere that reflects its surroundings.

The sphere can be heavily customized with separate layers for the optional surface texture and environment
map.

The refractive index property can be used to accurately simulate refraction from real world materials. A list
of common refractive indices can be found on Wikipedia.

Split Screen Masking

Split Screen Masking is available in the Edit: Starter Pack.

Provides a quick way to set up various split screen layouts. Numerous screen layout presets are included
which can then be further customized.

Cuts determine how many slots are available for input.

Input layers/frames is used to link different layers into the effect.

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Border changes the separation between cuts.

Text

Text is available in the Edit: Starter Pack.

The Text effect lets you quickly generate text on any timeline, including the Editor. To add Text, drag the
Text effect from the Effects panel onto a Plane, an image, or a video clip, to add text to that object. Open
the controls for the effect in the Controls panel, and then click the A icon displayed to the right of the Text
property. This will open the Edit Text dialog, where you can enter the text you wish to add to the layer. Once
you are finished editing the text, click the OK button to close the Edit Text dialog and apply the changes.
You can then edit the text and further customize the effect in the Controls panel, or directly on the timeline
when working in a composite shot.

• Text: This is where you edit the contents of the Text effect. Click the “A” icon to open the Edit Text
window. You can then enter whatever text you wish the effect to display.

• Cancel: discards any changes you have entered and closes the Edit Text window.
• OK: Confirms the text you have entered and closes the Edit Text window. Once the window closes,
the text will be updated on the viewer.

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Transform

You can control the alignment and positioning of the Text effect through these controls.

• Offset From: Select the position from which the layer movement will be measured. By default the text
is Centered, but you can also place it in the Bottom Left, Bottom, Bottom Right, Left, Right, Top Left,
Top, or Top Right.
• Position Offset: Sets the distance, in pixels, which the layer is moved from the default position
selected in the Offset From menu.
• Rotation: Sets the rotation of the layer, in degrees.

Format

The Format controls allow you to set the details of the text style for the effect.

• Font: Select the font to be used, from a list of all fonts installed on your computer.
• Style: If your selected font includes different styles (Bold, Light, Italic, etc.), you can select your
desired style here.
• Alignment: The text alignment can be adjusted here. You can align the text to Left, Center, or Right,
or Justify the text to keep both sides aligned
• Color: Allows you to select a font color.
• Opacity: Sets the transparency of the Text, from completely invisible at 0.00 to completely opaque at
1.00.
• Font Size: Sets the size of your text. In general, if you want to enlarge your text, it is better to
increase the font size rather than increase the layer Scale above 100%.
• Line Spacing: Defines the vertical spacing between each line of text.
• Enable Word Wrap: Toggles word wrap on and off. Enabling word wrap means that as soon as the
text gets too long to fit in a single line, a line break will be created automatically, and a new line is
started automatically.
• Word Wrap Width: Defines the width at which word wrap will be implemented. You can create
margins in your text layer by setting the Word Wrap Width to a smaller value than the width of the
layer the text effect is applied to. For example, if your text is applied to a Full HD layer that is 1920
pixels wide, and you set the Word Wrap Width to 1800, the 120 pixels that remain will be split to
create a 60 pixel wide margin on each side of the layer.
• Blend: Determines how the Text is blended with the layer it is applied to. None will prevent the layer
from being displayed at all, so only the text is visible. Normal displays the text over the top of the
layer, so both are visible. Details on all the other Blend Mode options can be found on the page about
Compositing With Blend Modes.
• Motion Blur: Sets the amount of motion blur applied to the layer when its position is animated.

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Tile
A quick and easy way to tile the layer without needing to create duplicates.

Timecode
Generates a counter showing the current position in time of the layer or timeline.

Vertical Video

Vertical Video is available in the Edit: Starter Pack.

Quickly integrate vertical video into a standard video frame, by auto-filling the area surrounding the vertical
video. Using a blurred version of the vertical video ensure the frame matches the video, and maintains a
level of interest to the audience without being distracting.

Wireframe

Wireframe is available in the 3D: Model Render Pack.

Renders a line-based representation of a layer. This is particularly effective when applied to 3D models, to
create wireframe views that can be highly customized.

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Type

There are two main types of wireframe:

• Mesh: renders the lines around the triangles that make up the 3D model.
• Grid: renders a 3D grid of lines, on the surface of the 3D model. The grid can be further customized
to adjust the pattern.

Render Mode
• All Triangles: renders the lines for all triangles within the model.
• Front Facing: renders lines only for surfaces that are facing towards the camera.
• Nearest Triangles: renders lines only for the parts of the model that are visible to camera.

Material
• Solid Color: creates solid lines of the chosen color.
• Model Material: uses the color from the model’s material.
• Model Material: * Color multiplies the color of the model’s material by the chosen color.

Illumination

Wireframe can use 3D lights for illumination. You can choose to use all lights in the composite shot or
specific lights.

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7.10.1. Animated Lasers

Animated Lasers is available in the VFX: Starter Kit Pack.

Designed to create laser bolts which fire from one point to another. The lasers can be constructed from
multiple lines, which can be further manipulated into spirals, expanding the effect to also be useful in motion
graphics animation.

The laser has two position points. These interact with the Location property, with the laser animating
between the two points as the location is increased.

The effect has built-in controls positioning on the X and Y coordinates, plus a slider for depth. Alternatively
you can link the start an end points to separate layers on the timeline (such as 3D point layers), which
provides more control.

Number of Beams alters the complexity of the beam. Up to 10 separate beams can be added to the effect,
each with their own appearance and spiral settings, building up visually exciting shapes which animate
together.

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Beam properties
Each beam can be colored, with key properties such as brightness, width, length adjusted as required.

Tail Scale causes the beam to taper at its end.

Color Shift moves the overall color of the beam towards either the Core Color or the Glow Color. Tail Color
Shift does the same but just for the tail end of the beam.

The Brightness and Color Mix Noise properties introduce a noise texture, breaking up the solidity of the
beam.

Spiral properties
Each beam has associated Spiral properties. These are used to twist the beam’s straight line into curving
spirals.

Increasing the Radius warps the line into a spiral shape. Path Angle increases the number of spirals.

Each individual beam can be rotated, or the entire combined shape can be rotated in the Global Controls.

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7.10.2. Dimension Rift

Instantly create a wormhole-style rift in space!

The Dimension Rift effect has several built-in features for easily creating authentic portals:

• Automatically displace the background video as the portal opens

• A layer can be selected to be visible through the portal
• Pre-animated opening, closing and connecting of portals with controllable animation speed
• Fine control over 3D wave surface
• Create custom shapes

Applying the rift

The Dimension Rift effect can be applied directly onto a video or image layer. This will enable it to displace
and warp the background as the portal opens, but you will not be able to rotate and position it in 3D,
because it is locked to the host layer.

For more flexibility it is recommended that the effect is added to a separate plane layer (see Creating and
using planes). This plane layer can then be transformed in 3D (see Transforming layers in 3D), which will

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also transform the dimension rift. Even when applied to a separate plane layer, the effect can still warp the
desired source layer. See the Wall Image property, detailed below.

Wall image
As described above, when applying the effect you may want it to be able to warp a different layer to the
host. The Wall Image property is used to define the layer which should be warped.

For example, take an example of a composite shot containing two layers: a live action video clip and a 3D
plane. The Dimension Rift is applied to the 3D plane, which is then positioned in 3D space so that the portal
is applied to a wall. The Wall Image property is set to the video layer, so that as the portal opens it warps
the video.

Shape
The Dimension Rift defaults to a classic oval shape. This can be customized in the Shape group.

The From Mask option can be used to select a separate layer to use as the shape. For example, an image
or embedded composite shot containing an alpha channel. This makes it easy to create your own custom
shapes.

View
This is what is seen through the portal, when it is open.

With the Image set to None, the view through the portal is simply a hole cut through the host layer. Setting
the Image to another layer will composite that layer inside the portal. Note that it will only be visible if the
Connection property is increased above 0.00.

The position, depth (Z), rotation and scale of the selected Image can be adjusted as required. Increasing the
Z depth will create a greater sense of parallax movement if you move the portal in 3D.

Appearance & Animation

These settings are used to adjust the outline and interior elements of the portal, and how they animate over
time.

The Sparks setting is used when the expansion and connection properties are adjusted.

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Optional layers
Specific elements of the effect can be turned on and off, which can be useful when creating more complex
composites. This lets you render elements individually, providing finer control.

Colors
The Primary color is used on the side of the dimension rift closest to camera. The Secondary color can be
glimpsed through the portal when it is open, and represents the portal on the ‘other side’. This can be set to
be a different color.

Expansion & Connection

The behavior of the dimension rift is controlled with these properties.

Expansion animates the portal appearing/disappearing on a surface. This includes displacement warping as
it expands, as long as you have selected a Wall Image.

With Connection set to 0.00, the portal will be closed, with a rippling, water-like surface. Increasing the
Connection will dissolve the rippling surface to reveal the View, as set in the View properties.

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7.10.3. Hyperdrive
Jumping to lightspeed is as easy as dusting crops with this effect, which generates a spray of streaking
stars, complete with built-in animation and customization.

The overall animation is driven by the *Progress *property. At 0% the stars have not yet appeared, and at
100% they have completed their animation past camera.

The color Temperature can be adjusted and Variation can be added for a less uniform look.

The Number and Size of stars can be adjusted, while the Seed can be used to generate different renderings
of the effect.

Star Blend determines how the star streaks interact with each other. Add blend tends to look best, with
stars intensifying where they overlap.

Blend with source changes how the effect is blended with the host layer. When set to None, the stars will
be rendered onto transparency, with the host layer no longer visible, which makes it easy to overlay them
onto other layers. Alternatively On Top can be used to composite directly onto the host layer.

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7.10.4. LightSword
HitFilm provides the most efficient and high quality method for creating lightsword effects, reducing the
rotoscoping requirements and automating key visual elements such as the motion blur ‘streak’.

Expanded Ultra versions of the Lightsword effects are available in the VFX: Neon Lights
Pack.

There are six lightsword effects, depending on the needs of your VFX shot.

• Lightsword (2-Point Auto) provides a rapid method requiring the placing of a point on the hilt and a
point on the blade tip. Once these points are rotoscoped to the movement of the lightsword blade,
HitFilm will automatically calculate the appropriate motion blur based on the speed at which the blade
is moving.
• Lightsword (4-Point Manual) allows precise positioning, with two points defining the edges of the hilt
and two points defining the edges of the blade tip. Precisely positioning each corner gives you full
control over the exact shape of the blade on every frame. This can be useful for artificially enhancing
the motion blur of the blade movement, to create the classic ‘fanning’ effect.
• Lightsword (Glow Only) applies the effect’s custom glow behavior to any layer, without providing an
interface for easy lightsword generation. This is useful for creating other neon and laser effects.
• Lightsword Ultra (2-Point Auto) provides a rapid method requiring the placing of a point on the hilt
and a point on the blade tip. Once these points are rotoscoped to the movement of the lightsword

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blade, HitFilm will automatically calculate the appropriate motion blur based on the speed at which the
blade is moving. The Ultra version of the effect integrates a variety of distortion types into the effect,
which can be used to alter the core shape, to alter the glow shape, and to distort the appearance of
the background through the effect.

◦ Lightsword Ultra (2-point Auto) is available in the VFX: Neon Lights Pack.
• Lightsword Ultra (4-Point Manual) allows precise positioning, with two points defining the edges of
the hilt and two points defining the edges of the blade tip. Precisely positioning each corner gives you
full control over the exact shape of the blade on every frame. This can be useful for artificially
enhancing the motion blur of the blade movement, to create the classic ‘fanning’ effect. The Ultra
version of the effect integrates a variety of distortion types into the effect, which can be used to alter
the core shape, to alter the glow shape, and to distort the appearance of the background through the
effect.

◦ Lightsword Ultra (4-point Manual) is available in the VFX: Neon Lights Pack.
• Lightsword Ultra (Glow Only) applies the effect’s custom glow behavior to any layer, without
providing an interface for easy lightsword generation. This is useful for creating other neon and laser
effects. The Ultra version of the effect integrates a variety of distortion types into the effect, which can
be used to alter the core shape, to alter the glow shape, and to distort the appearance of the
background through the effect.

◦ Lightsword Ultra (Glow Only) is available in the VFX: Neon Lights Pack.

The effects share the same general properties:

Hilt & Tip

The hilt and tip positions can be set inside the effect, or linked to reference layers via the Position menu.
This makes it possible to link the shape to auto-tracked points.

The width of the hilt and tip can be set separately, which can be useful for creating perspective on the blade
or creating tapered shapes.

Extension
The lightsword extension can be animated to create the ‘ignition’ animation, whereby the lightsword blade
extends out of the hilt, or contracts back in.

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Core
The core is the central part of the effect which directly covers the prop blade.

• Width: The Width of the core can be adjusted, as a percentage of the width values set in the Tip and
Hilt controls above.
• Color: The core Color should generally be set sightly off white, in the direction of the color that will be
used for the glow.
• Feather: The edges of the core can be softened with the Feather control.
• Stability: Lowering the Stability causes the core shape to fluctuate in size.

Distortion
The Core Distortion controls allow you to procedurally alter the shape of the core to create a variety of
animated results.

• Distortion: Controls the strength of distortion that is applied to the core.

• Type: There are four types of distortion available, each of which gives a different result. They are
Energy Distortion, Heat Distortion, Liquid Distortion, and Smoke Distortion.
• Noise: The noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified using these properties. They
correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.
• Animation: The movement of the noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified using
these properties. They correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.
• Blend on Top: enabling this option will apply the glow above the core, potentially altering the core’s
color.
• Use in Glow: enabling this option will adaptively shift the shape of the glow of the effect to match the
distortion of the core shape.

Flicker [Ultra Only]

The Flicker controls will affect the movement of the overall effect.

• Mount: Controls the amount of flicker applied to the effect.

• Probability: Adjusts how regular the flicker is. Higher probability settings will make a more regular
flicker.
• Frequency: Adjusts the timing between the flickering, Higher values will increase the speed of the
flicker.
• Seed: Changing the seed will randomize the pattern of the flicker.

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Inner Glow
Two glows are built-in to the effect. This makes it possible to create an intense inner glow, with a low width
so that it is close to the core, and a wider, diffuse, less bright outer glow.

• Width: The width of the inner glow can be adjusted, in pixels.

• Color: The inner glow color should generally be set to a bright, vibrant color.
• Alpha: adjusts the transparency of the inner glow layer.
• Stability: lowering the stability causes the glow shape to fluctuate in size.
• Flicker: sets the intensity of brightness flicker applied to the glow. This does not alter the shape of the
glow.
• Falloff: alters the range over which the glow edges are feathered. Lower numbers will create a harder
edge to the glow.
• Mask: controls whether masks applied to the layer affect the glow. Disable will allow the glow to
naturally wrap around the mask edges, for a softer result. Enable will cut the glow off exactly at the
edge of the mask. Invert will reveal the glow outside the mask, while removing it inside.

Distortion
The Inner Glow Distortion controls allow you to procedurally alter the shape of the inner glow to create a
variety of animated results.

• Distortion: Controls the strength of distortion that is applied to the core.

• Type: There are four types of distortion available, each of which gives a different result. They are
Energy Distortion, Heat Distortion, Liquid Distortion, and Smoke Distortion.
• Noise: The noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified using these properties. They
correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.
• Animation: The movement of the noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified using
these properties. They correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.

Outer Glow
Two glows are built-in to the effect. This makes it possible to create an intense inner glow, with a low width
so that it is close to the core, and a wider, diffuse, less bright outer glow.

• Width: The width of the outer glow can be adjusted, in pixels.

• Color: The outer glow color can be set to a similar color to the inner glow color, for a traditional look,
or to an entirely different color to create a gradient in the glow.

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• Alpha: adjusts the transparency of the inner glow layer.

• Stability: lowering the stability causes the core shape to fluctuate in size.
• Flicker: sets the intensity of brightness flicker applied to the glow. This does not alter the shape of the
glow.
• Falloff: alters the range over which the glow edges are feathered. Lower numbers will create a harder
edge to the glow.
• Mask: controls whether masks applied to the layer affect the glow. Disable will allow the glow to
naturally wrap around the mask edges, for a softer result. Enable will cut the glow off exactly at the
edge of the mask. Invert will reveal the glow outside the mask, while removing it inside.

Distortion

The Inner Glow Distortion controls allow you to procedurally alter the shape of the inner glow to create a
variety of animated results.

• Distortion: Controls the strength of distortion that is applied to the core.

• Type: There are four types of distortion available, each of which gives a different result. They are
Energy Distortion, Heat Distortion, Liquid Distortion, and Smoke Distortion.
• Noise: The noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified using these properties. They
correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.
• Animation: The movement of the noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified using
these properties. They correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.

Path interpolation
During rapid movement the hilt and tip will fan out, creating a trail. Path interpolation is used to create a
natural curve along the hilt and tip ends.

Reducing the scale to zero will remove all interpolation, resulting in straight lines drawn at the hilt and tip
ends of the blade. Increasing the scale will create interpolation and curved ends.

The Hilt and Tip angles can be used to further customize the interpolated curve at each end of the shape.

Motion Persistence
The 2-point Auto version automatically creates the streaking of a fast-moving lightsword based on the
movement of the points. The appearance of the streaking can be customized to match the source footage.

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HitFilm automatically attempts to create a natural trail shape based on the movement of the hilt and tip
points, based on the expected behaviour of a blade in motion.

The duration of the trail is determined by the motion persistence. Increasing the value will cause the trail to
remain visible for more frames, thus creating a larger trail. Reducing the value will create a smaller trail.

Note that motion persistence is restricted by the Auto Scale Persistence properties, if Auto Scale is
activated (see below).

Persistence Shift
Persistence Shift adjusts the interpolation in time. This adjusts the trail to be either in front (1.0), behind
(0.0) or in the middle (0.5) of the control point positions. At the default of 0.0 this means that on frames
containing fast moving blades you should position the control points on the leading edges of the blade.

Auto Scale Persistence

Auto Scale provides additional control over the generation of the persistence trail, determining when the trail
is generated. These settings can be used to match the trail to the natural motion blur found in your footage,
which may vary depending on your camera settings.

The Speed and Swing thresholds can be used to restrict the activation of motion persistence. Below the
thresholds, the shape will be drawn without the trail. This ensures that the blade does not look indistinct
when being moved slowly. As soon as the speed and swing thresholds are exceeded, the trail will be
generated according to the motion persistence setting.

The Minimum Persistence property generated a trail even if the thresholds are not met. Setting this to 0.0
ensures the blade shape is defined solely by the core, hilt and tip properties. Raising the value will generate
a blur trail even during minor movements.

Disabling Auto Scale Motion switches to only using the Motion Persistence property. Therefore the trail will
always be generated even during small movements. A high Motion Persistence value combined with Auto
Scale turned off will create a long, unnatural trail. Increasing the motion persistence over 180 can create
extreme streaking. This isn’t suitable for lightsabers but can be an interesting effect in its own right.

Distortion
A noisy, irregular edge can be applied to the shape by increasing Distortion. If Distortion is reduced to 0 the
edge will be regular and smooth.

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7.11. Geometry
Geometry effects can be applied to Text layers to modify the text in 3D space. These effects interact directly
with HitFilm’s 3D lights and cameras, and allow you to create genuine 3D text natively in HitFilm. Geometry
effects can be used individually, or in combination.

Bend

Bend is available in the 3D: Generate Pack.

The Bend effect adds a curve to your text. It can only be applied to Text layers.

• Center: Positions the center of the invisible sphere around which the text is bent.
• Angle: Controls how far the text is bent.
• Orientation: Changes the direction of the bend in 3D space
• Curve Length: Adjusts the width of the curve. Areas of text outside the curve will remain straight, but
will be repositioned based on the bend.

Bevel

Bevel is available in the 3D: Generate Pack.

The Bevel effect cuts the edges of a text layer at an angle in relation to the surface of the text. The size and
depth of the angle can be adjusted using the controls.

• Depth: Sets the depth of the bevel, in pixels

• Expansion: Defines the width of the bevel, and thus how much of the text face will be affected by it.
• Face: Choose between Back, Front, or Front & Back to determine the direction in which the bevel will
be generated.
• nternal Edges: This toggle determines whether internal edges of the layer will be affected by the bevel
or not.

Extrude

Extrude is available in the 3D: Generate Pack.

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The Extrude effect uses the shape of your Text layer as a source, and stretches it on the Z axis to create a
3D object.

• Depth: Sets the depth of the Extrusion, in pixels

• Face: Choose between Back, Front, or Front & Back to determine the direction in which the Extrusion
will be generated.
• Internal Edges: This toggle determines whether internal edges of the layer will be affected by the
extrusion or not.

Rotate

Rotate is available in the 3D: Generate Pack.

The Rotate effect allows you to adjust or animate the rotation of the characters in the Text layer. The
settings you choose will be applied to each character individually, so rather than rotating the entire layer,
each letter or character will be turned on its own axes.

• X: Rotates the characters on the X axis, which runs from left to right. Imagine running a skewer
through each character from left to right. Adjusting this value is equivalent to turning that skewer by a
specified number of degrees.
• Y: Rotates the characters on the Y axis, which runs from top to bottom. Imagine running a skewer
through each character from top to bottom. Adjusting this value is equivalent to turning that skewer by
a specified number of degrees.
• Z: Rotates the characters on the Z axis, which runs from front to back. Imagine running a skewer
through each character from front to back. Adjusting this value is equivalent to turning that skewer by
a specified number of degrees.

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7.12. Gradients & Fills

A range of gradients and fills are provided. These can be extremely useful when used in conjunction with
other effects, such as color map or shatter.

4-point color gradient

Generates a 4-color gradient. The colors and mixing of the colors can be changed, as can the position of the
gradient points.

Color gradient
Creates a 2-point gradient of color.

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Fill color
Simply fills the layer with the selected color. You can choose to blend the color with the original layer to
varying amounts.

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Radial gradient
Creates a circular color gradient. The size, position and shape of the gradient can all be tweaked.

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7.13. Grunge
The grunge effects are a set of effects for creating the appearance of old or damaged video.

Film Damage

Film Damage is available in the VFX: Damage Pack.

Simulates the problems caused by a poorly projected film, including grain, stains, dust and scratches, frame
shake and flickering.

You can control each of the elements individually to get the exact look you want.

Film Grain

Film Grain is available in the VFX: Damage Pack.

Generates a realistic grain based on 8mm, 16mm or 32mm film stock.

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Flicker

Flicker is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack.

Introduces a random flickering to the layer. The behaviour of the flicker can be finely customized.

Grain
This effect provides fine control over the size of the grain.

Half Tone
Turns the layer into a half tone image, similar to black and white newspaper print.

You can adjust the composition of the half tone dots.

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Half Tone Color

Half Tone Color is available in the VFX: Retro Pack.

A color variation of the Half tone effect.

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Jitter
Creates glitches in video playback order, shuffling the order of frames.

Lens Dirt
Simulates dirt on the camera lens and in-lens reflection.

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The dirt element can be procedurally generated from various seed values, or you can use another layer as
the dirt source.

The in-lens reflection flaring can be generated from the applied layer or from another source.

Threshold and intensity determine the visibility of the lens dirt. Higher thresholds will restrict the effect to
brighter areas of the frame.

The blur and pivot angle properties adjust the visual style of the flaring. For realistic results these should be
kept relatively high.

Noise
The basic noise effect provides a fixed-size noise.

H2. Scan Lines

Scan Lines is available in the VFX: Retro Pack.

Creates scan lines as seen on some monitor displays when filmed.

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Shake
Adds artificial camera shake to the layer. This can be useful for adding shake to explosive effects, or for
adding a sense of a handheld camera to a tripod shot.

Stutter
Reduces the number of frames used during playback of the layer, creating the impression of the video
momentarily freezing.

TV Damage

TV Damage is available in the VFX: Damage Pack.

Simulates the appearance of a badly tuned television signal.

Each element can be customized individually to create the exact look you want.

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7.14. Keying
HitFilm includes several effects for keying your layers.

* Keying is the term used for automatically removing parts of an image or video, usually by
identifying a specific color.

Chroma Key

Chroma Key is available in the Composite: Pro Keying Pack.

This advanced keyer provides fine control over your keying.

See Chroma key for full details.

Chroma UV Blur
The UV blur can be essential depending on the way your video camera stores its data.

After keying some video you may notice a pixellated ‘stepping’ around the edge of the key. If this occurs,
add a chroma UV blur before the key itself. This will help to smooth out the edge.

Color Difference Key

This is a simpler keyer than the chroma key effect and is used for removing green screen and blue screen
backgrounds from video and images.

The View matte option is a quick way to see the layer’s alpha channel, making it easier to identify areas
where the key needs to be cleaned up.

Demult
Quickly key out the background from stock footage shot on black and generate an embedded alpha channel.
Very useful for compositing smoke, explosions and similar.

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Difference Key
Keys areas of a layer based on differences with another layer.

Hue & RGB Key

This effect keys the layer based on a color of your choice. You can pick between using the hue or RGB
values.

The View matte option is a quick way to see the layer’s alpha channel, making it easier to identify areas
where the key needs to be cleaned up.

You may get better results using the Chroma key.

Luminance Key
This effect keys the layer based on its brightness. This can be particularly useful for sky replacement.

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7.14.1. Chroma key

This effect provides professional quality removal of any color from a source with precision control over edge
detail, edge color correction and advanced spill replacement.

Chroma Key is available in the Composite: Pro Keying Pack.

• View
◦ Source – shows the original unkeyed layer.
◦ Status – shows a black and white matte. This makes it easy to see at a glance which areas are
not fully opaque. This mode does not show gradients of transparency.
◦ Matte – shows a greyscale matte. This provides an accurate view of opaque and transparent
areas.
◦ Despill Mask – displays the despill mask, if one is being used.
◦ Despill Map – shows the area being spill suppressed.
◦ Result – shows the final composited result.

* Note that the View menu will affect final output.

• Adaptive Color: This method is particularly effective when working with uneven green screens. Even
slight changes in tone or brightness across your green screen can cause keying complications.
Adaptive color aims to improve results in such cases and can be particularly effective with fine detail
areas such as lace and hair.
◦ Note that when adaptive color is activated the Gain setting will have a minimal effect. Key
adjustments should be made primarily using the Clip Foreground and Clip Background settings.
• Color: Defines the color to be keyed.
• Gain: Gain is the base sensitivity of the chroma key. This is best used for the initial background
removal. It should be adjusted until the subject is isolated, though you don’t want to push the gain too
far as you will start to lose edge detail.
• Balance & Hue Balance: These two settings adjust the emphasis of the chroma key, affecting the
range of colors that are affected. In practical use, it is usually best to try them at the minimum and
maximum values to see which best suits your image.
• Pre-Blur: Applies a blur to the footage prior to keying. This can help with lower resolution footage.

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Matte
• Clip Background: Crushes the black point of the matte, so that more parts of the image are removed.
If parts of your green screen are still visible this should be used to remove them.
• Clip Foreground: Clips the white point of the matte, returning detail to the foreground. If parts of your
subject are semi-transparent, you should reduce the clip foreground to make it fully opaque.
• Clip Rollback: After adjusting the clip foreground you may want to return some of the semi-
transparency to the outer edges of your foreground. This helps to create a softer edge, although
increasing this setting too much will cause an undesirable band of semi-transparency around the
edge.
• Gamma: Adjusts the strength of the key. This can be useful for adjusting the fine detail at the edges
of the key, particularly around hair and semi-transparent areas.
• Erode/Expand: This works in a similar way to the standalone Erode White filter and can be used to
expand or erode the alpha matte. If you need to add or remove pixels from the edge of the key this
can be very useful.
• Despot Foreground/Background: Aims to remove holes in the background or foreground. Used
subtly this can improve overall keying quality without affecting edge detail.
• Softness: Blurs the alpha, creating a softer edge to the key.
• Bias: Performs a white balance using the selected color, prior to applying the key.

Edge Color

• Subtract Background Color: Increasing the subtract setting removes the background color (for
example, green if you’re using a green screen) from the semi-transparent areas of the image. **This
can be very effective for reclaiming the correct color in semi-transparent areas, such as glass.
• Recover Edge Color: A thin dark line can sometimes be seen on the keyed edges of white clothing
or pale skin. The recover setting can counter this problem by adjusting the colors of the outer pixels.
Rather than using their actual color, instead they will take on the color of the pixels further inside the
foreground. Best used subtly.

Expansion Region Color

• Method: If Erode/Expand is set to a positive value, this determines the content of the expansion
region. The default Despilled Source usually provides best results.

Retain/Remove Mask
• Separate layers can be specified as additional masks to aid with the overall keying. Retain masks
identify areas the key should ignore, while remove masks identify areas that should definitely be
removed.

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Spill suppression

The chroma key effect also includes built-in spill suppression. Even a perfectly shot clip can still suffer from
color spill. This is when the green or blue of the screen is reflected on the subject. While this is often difficult
to see in the original image, once it has been composited it becomes extremely obvious, resulting in
unwanted color fringing around edges.

• Amount: Varies the strength of the spill suppression.

• *Hue Range/Balance/Hue Balance: Expands or contracts the spill suppression area. Best adjusted
while in the Despill Map view mode.

Spill Replacement

Spill replacement aims to replace the unwanted spill with a new spill color.

• Luminance Change: Varies the luminance adjustment based on the replacement color.
• Source Layer: A specific layer can be selected for spill replacement. This then updates the
replacement color as the selected layer changes.
• Color: A color can be selected manually for spill replacement.
• Blur: When using a source layer for spill replacement, the layer can be blurred for a subtler effect.

Despill Mask

A specific layer can be used to manually define areas to be spill suppressed.

• From: Selects the Despill Mask layer.

• Color Dist Max: Adjusts the range of color to be suppressed.
• Softness: Blurs the Despill Mask.

Color Correction

Color correction is integrated into the chroma key effect, enabling you to color correct the foreground,
background and edge of your key.

• Enable: Turns the color correction features on and off. The remaining controls will only be visible
once Color Correction is Enabled.
• Edge Resize: The edge area can be blurred and enlarged.
• Foreground/Edge/Background: Each area’s strength, hue, saturation and lightness can be
individually adjusted.

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7.14.2. Matte enhancement

After keying a layer you may need to perform further adjustments to achieve high quality results. The matte
enhancement effects are designed for this purpose.

Alpha Brightness & Contrast

The brightness and contrast of a layer’s alpha channel can be adjusted to tweak the edges of a composite.

Crush Blacks & Whites Alpha

Similar to the normal Crush blacks & whites effect but only affects the alpha channel. Crushing the blacks
can remove lingering areas of your keyed area, while clamping the white can help to fill transparent areas in
your subject.

Erode White
The erode effect gradually removes the edge of a layer’s alpha channel.

Invert Alpha
Inverts the layer’s alpha channel.

Light Wrap
You can often improve composites using light wrap, which enables light from another layer to bleed onto the
keyed layer.

* If you have transformed or added effects to the light wrap source layer, you will need to
convert it to an embedded composite shot for the light wrap to take those changes into
account.

Matte Cleaner
r you can use the matte cleaner to tidy up the composite.

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• Smooth – makes the edge of the key smoother.

• Feather – makes the edge of the key softer.
• Choke – shrinks the edge of the key.

The View matte option is a quick way to see the layer’s alpha channel, making it easier to identify areas
where the key needs to be cleaned up.

Remove Color Matting

When using stock footage, this effect can be used to reduce dark areas in the composited element.

Most effective when used after stock has been composited using the channel swapper.

Set Matte
Enables you to use channels from another layer on the current layer. This can be particularly useful if you
want to use the alpha channel from another layer.

Spill Removal
When working with green screen and blue screen you can sometimes find slight color fringing around the
edge of a key after the screen has been removed. The spill removal effect removes or reduces this color
fringing.

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7.15. Lights & Flares

Anamorphic Lens Flare

Anamorphic Lens Flare is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack.

Simulates the use of an anamorphic lens, creating broad flares based on the source layer.

The threshold determines how much of the source layer produces flaring. The resultant effect can be
adjusted with the intensity property.

The blur flare property creates a less distinct flare, which can often look more realistic.

Additional streaks can be added using the number of streaks property, with each streak individually
customizable.

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Auto Light Flares

The auto light flares effect shares many properties with the light flares effect. The primary difference is that
auto light flares identifies bright areas in the layer and applies light flares automatically, adjusting intensity
and scale based on the source.

The Hotspot property group is different in auto light flares, providing control over where the light flares
appear.

• Threshold sets how bright a pixel has to be for a light flare to be drawn. At high thresholds, flares will
only appear on the brightest parts of the layer. Lowering the threshold will produce more light flares
on less bright areas.
• Max flares determines how many flares can be drawn.

Flare appearance can be adjusted as with the standard light flares effect.

Gleam

Gleam is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack.

Creates the impression of rays of light shining out from a central point.

The appearance of the rays can be heavily customized.

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The general appearance of the rays is determined by its properties, rather than by its interaction with the
layer itself. In this respect it differs from the Light rays effect.

Glow
Adds a glowing aura to bright areas of the layer.

Per Channel Intensity properties enable you to shift the glow color.

Advanced options provide further customization of the glow’s appearance, including creating a specific color
gradient.

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Light Flares
Generates a wide variety of realistic lens flares and lights. Each flare type can be heavily customized to
create a limitless variety of alternatives.

Flares are made up of a hotspot, rays and unique tertiary elements. Each part can be adjusted individually.

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The positioning of a flare is determined by its hotspot and its pivot. The pivot point is used for
automatically animating the rays and additional elements, while the hotspot is used for the position of the
main flare itself.

Below are two examples of light flares, both created starting with the chromatic halo type to show the level
of possible customization:

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Light Leak

Light Leak is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack 2.

Generates an evolving pattern of color gradients, simulating unwanted light leaking into the camera during
shooting.

Light Rays

Light Rays is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack 2.

Though similar in immediate appearance to Gleam, Light rays generates a more realistic illusion of light
emitting from a central point.

Used in conjunction with a 3D point, light rays can be used to create realistic volumetric lighting effects as in
this 3D model shot:

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Light Streaks

Light Streaks is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack 2.

Creates a range of light streaks based on the source layer. Ideal for creating the kind of lens aberrations
caused by anamorphic lenses.

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Neon Glow
Creates a glowing edge around a layer’s alpha channel. This is particularly useful for effects such as lasers
and lightsabers.

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7.16. Particles & Simulation

Each effect in this category has a dedicated section in the manual:

• Atomic particles – 3D, array-based particle system with audio integration.

• Blood spray – splatter simulation.

• Fire – realistic flame simulation.

• Gunfire – 3D muzzle flash generator.

• Lightning & Electricity – realistic electrical animation.

• Particle Simulator – hugely powerful, 3D particle simulator.

• Rain On Glass – Realistically simulate raindrops moving across a pane of glass

• Shatter – break a layer into 3D chunks.

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7.16.1. Atomic Particles

Atomic Particles are array-based, which means they use regimented grids of particles. This is very different
to the Particle Simulator which is a physics-based, free-emitter particle system.

Atomic Particles is available in the Motion: Audio Visual Pack.

Although applied as a 2D effect, atomic particles are simulated in 3D and can be rotated around using a 3D
camera. They also interact with HitFilm’s 3D lighting system.

Examples of atomic particles

There are countless uses for atomic particles effects. Below are a few simple examples, all created very
quickly and easily:

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Particle placement
This property group determines the initial positioning and layout of the particle grid that forms the foundation
of any atomic particle effect.

3D model render mode

If atomic is applied to a 3D model layer this option becomes available.

Screen space applies atomic to the 3D model as if it were a 2D layer, simply atomizing the rendered,
flattened frame.

Project texture atomizes the 3D model according to its 3D geometry. This mode ‘bakes in’ lighting into the
atomized version.

Model textures atomizes the 3D model according to its 3D geometry. It uses the 3D model’s source
textures, prior to the model being illuminated in the scene.

Position & rotation

The position properties determine the location in 3D space of the particle grid.

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For greater control the particle grid can be linked to another layer in the composite shot, including a 3D
point layer.

Atomic and 3D cameras

Atomic particles is a 2D effect, although it generates 3D rendered content. It can be adjusted to exist in 3D
space using this technique:

1. Create a new point layer.

2. Set the point layer’s dimension to 3D.
3. Apply the Atomic particles effect to a layer and explore the Particle placement -> Position property
group.
4. Set the Transform From option to link to the point layer created in step 1.

The atomic particles will inherit 3D position data from the point layer. 3D cameras can then be moved in and
around the atomic particle cloud in 3D.

Number of particles

The particle grid can be adjusted to have more or less individual particles. The particle grid is made up of
multiple layers (Z) of horizontal (X) and vertical particles (Y).

* When first using atomic particles it can be easier to understand the system by reducing the
X and Y values so that you can easily make out the individual particles.

This is a particle grid of 10×10×1:

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Increasing the number of Z layers to 5 gives depth to the particle grid:

The spread of particles can be adjusted using the scale properties, to make particles closer together or
farther apart:

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The twist property spins each vertical column of particles, creating a corkscrew appearance:

Depth sort changes the accuracy of the particle rendering. Turned off the rendering is fastest, but particles
may not be represented accurately in 3D space.

Here is an example effect without depth sorting:

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Here is the same effect with depth sorting on:

The second example shows a much more accurate representation of the particles in 3D space. Note the
crossover point of the two strands at the top-left of the image and the peak of the curve at the top right, both
of which are more accurately rendered with depth sorting on.

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Turning depth sort to on can slow down rendering times.

Particle appearance
The appearance properties determine the size, shape and opacity of the particles.

The shape menu can be used to change the particle shape to that of another layer, which is defined in the
source menu.

This can be used to create a grid of particles using a product logo, for example:

Embedded composite shots can also be used as particle shapes, enabling the use of animated shapes.

Disperse
Dispersing particles randomizes the position of the particles.

Here is a particle grid with no dispersal:

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Here is the same effect with an increase dispersal amount:

This can have interesting effects when applied to video or image layers:

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Layer

By default the dispersal happens uniformly across the layer.

The layer option can be used to alter the strength of the dispersal by location.

Applying this gradient layer:

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Results in the dispersal being most prominent towards the bright side of the gradient:

Fractal
Warping the atomic grid using the fractal controls creates organic shapes and introduces animation.

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Displace alters the atomic grid to produce a folded result, best imagined as undulating cloth:

Disperse and size work similarly to the standard dispersal and size properties but also create fractal
animation, retaining the sense of a connected grid.

The wavelength and iterations properties determine the strength of the overall fractal warp. A higher
wavelength will result in a more uniform, less detailed transformation. Low iterations will create smoother
patterns, with higher iterations creating noisier results.

The speed of the fractal animation can be adjusted.

Flow

Adjusting the flow will give the impression that the particles are moving in a particular direction. This is most
evident with larger numbers of particles:

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Layer

The fractal settings can also be driven by a separate layer, in the same way to dispersal. A layer such as a
color gradient can then be used to adjust the intensity of the fractal warping.

In the example below, a simple gradient has been used to alter the fractal shape, resulting in less fractal
warping at the right side of the frame and more at the left:

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Displacement
The position of individual particles in the grid can be affected by another layer. In the example below a video
layer of a car has been used to displace the atomic particles, revealing the layer’s shape:

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Size
The size of particles can also be linked to another layer. In this example the size of the particles is affected
by the car layer, with darker areas creating smaller particles;

Spherical warp
The particle grid can be warped by a sphere force, either attracting or detracting the particles. This can be
used to wrap the particle grid into a spherical shape:

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Audio interaction
Atomic particles animation can be driven by an audio layer.

The audio layer must first be chosen. This can be any layer on the timeline that includes audio.

Before the audio affects the particle animation it must first be mapped to particular properties.

There are four mapping slots and you can use as many as you want.

Mapping slots

The Map to property determines which property the audio interacts with.

Frequency, range and threshold adjusts how the audio interacts with the particles.

Audio interaction works on top of the other atomic particles properties, so you will also need to adjust the
corresponding property group to enable audio interaction. For example, if you choose Fractal as your map
to option, you will also need to adjust some of the fractal properties.

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Illumination
By default an atomic particles grid is lit only by its own specified color. The illumination properties can be
used to enable full 3D lighting.

To illustrate the difference, here is an example with the Illumination Type set to none:

While the spherical shape is evident, there is no distinction between strands that are closer to the camera
and those that are further away.

Here is the same shot with the Illumination Type set to Comp lights, with a single point light (with falloff)
in the center of the shape:

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By using the 3D light for illumination, it is possible to perceive depth in the atomic shape.

Comp lights will use all available lights in a scene.

Selected lights can be used to choose specific lights.

The material property group provides the same properties as found in standard 3D layers.

Motion blur
Motion blur can be turned on or off. Using the Comp settings option will match the motion blur found in the
rest of the composite shot.

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7.16.2. Blood Spray

Creates a spray of blood that jets out from the center point. The effect can also simulate the blood impacting
on a surface.

Blood Spray is available in the VFX: Starter Kit Pack.

Particle generation
These properties determine when the spray begins, its duration and its total density.

A longer duration will result in a thinner spray unless the number of particles is also increased.

Particle birth properties

The angle, speed and size of the spray are set using these properties.

Simulation
By default the spray is pulled down by gravity. The strength of this gravity can be adjusted.

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The collision plane can be used to simulate the effect of the spray hitting a flat surface.

Appearance
The color of the spray is set here. The spray has two colors, which are used to create the illusion of depth.

Illumination

The illusion of depth can be adjusted using the illumination properties.

Motion blur
The blood spray effect can receive automatic motion blur.

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7.16.3. Fire
The Fire effect creates procedurally generated flames. There are numerous settings to control the behaviour
and appearance of the fire.

Fire is available in the VFX: Starter Kit Pack.

Fire regions
There are three definable regions for the fire: flammable region, blocking region and burn direction. If
you leave these blank the fire will use the entire layer as its source (excluding transparent areas).

If you select a layer and channel for any of the regions or the direction the fire will be influenced by those
elements. This way you can use layers such as gradients to further control the fire’s behaviour.

Simulation
• Seed – creates a different random variety of fire.
• Iterations – more iterations will create a more realistic simulation of the fire’s movement.

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• Pre-start – by default the fire starts on the first frame of the layer. This enables you to start the fire
before the first frame.
• Flammable end – determines when the fire is no longer visible.
• Source scale – changes the size of the fire source elements.
• Source variation – adjusts how often the fire changes formation. Low variation will create a
smoother, less volatile fire.
• Source fill – changes the density of the fire.
• Movement – changes the length of the flames.
• Source noise – adjusts the random density of the flammable region.
• Source intensity – adjusts the density of the flammable region.
• Reload maps – activating this property creates a more realistic simulation when the flammable region
is animated.
• Source position – moves the entire fire simulation. When combined with 2D tracking this can create
more realistic composites into videos with moving cameras.

Wind
Wind can be applied to the fire to push the flames in a particular direction.

Appearance
The color and blend method of the fire can be altered here.

The temperature settings change the intensity of the fire. A lower low temperature will reveal more detail in
the flame.

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7.16.4. Gunfire
HitFilm’s gunfire effect uses a highly customized version of the particle simulator and is the best tool
available for creating CG muzzle flashes.

Gunfire is available in the 3D: Gunfire Pack.

There are many benefits to creating your muzzle flashes in HitFilm:

• No need to use dangerous and expensive blank-firing weapons.

• You can shoot silently in areas that might not normally allow gunfire.
• Complete artistic control over the look and behaviour of your weapons.
• You are no longer limited to re-using the same muzzle flash stock footage.

* Important: Even if you’re not using blank-firing weapons during shooting, always make sure
you have notified the police and informed local residents prior to filming. Don’t assume that
the presence of a camera is enough to let people know you’re making a movie.

Gunfire can be moved using the standard Transform properties. For realistic positioning, the gunfire origin
should be positioned at the end of the gun barrel.

Appearance
• Textures – see the Particle textures chapter for details.
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Blend – changes how the textures blend together. Add will usually give the best results.
• Colorize – this overrides the texture’s original colors with the Color property.
• Color – changes the gunfire’s color when you have Colorize deactivated.
• Color variation – introduces random variation to the chosen color when you have Colorize
deactivated.
• Active – turns the entire muzzle flash on and off.
• Rate of fire – percentage chance of the muzzle flash appearing on the current frame. 100 ensures
the muzzle flash is always visible. Lower values are useful for creating the appearance of automatic
weapons fire, without needing to manually keyframe the Active property.
• Seed – this is used to generate random variations of the muzzle flash shape. Keyframing the seed will
ensure that your muzzle flash is different each time it appears, while retaining its basic shape.

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• Blur strength – changes the amount of blur applied when motion blur is turned on.

Core flare
The core flare is the central part of the muzzle flash and is projected directly out of the front of the barrel.

• Active – turns the core flare on and off.

• Scale – the size of the particles that form the core flare.
• Barrel gap – the distance between the core flare and the barrel.
• Length – the length of the core flare.
• Length taper – changes the weighting of the length of the core flare.
• Radius – the radius of the core flare.
• Radius taper – changes the weighting of the radius of the core flare.
• Jitter – creates a more dispersed and randomized appearance.
• Intensity – creates a brighter core flare.
• Primary number – the number of particles that make up the main part of the core flare.
• Secondary number – the number of particles that make up the jitter part of the core flare.

Side flares
• Active – turns the side flares on and off.
• Scale – the size of the particles that form the side flares.
• Number of flares – adjusts how many side flares are visible.
• Barrel gap – the distance between the side flares and the barrel.
• Barrel angle – the angle of the side flares in relation to the barrel.
• Barrel rotation – all side flares can be rotated around the gun barrel.
• Length – the length of the side flares.
• Length taper – changes the weighting of the length of the side flares.
• Radius – the radius of the side flares.
• Radius taper – changes the weighting of the radius of the side flares.
• Jitter – creates a more dispersed and randomized appearance.
• Intensity – creates brighter side flares.
• Primary number – the number of particles that make up the main part of the side flares.
• Secondary number – the number of particles that make up the jitter part of the side flares.

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7.16.5. Lightning & Electricity

HitFilm’s lightning generator can create a limitless variety of electrical effects.

Lightning consists of several main elements:

• The core is the solid color center of the effect, most commonly white.
• The glow is the softer color around the edge of the effect.
• Trunks are the primary lines used to draw the lightning.
• Branches are created along trunks, adding detail to the effect.
• Twigs are created along branches, adding fine detail to the effect.

You can adjust the number of trunks, branches and twigs in the effect using the relevant property groups.
Changing these will drastically alter the appearance of the effect.

Wave & twitch

The wave and twitch properties determine the shape of the lightning.

• Wave creates a more undulating, curved line.

• Twitch increases the number of twists and turns in the line.

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Start & end

The start and end groups control the overall dimensions and animation of the lightning.

The Growth property is used to give the appearance of a lighting strike, causing the lightning to extend and
travel down its length.

Animation
• Speed – the speed of the lightning’s movement.
• Jitter – how often the lightning regenerates to a completely new position.
• Scale – how much the lightning moves from its central position.

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7.16.6. Particle Simulator

HitFilm’s 3D Particle Simulator is an advanced, physics-driven system capable of an infinite variety of
effects.

Particle Simulator is available in the 3D: Particles Pack.

Particle structure
A particle simulation contains a hierarchy of elements. Understanding how these work is key to designing
and creating your own particle effects.

Particle simulator layer

The top level is the particle simulator layer on your timeline. This is a 3D layer that contains your simulation.
You can of course have multiple particle simulators on your timeline.

* Particle simulator effects can only be created and adjusted in composite shots.

The particle simulator has the standard Layer and Material properties, plus high level access to general
properties, deflectors and forces.

It also provides access to your Emitters.

Emitters

The Emitters group can contain multiple emitters. You can add additional emitters using the + icon. The
currently selected emitter can be renamed by pressing F2.

An emitter is where all particle effects begin, specifying where the particles appear and affecting their initial
trajectory.

A benefit of having multiple emitters in a single particle simulator layer (rather than using multiple particle
simulators) is that they can all share the same deflectors and forces. If you decide to move a deflector, all of
the emitters will update accordingly.

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Click here for details on Emitter properties.

* Due to the rendering pipeline in HitFilm, organizing your emitters under a single particle
simulator can also result in a performance boost.

Emitters can be various shapes, including being based on another layer.

Each emitter contains its own particle systems, which are detailed below.

Particle systems

An emitter can contain multiple particle systems. A particle system is the visible part of the particle effect.

The currently selected particle system can be renamed by pressing F2.

The properties of a particle system will determine the visual appearance and behaviour of each individual
particle at its birth. Once a particle is born, its behaviour can be affected by multiple external factors such as
deflectors and forces.

Click here for details on Particle systems.

Lifetime panel

You can also control how particles behave during their lifetime, using the Lifetime panel.

The Lifetime settings affect every particle within a particle simulator from its birth to its death. This can be
useful if you want to have particles fade out gradually, or increase in speed over time.

For more information take a look at the Lifetime panel section.

Mobile emitters

Emitters can also contain mobile emitters. These are special types of emitter that are spawned in the same
way as particle systems, but which can then go on to spawn their own particle systems.

See Mobile emitters for details.

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Deflectors & Forces

If you want your particles to interact in more interesting ways, deflectors and forces are what you need.

The currently selected deflector or force can be renamed by pressing F2.

Deflectors are collision areas for particles and can be shapes generated inside the particle simulator or
other layers on your timeline. This is a great way to simulate particles colliding with real world objects in
your live action footage.

Forces can be used to affect particles once they have been birthed. Forces occupy specific areas in 3D
space and when a particle enters that area it will be affected accordingly.

Click here for details on Deflectors.

Click here for details on Forces.

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7.16.6.1. Particle Textures

HitFilm’s texture system provides a hugely powerful method for assigning textures to the Gunfire and
Particle simulator effects.

The texture properties can be found in the Appearance property groups.

Texture sources
There are three possible texture sources:

• None – this will use a default circle shape.

• Layer – any layer can be assigned as the texture source, including embedded composite shots and
3D models.
• Built-in – a selection of default textures are provided for quick access.

Using layers as textures

After selecting to use a layer as the texture source you will need to specify the source layer.

* Large resolution and animated textures may have an impact on performance.

There are three Frame options when using a source layer:

• Single – uses a single frame of the source layer as the texture. The frame can be specified using the
Frame number property
• Random – randomly selects a frame for each particle. The random selection can be changed using
the Seed property.
• Animated – enables the use of sequential frames from the source layer as the texture. The start
frame and the number of frames to use can be set. The loop option will cause the texture to return
to the start frame after the specified number of frames have been used.

* Keyframing the start frame property will cause each particle to have a different start frame.

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Working with multiple textures

If you want to use several individual textures on the same particle system, each texture should be placed
into an embedded composite shot.

Inside the embedded composite shot, each texture layer should be offset by one frame, so that each frame
displays a new texture. With the Frame option set to Random, all of the textures inside the composite shot
will be used at random.

* An embedded composite shot containing textures can be set to invisible on the timeline and
still be used. In this case it is best to place the embedded composite shot on the lowest
layer on the timeline.

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7.16.6.2. Lifetime Panel

The Lifetime panel is directly related to the particle simulator.

The Lifetime panel controls how particles behave over their lifetime. The currently selected particle system
is displayed in lifetime.

* A single particle simulator effect can contain multiple particle systems, so it is important to
make sure you have selected the correct one.

About particle lifetime

The term lifetime refers to the period between a particle’s birth and death.

As particles can be spawned at any time and be of varying duration (depending on your emitter and particle
system properties), the lifetime properties do not refer to specific frames on your timeline.

The total lifetime of a particle is determined by the Life property in the Movement section of the particle
system.

Using the Lifetime panel

The Lifetime panel shows the lifetime properties for the currently selected particle system.

At the top of the panel are the various lifetime properties. Clicking a property will display its information
below the list.

There are two types of lifetime property: graph and gradient.

Graph properties

Most of the lifetime properties take the form of a graph.

The left side of the graph is the particle’s birth and the right side is the particle’s death.

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Keyframes are represented on the graph as small, white squares. These can be moved around the graph.
Additional keyframes can be added by clicking on an empty area of the graph. Clicking and dragging will
create a curved keyframe.

Below the graph the position in time (Life) and value of the property are displayed. These update as you
move the keyframes, or you can click on them to enter numerical values directly.

Above the graph are a selection of preset shapes to help you draw common curves or reset the graph.
Clicking any of these will update the graph accordingly.

Multiple properties can be displayed on the lifetime graph simultaneously. To do this, select the properties
using the checkboxes to the right of the property list. Each property will be displayed in the relevant color.

* When displaying multiple properties on the graph, only the currently selected property can
be edited.

Gradient properties

The Alpha and Color lifetime properties use a different interface based on a gradient.

The Type menu has three options:

• Off – the selected lifetime property has no effect.

• Gradient – particles will cycle from left to right through your gradient.
• Random – particles will be born with a random property taken from your gradient.

Keyframes can be added to the gradient by clicking anywhere below the gradient bar.

You can then move keyframes left and right on the gradient by clicking and dragging on them. A keyframe’s
position can also be set by entering a value into the Life property.

The color or alpha value is changed using the property below and to the left of the gradient bar.

Type: Gradient

With the Type menu set to Gradient additional options are available:

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• Mix with appearance – this includes the Color or Alpha property from the particle simulator’s
Appearance section as part of the gradient. You can choose the Appearance property to work as the
first or last keyframe of the gradient.
• Loop number – by default the gradient represents from left to right a particle’s lifetime from birth to
death. Increasing the loop number will make the gradient cycle multiple times during the particle’s
lifetime.

Type: Random

With the Type menu set to Random an additional option is available:

• Use Keyframes only – with this selected only the actual keyframe values will be applied to particles.
If this option is not selected the entire range of values available in the gradient will be used.

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7.16.6.3. Emitters
An emitter is where all particle effects begin, specifying where the particles appear and affecting their initial
trajectory.

A default emitter is added automatically to a new particle simulator, but this can be deleted if you wish.

* See also Mobile emitters.

Shape
Emitters can be several shapes. You can choose the emitter shape using the Shape menu. Clicking on any
shape properties will display a wireframe outline of the shape in the Viewer.

• Each shape has its own properties to define its size and position.
• Shapes can be attached to another layer in the same composite shot, such as a point layer. The
emitter will then animate to stay in the same relative position to the parent layer.
• The Boundary option forces particles to only be birthed around the edge of the shape, rather than
inside the shape.

Grid

Activating the Grid option restricts particle birth to specific grid positions. This is useful for creating more
regimented patterns, for motion graphics purposes or even controlled clusters of 3D textures (eg buildings
arranged into city blocks).

The grid will always fill the specified emitter shape. The number of available grid positions can be defined in
all three dimensions, which will then be evenly distributed within the emitter shape.

The Avoid previous positions option will force particles to spawn on a previously unused grid position until
all available positions have been occupied.

Shape layers

If you set your emitter shape to a layer you access additional settings.

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Use Layer Color uses the source to color the particles. This is a highly effective way to create a range of
color within a particle effect and can be used to blend particles in with the source.

Use Layer Alpha uses the alpha channel in the source to define where the particles are born. The
Threshold is then used to adjust the minimal alpha value required for particle birth. This makes it possible to
confine an emitter to a specific shape, such as a green screen actor or a custom gradient.

Trajectory
When particles are birthed they need an initial trajectory, to determine which direction they move in.

* Some shapes do not support all trajectory types.

• Cone – emit in a funnel shape.

• Explode – emit in a direction away from the center of the shape.
• Implode – emit in a direction towards the center of the shape.
• Disc – emit in a flattened disc shape.
• Random – emit in random directions.
• Target – emit particles towards a specified 3D point.

Expanding the Trajectory group will give you access to the controls for your selected trajectory.

General
The General group contains a single Active property. This turns the emitter on and off and is used for
controlling the visibility of all existing particles.

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7.16.6.4. Particle Systems

An emitter can contain multiple particle systems. A particle system is the visible part of the particle effect.

A default particle system is created inside the default emitter when a new particle simulator is added to the
timeline, though you can delete this if you wish.

Properties for particle systems are split into several groups. Most settings only affect particles’ initial birth
state, after which they are unaffected by keyframed properties.

The Appearance and Movement groups also have variation properties in separate Variation groups. The
variation properties increase the range of possible values. For example, if you set Scale to 100% and Scale
variation to 10%, the actual scale of particles will vary randomly between 90% and 110%.

General
• Active – turns the particle system emission on and off. This does not affect the visibility of particle
that have already been born.
• Affected by Deflectors – whether the particle system reacts to deflectors.
• Affected by Forces – whether the particle system reacts to forces.
• Seed – a random number used to generate the particle. Adjust this to vary the distribution of particles
without changing the overall appearance.
• Particles per second – the number of particles birthed per second. For example, 25pps in a 25 frame
per second timeline will result in 1 particle birthed every frame.
• Emitter attachment – by default once a particle is birthed, it behaves independently of the emitter.
So even if the emitter is animated, the particle will continue according to its own behaviour. By
increasing the emitter attachment the already emitted particles will move relative to the emitter
movement.
• Velocity from emitter – as particles are birthed they will inherit initial velocity from the emitter’s
movement.

Appearance
• Texture sources – see the particle textures chapter for details.
• Billboard – billboarding particles forces them to always face the camera, regardless of their
movement. Disabling billboarding enables particles to be displayed at any angle.

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• Align to motion – orients the particle based on its direction. This can be useful for having an arrow
texture follow a path, for example. Billboarding must be turned off for this to work correctly.
• Intersect layers – when disabled, individual particles can only be behind or in front of another 3D
layer. When enabled particles will be positioned more accurately when moving through other 3D
layers, but this does take longer to render. Note that particles always intersect with 3D models.
• Soften intersections – this makes the interaction of particles intersecting with a 3D model far subtler.
This is particularly useful if you need to position a 3D model amongst a particle cloud. Without
softening, the individual textures will become visible as they are cropped by the surface of the 3D
model.
• Soften glancing angle – as a non-billboarded texture is viewed side-on it can become progressively
less opaque, according to this property. Note that this only applies to non-billboarded textures.
• Texture angle – rotates the texture on the particle.
• Texture angle per second – causes the texture to rotate continuously.
• Blend – blend method for the particles. Add is useful for gas and light-based effects.
• Color source – texture color takes the particle’s color from its texture. Birth color uses the color
from each particle’s birth frame. Current color adjusts all particles to the current color, which is useful
for changing the color of all particles simultaneously.
• Alpha source – these settings work in the same way as the color source options above.
• Alpha boost – when using motion blur particles can become semi-transparent. The alpha boost can
be used to return these to full solidity.
• Color – sets the color of particles. See also color source above.
• Alpha – sets the alpha (transparency) of particles. See also alpha source above.

Movement
• Life – the duration of particles in seconds.
• Scale – the size of particles.
• Speed – the speed of particles.
• Acceleration – applies constant acceleration to particles in the given direction.
• Center of mass – offsets the texture itself from the origin of the particle.
• Rotation (X, Y, Z) – rotates the particle.
• Rotation per second (X, Y, Z) – adds constant rotation over time.
• Mass – adjusts how forces affect the particles. More mass will result in less impact from forces.
• Bounce – the bounce of particles when they collide with a deflector.
• Friction – higher friction will cause particles to stop faster, while lower friction will let them continue
moving along a deflector surface.

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7.16.6.5. Mobile Emitters

Mobile emitters share many properties with standard Emitters. The core difference is that mobile emitters
are themselves particles.

After being spawned by standard Emitters, mobile emitters behave like ordinary particle systems but are
also capable of spawning their own particle systems.

The properties for mobile emitters are a mixture of those for standard Emitters and Particle systems. Refer
to those chapters for more information.

Creating mobile emitters

New mobile emitters can be created by clicking the + icon next to their property group in the Controls panel.

* If you are creating a mobile emitter-based effect, you may want to first delete the default
particle system that is found in the default Emitter. This will ensure that you are only seeing
the mobile emitter.

A default particle system is automatically created inside a new mobile emitter. This can be deleted if you
wish.

* Mobile emitters by default are a different color to particle systems, making it easier to
identify them.

Activation events
Mobile emitters can change behaviour based on specific conditions. These are called activation events,
which are found in the mobile emitter’s general properties.

Activation events determine when mobile emitters are able to emit particle systems.

The type of activation event can be set using the Activation event menu.

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The deactivate after event property will prevent further emission of particle systems after the event has
occurred.

Birth

The mobile emitter will begin emitting particles as soon as it is spawned.

Death

The mobile emitter will not emit particles until the moment of its death.

* Turning on the deactivate after event property will have no effect when using the Death
activation event.

Force

The mobile emitter will emit particles when it is affected by a force.

Deflector

The mobile emitter will emit particles when it comes into contact with a deflector surface.

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7.16.6.6. Deflectors
Deflectors are a hugely powerful part of the particle simulator. With deflectors you can have particles impact
on shapes and surfaces and even simulate particles colliding with objects in a live action shot.

A particle simulation can include multiple deflectors, allowing for very complex setups.

Deflectors can be added from the timeline or from the Controls panel using the icon to the right of the
Deflectors group.

* The Bounce and Friction settings in the Particle system -> Movement properties directly
affect how particles interact with deflectors.

General
• Active – turns the deflector on and off.
• Front face – whether a particle can collide with the front face of a deflector.
• Back face – whether a particle can collide with the back face of a deflector.
• Kill particles – kills particles when they come into contact with the deflector.
• Kill mobile emitters – kill mobile emitters when they come into contact with the deflector.

Shape
Deflectors can be cuboid shapes generated inside the simulator or you can use another layer on the current
timeline. Therefore if you’ve already got a plane set up as your ‘floor’, you can use that same layer as a
particle deflector.

Cuboid

The cuboid properties enable you to change the shape of the cube and transform it in 3D space.

The Mask option also uses the Deflector as a 3D mask for the particles. Any particles that are behind or
inside the deflector from the point of view of the camera will not be visible.

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Layer

When using a layer as a deflector you need to select the source layer from the deflector’s properties.

The infinite plane option extends the deflector along the axis of the plane in all directions. This can be
considerably easier than having to enlarge the layer itself to cover the entire 3D scene.

* If particles are passing through your deflector layer, check the Front face and Back face
properties as described above.

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7.16.6.7. Forces
Forces are used to apply additional behaviour to particles based on realistic physics. They can be applied
globally to a scene, or only affect a specific cuboid region.

Multiple forces can be added to a single particle simulator. Forces can be added to a particle simulator
using the icon to the right of the Forces group on the timeline or in the Controls panel.

* All forces are affected by the particle mass property in Particle system -> Movement.
Particles with greater mass will be less affected by forces.

General
• Active – turns the force on and off.
• Kill particles – particles will die when entering the force region.
• Kill mobile emitters – mobile emitters will die when entering the force region.

Shape
• Global – affects the entire scene. All particles will be affected regardless of position.
• Cuboid – force only acts within a specified volume, defined by the cuboid. You can change the
dimensions and transform the cuboid. The Mask option uses the cuboid as a mask, hiding any
particles that pass inside the volume or behind it from the camera’s point of view.

Type
There are several types of force.

Direction

Direction forces particles in a specific direction.

The strength and direction of this force can be adjusted and keyframed. By combining multiple direction
forces you can simulate both gravity and wind in a single particle simulator.

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Attraction

Attraction forces draw particles towards a point in 3D space. When using a global force, this is the value of
the force’s center property. With cuboids it is the center of the shape.

The strength of attraction forces can be adjusted.

Detraction

Detraction forces propel particles away from a point in 3D space. When using a global force, this is the
value of the force’s center property. With cuboids it is the center of the shape.

The strength of detraction forces can be adjusted.

Turbulence

Turbulence causes particles to randomly change direction.

• Smooth – smoother movement causes particles to change direction in a gentler manner.

• Seed – changes the random composition of the turbulence field.
• Strength – adjusts the strength of turbulence.

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7.16.6.8. Material
Particle simulators have two properties in addition to the standard Layer materials.

• Billboarded lights – lights a 3D particle effect as if the individual particles are all facing towards the
light. This can be useful if you want an evenly lit particle effect.
• Billboarded shadows – shadows are cast from a 3D particle effect as if the individual particles are all
facing towards the light. This can be useful if you want shadows to appear more solid.

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7.16.7. Rain On Glass

The Rain On Glass effect allows you to quickly simulate the appearance of looking through a window
covered with raindrops.

Simulation

Use the simulation controls to set the size and quantity of raindrops.

• Drops Per Second: Adjusts the number of new drops that hit the frame each second, to control how
hard it is raining.
• Rain Drop Size: Changes the size of the rain drops.
• Seed: Randomly changes the pattern of the raindrops.

Rendering

The appearance of looking through glass involves subtly distorting the original image. The Rendering
settings control how this is handled.

• Layer Tiling: Choose how the area around the image will be filled, when it is scaled smaller than the
frame.
◦ Off: Doesn’t fill around the image. the original layer will be visible around the effect.
◦ Tile: Creates rows and columns of the image, to fill the edges.
◦ Mirror: Applies a mirrored version of the image to each edge. This is the default method, and
usually gives the best result.
• Layer Scale: Adjusts the scale of the source image within the effect.
• Glass Thickness: changes the glass distortion applied to the image. Thicker Glass will create more
glare on the image.
• Layer Distance: Adjusts the distance of the image outside of the glass.

Environment Map

Raindrops will contain micro reflections of their surroundings. The environment Map settings define what is
contained in those reflections. By default, the layer the effect is applied to is used as the Environment Map.

• Use Environment Map: Toggles Environment Map on and off.

• Source: Select the source layer you want to use as your environment map.
• Amount: The intensity of the environment map reflections

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• Scale: Changes the size of the image within the reflections, to simulate the distance between the
raindrops and the environment.
• Scale Ratio: Adjust the width to height ratio. Environment mapping wraps your selected image into a
sphere, which sometimes results in a distorted image. You can compensate for that distortion here.
• Transform: Rotates the environment map around the X, Y and Z axes.

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7.16.8. Shatter
The Shatter effect is used to break a layer into 3D chunks.

Shatter is available in the VFX: Starter Kit Pack.

Here is the HitFilm logo being shattered:

Although applied as a 2D effect, shatter can be explored in 3D.

Position
The effect’s position in 3D space is determined by these properties. The effect can also be parented to
another layer using the Transform From property.

Shatter in 3D

Shatter is added to a layer as a 2D effect. It can be adjusted to exist in 3D space using this technique;

1. Create a new point layer.

2. Set the point layer’s dimension to 3D.

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3. Apply the shatter effect to a layer and explore the Position property group.
4. Set the Transform From option to link to the point layer created in step 1.
The shatter effect will inherit 3D position data from the point layer. 3D cameras can then be moved in
and around the shatter pieces in 3D.

Pattern
Determines the shape of the shatter pieces.

The Type can be set to the preset brick and hex shapes, or to a custom shape.

The Size property alters the size and number of individual brick or hex pieces.

The custom shape by default will use the layer itself as the shape. This will break a layer into its component
pieces, with shapes and sizes defined by the layer’s composition.

Custom maps

You can also select another layer on the timeline as a custom map. This will then use that layer to define
the breaking points and shapes.

The fixed color property specifies a color in the custom map which will remain unshattered.

The Threshold property adjusts the detail of the shatter. Lower thresholds will result in finer shatter pieces.

* Low thresholds can reduce performance.

Extrusion adjusts the depth of shatter pieces.

Physics
The physics property group defines the behaviour of the shatter.

Forces

The force defines the point at which the shatter takes place. The force can be small or large, as defined by
the Radius property.

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The Strength of shatter impact can be adjusted.

The force’s Position can be altered or linked to another layer on the timeline.

Gravity

After the shatter pieces are created by the Force they are then affected by gravity, which pulls the pieces in
a direction as defined by the XY Direction and Z Direction properties.

The Shatter effect can also include a simulated floor for the shatter pieces to land on. The relative height of
this floor is defined by the Floor Distance property.

Simulation

The behaviour of the shatter pieces is defined by the Simulation properties.

Timing

The timing properties are used to alter the beginning and end of the shatter effect within the applied layer.

Appearance
The front, back and sides of the shatter pieces can be colored and textured individually using the
Appearance properties.

Render
The Render properties can be used to alter what is rendered during a shatter effect and the overall quality.

Depth of field for the Shatter effect can also be activated here.

Motion blur
Motion blur can be applied to the Shatter effect, using the Comp settings or the effect’s own setup.

Illumination
The shatter pieces can be illuminated by 3D lights in the composite shot. You can choose to use either all
lights with the Comp lights option, or select specific lights.

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7.17. Quick 3D
HitFilm’s quick 3D effects are simple effects that provide instant results. They are described in the following
chapters.

If you want full control over your particle effects, make sure you use the hugely powerful Particle simulator.

• Bonfire
• Falling Debris
• Fire Explosion
• Fluffy Cloud
• Missile Smoke
• Rain
• Sci-Fi Shockwave
• Smoke
• Sparks
• Storm Cloud

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7.17.1. Bonfire
Creates a realistic bonfire.

General
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Target – the point towards which the fire and smoke moves. Changing the target position can create
a convincing illusion of the fire being influenced by wind.
• Height – alters the height of the flame relative to the target position.

Fire
• Active – each individual element of the bonfire can be turned on and off.
• Spread – adjusts the fire between a small, intense base or a broad base.
• Ferocity – changes the textures used by the fire.
• Intensity – creates a stronger, brighter fire.
• Size – adjusts the size of the individual fire particles.
• Color – changes the color of the fire, which in turn affects the lighting on the smoke.

Smoke
• Active – each individual element of the bonfire can be turned on and off.
• Spread – adjusts the smoke between a thin or broad column.
• Thickness – changes the textures used by the smoke.
• Density – moves between thin, wispy smoke and dense, thick smoke.
• Size – adjusts the size of the individual smoke particles.
• Color from fire – determines how much of the smoke is illuminated by the fire.
• Color – changes the color of the smoke when it isn’t being affected by the fire.

Embers
• Active – each individual element of the bonfire can be turned on and off.
• Spread – adjusts whether the embers are generated over a small or large area.
• Variation – changes the textures used by the embers.
• Amount – alters the number of embers visible at any one time.
• Turbulence – increasing turbulence will cause the embers to move more erratically.

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• Size – adjusts the size of the individual ember particles.

• Color – changes the color of the embers, without affecting the smoke and fire colors.

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7.17.2. Falling Debris

Creates tumbling debris and dust, as if from an explosion or disintegration.

General
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Fall duration – how long the debris continues to be created.
• Scale fall area – size of the area the debris falls from.
• Floor plane layer – a layer can be selected to use as the floor. Debris that hits the floor plane will
collide with it.
• Infinite floor plane – this will extend the selected floor plane layer beyond the bounds of the actual
layer.
• Gravity strength – speed at which the debris falls.
• Color – color of the debris. Often best when matched to the live action source of the debris.

Debris
• Active – turns the debris element on and off.
• Life duration – how long the debris lasts for on-screen.
• Type – choose between brick, concrete and rock.
• Amount – how much debris do you want?
• Minimum size – debris will be no smaller than this.
• Maximum size – debris will be no larger than this.

Dust
• Active – turns the dust element on and off.
• Life duration – how long the dust should linger for.
• Density – adjusts the density of the dust.

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7.17.3. Fire Explosion

Creates a fire explosion that rapidly spreads and grows in size.

General
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Duration – how long the explosion lasts.

Fire explosion
• Seed – each seed number creates a unique explosion.
• Ferocity – how rapidly the explosion generates new sub-explosions.
• Growth – how much the explosion expands.
• Dirtyness – creates a dirtier explosion.
• Color – alters the color of the explosion.

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7.17.4. Fluffy Cloud

Creates a slow moving clump of cloud. The size and position of the cloud can be adjusted using the
standard Transform properties.

Cloud
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Density – the cloud can be thin or thick.
• Color – changes the color of the cloud.

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7.17.5. Missile Smoke

The missile smoke effect is a great way to create quick smoke trails.

Animating a smoke trail

By default the smoke trail sits in the center of the screen, creating a smoke ball.

There are two ways of animating the smoke trail, each of which will create very different results.

• If you use the layer’s Transform properties the entire effect will be moved. This will not create a
smoke trail.
• If you want to create a smoke trail, you should use the Position property in the layer’s General
section.

General
• Preview – toggles between preview and textured particles.
• Active – turns the entire effect on and off.
• Attach to layer – the smoke’s position can be linked to another layer.
• Position – the position of the smoke emitter.

Smoke
• Density – higher density creates thicker smoke.
• Linger – changes how long the smoke remains visible.
• Linger variation – increasing variation introduces a random variable to the linger.
• Size – adjusts the size of the smoke particles.
• Size variation – increasing variation introduces a random variable to the size.
• Speed – adjusts the speed of the individual smoke particles.
• Speed variation – increasing variation introduces a random variable to the speed.
• Color – the base color of the smoke.

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7.17.6. Rain
HitFilm’s rain creates realistic rainfall. The rain exists in a 3D rain box which can be moved around your
scene – you can even move your camera through the rain.

Rain
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Direction – the rain can be angled to fall in a particular direction.
• Spread – a low spread will result in rain moving in the same direction. Higher spread values will
cause the rain to fall at more varied angles.
• Amount – changes the density of the rain.
• Color – adjusts the color of the rain.
• Billboard – force rain to face the camera regardless of its movement.

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7.17.7. Sci-Fi Shockwave

Creates a dramatic shockwave, as seen in sci-fi movies when planets and space stations explode (that’s no
moon!).

General
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Duration – sets how long the shockwave lasts before fading away.
• Type – choose between a variety of different shockwave designs.
• Width – adjusts the density of the shockwave along its radius.
• Height – choose between a thin sliver of a shockwave or a giant wall of plasma.
• Speed – speed at which the shockwave expands.
• Size – size of the individual shockwave particles.

Band
• Color – sets the color of the main band.
• Color variation – more variation creates more random coloring.

Trail
• Amount – the trail is a separate element and its visibility can be adjusted here.
• Color – the trail color can be set separately to the band.
• Color variation – more variation creates more random coloring.

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7.17.8. Smoke
The smoke effect is great for creating slowly drifting or falling smoke.

General
• Preview – toggles between preview and textured particles.
• Active – turns the entire effect on and off.
• Position – the position of the smoke emitter.

Smoke
• Thickness – adjusts the thickness by changing the texture set.
• Density – creates thin or thick smoke.
• Gravity strength – strong gravity will pull the smoke either up or down.
• Linger – adjusts how long the smoke lasts before fading away.
• Linger variation – introduces a random variable to the linger.
• Size – adjusts the size of the individual smoke particles.
• Speed – alters the speed of the smoke’s movement.
• Speed variation – introduces a random variable to the speed.
• Turbulence – higher turbulence values will create a less smooth smoke animation.
• Color – change the base color of the smoke.

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7.17.9. Sparks
The sparks effect is designed for sudden bursts of sparks, such as when a bullet hits a metal surface. It can
be rotated using the standard Transform properties to point in any direction.

General
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Duration – how long the sparks last before disappearing.

Sparks
• Spread – the sparks can be emitted in a tight, focused beam or a wide dispersal.
• Amount – adjusts the number of sparks.
• Star ratio – adjusts how many stars are created in relation to sparks.
• Color – changes the color of the entire effect.

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7.17.10. Storm Cloud

Creates a dark, ominous storm cloud.

Cloud
• Preview – toggles between textures and preview particles.
• Density – the cloud can be thin or thick.
• Color – changes the color of the cloud.

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7.18. Scene
The scene effects are designed to enhance the 3D compositing environment.

Parallax

The parallax effect creates the illusion of 3D depth in a 2D layer.

In this example parallax has been used to apply a cracked concrete texture to some text:

The height map is used to determine the depth effect.

When set to None the host layer’s own texture will be used for the parallax effect. You can also choose a
different layer to use as the height map.

The Blur Height Map property can be used to create a softer, smoother parallax effect.

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* The parallax effect is most effective when combined with HitFilm’s 3D lights.

Projector

Projector is available in the Composite: Toolkit Pack.

Camera projection can be used to project a camera’s view onto a layer. This can be used for object
removal, converting still images into 3D scenes and projecting 2D effects onto 3D angles.

• Projection From – The source layer to be projected to the current layer.

• Camera – The camera that is used for the projection.
• Layer Opacity – Opacity multiplier for the projected image.
• Blend – The blend mode used to composite the projected layer onto the current layer

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7.19. Sharpen
The sharpen folder contains standard tools for sharpening images.

Sharpen
Brings out fine detail in the image.

Unsharpen
Alternative method for highlighting detail.

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7.20. Stylize
The stylize effects offer more extreme color grading options. They often combine multiple techniques into a
single effect.

Cartoon
Creates the appearance of a cartoon drawing, with smoothed colors and lines drawn over edges.

You can heavily customize the appearance of the edge lines and the fill.

Emboss
Creates the illusion of a ridged image, based on the source layer, similar to clay imprint.

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Find Edges
Reduces the layer to only showing edge areas.

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Glow Darks
Functions in a similar way to a standard glow but affects dark areas rather than light areas.

Leave Color

Leave Color is available in the Color: Looks Pack.

Desaturates the layer except for the chosen color.

Oil Painting
Creates the look of an oil painting.

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Photorama
A selection of generated photo-style distortions.

Posterize
Reduces the color detail in the layer to create blocks of color.

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Solarize
Creates the appearance of a film negative that has been exposed to light during development.

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Threshold
Reduces the layer to just two colors. You can specify the colors and the threshold changes the emphasis of
the effect.

Tint
Tints the layer, shifting dark and light areas towards your specified colors.

The Amount to Tint property can be used to create subtle or extreme effects.

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7.21. Temporal
Temporal effects alter layers based on time.

Echo
Creates repeated versions of the layer, offset in time, which are blended onto the current frame.

• Echo Time – the time difference between each echo.

• Decay – each subsequent echo will be less visible.

Motion Trails
Adds a fake motion blur based on the movement of the layer.

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Speed
Changes the playback speed of the layer.

* The speed effect does not change the duration of the layer on the timeline. If you reduce the
speed of the layer you will not be able to see any frames which are not played before the
end of the layer.

* Basic speed changes are better handled using the Rate Stretch tool or the Speed/Duration
option on the timeline. See Refining Your Edit for more details.

Time Displacement
Displaces the layer based on time. You can displace using the layer itself or another layer.

The Black Time Shift and White Time Shift values specify where in time the displacement source is from.

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Time Reverse
Plays the layer in reverse frame order.

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7.22. Video Clean-up

These effects provide useful tools for improving the quality of your video footage and fixing common issues.

Clone Stamp
The clone stamp is useful for duplicating or removing specific parts of a layer. Combined with HitFilm’s
feature tracking this is a very powerful feature.

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A separate layer can be used as a clone mask, defining the area to clone. Using a simple plane is usually
the easiest way to do this, as the plane can be easily resized and positioned if necessary.

The clone source can be from the applied layer or from another layer, as defined by the Clone From
property.

The Source and Target positions can then be specified, or linked to other layers. This enables the cloning
to be linked to points containing tracking data.

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Deinterlace
HitFilm is designed to create progressive projects and output. If you are using interlaced footage in a project
we recommend deinterlacing it with this effect to avoid visible interlace ‘combing’.

There are two options:

• Field separation discards one of the fields. This results in a half-resolution image. You can also
separate the fields while retaining both, which results in an increased framerate. The composite shot
containing the footage should have its framerate set to twice that of the footage to retain normal
playback.
• Field displacement uses optical flow techniques to analyze movement within the fields and attempts
to create a new, full resolution frame which merges the two fields together. This generates a full
resolution frame but artefacts may be visible if the merge is not fully successful.

Denoise

Denoise is available in the Edit: Repair Pack.

See Denoise.

Grain Removal

Grain Removal is available in the Edit: Repair Pack.

Basic grain removal. Also see Denoise for advanced noise removal.

Rolling Shutter

Rolling Shutter is available in the Edit: Repair Pack.

Some capture methods used by video cameras produce an effect called rolling shutter. This is particularly
common with DSLR cameras. Rolling shutter can be identified by a wobbling, jelly-like instability in the
frame during rapid movement.

The rolling shutter effect is designed to counteract rolling shutter, correcting the video and minimizing the
effects of rolling shutter.

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Shutter direction is used to define whether the camera uses a vertical or horizontal shutter. Consult your
camera’s specifications for more information.

Correction

The correction property is used to specify the amount of time it takes for the camera’s shutter to travel
across the frame.

In the case of cameras using a vertical shutter, this is defined as the time it takes in frames to capture from
the top row of the image to the bottom row.

Positive values indicates the vertical shutter is travelling from top to bottom, while negative values are for
bottom to top. You should consult the specifications of your camera to find the correction value to use.

Shutter sync

This property determines which part of the rolling shutter frame should be used to fix the image.

• -0.5 will use the frame at the beginning of the vertical shutter capture, as defined by the correction
property.
• 0.0 will use the frame halfway through the vertical shutter capture. This is usually best as it will result
in the minimum amount of distortion.
• 0.5 will use the frame at the end of the vertical shutter capture, as defined by the correction property.

Optical flow

Rolling shutter works by tracking the movement of every pixel in the frame using optical flow techniques.

The View menu can be used to observe the accuracy of the optical flow track.

Different videos may require adjustments to the optical flow properties. Adjusting the Window size and
Sigma properties tend to yield the best results.

Wire Removal

Wire Removal is available in the Composite: Toolkit Pack.

Easily remove wires from your shot using this tool to paint them out

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• Start Position: Sets the location of the start point. You can either move the Position point on the
Viewer, or change the values manually.
• Use Layer: Allows you to use the position of another layer by selecting it. Useful if you have tracked
the ends of the wire, and want to use the position of Point layers that contain the tracking data.
• End Position: Sets the location of the end point. You can either move the Position point on the
Viewer, or change the values manually.
• Use Layer: Allows you to use the position of another layer by selecting it. Useful if you have tracked
the ends of the wire, and want to use the position of Point layers that contain the tracking data.
• Width: The Wire Removal effect draws a line over the wire, between the start and end points, and
repaints that line using background info from the video. This slider sets the width of the line. Adjust it
so it covers the entire wire that needs removed.
• Gradient: Softens the edges of the repainted line to blend it into the background. Try to raise this
setting only as much as the scene requires. Setting it too high may create a ripple as the wire moves.
• Reflection: Increasing this setting adds a reflection at the center of the line, which may help to blend
the line into the scene better.

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7.22.1. Denoise
Professional noise reduction is possible with the denoise effect.

Core workflow
After the effect is applied to a noisy layer a highlight box will be displayed in the Viewer. This can be
adjusted using the two control points.

This box should be positioned over a noisy area of the frame. This will provide the effect with input to
analyze the video. Ideally select a flat region with mid-level brightness.

Click the Analyze button to analyze the selected area.

Some noise will be removed immediately.

To further refine, change the View setting to Analysis Box.

Move the control points so that the analysis box is over darker noisy area.

Click the Analyze Brightness button in the Analyze control group.

This will analyze the difference in the noise levels, between the brightness of the original analysis and the
brightness of the new analysis region.

This will refine the noise removal.

The process can be further improved by increasing the number of frames used during the analysis. The
more frames it uses, the more time it will take to render, but usually with superior results.

Controls
• Analyze button – Only visible when image has not yet been analysed. Uses the selected analysis
area, to analyse the noise of the image.
• Frames – The number of frames used to remove the noise. It should be kept at ‘1’ if applied to an
image.

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View modes
• Result – shows the result of the noise reduction
• Analysis Box – shows the region that will be used for analysis if one of the analysis button is pressed
• Frequency Y – shows how much the brightness changes at the selected frequency level
• Frequency U – shows how much the u color changes at the selected frequency level
• Frequency V – shows how much the v color changes at the selected frequency level

Frequency View Options Group

Only visible if the selected View is one of the frequency options.

• Level – The frequency level to be viewed.

• Contrast – Allows you to change the contrast of the displayed frequency. Sometimes the changes in
frequency are too subtle to see. This control allows you to increase the contrast, to help you to see it.

Analyse Brightness

Used when noise amount varies depending on the brightness.

Updates the threshold values in the ‘Threshold – Brightness’ control group.

Re-Analyse

Discards the original analysis that was performed and re-analyzes with the currently selected analysis area.

Threshold

The controls under this group help the plugin to identify what is and isn’t noise, by manually adjusting the
threshold values.

• Brightness – The controls under this group, allow you to change the threshold values dependent on
the brightness of the image. If, for example, not enough noise is being removed from dark areas, just
increase the threshold of the ‘0’ slider. If the problem is in the white areas, adjust the ‘100’ slider. The
sliders act like a graph, adjusting one will cause the nearby sliders to also be adjusted.
• Channel – These controls allow you to change the noise threshold depending on the YUV channel.
• Frequency – This allows you to change the noise threshold depending on the frequency of the data.
It is easier to edit these slider if viewing the correct frequency: simply change the view to one of the
frequencies; then change the frequency options level to correspond with the frequency slider.

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• Keep Edges – This slider sometimes helps to bring more of the edges back. But as the value is
increased, more of the noise might be brought back as well.

Removal Amount

These controls allow you to adjust how much of the noise is removed.

• Y controls how much noise is removed from variations in brightness, of the image. By default it is set
at 80%, as removing all of the noise from the brightness tends to not look as good.
• U/V controls how much noise is removed from variations in colour.
• Frequency controls how much noise is removed dependent on the frequency of the data.

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7.23. Warp
These effects stretch and push your layers into new shapes.

Action Cam Crop

Action Cam Crop is available in the VFX: Lighting Pack.

Quickly adjusts your GoPro footage to crop to different framing.

Action Cam Lens Distort

See Action Cam Lens Distort.

Bezier Warp
Provides the ability to distort the layer and fold it into new shapes.

It is generally easier to use the Viewer controls.

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Lens Distort

Lens distort is available in the VFX: Distortion.

Can be used to simulate lens distortion or remove unwanted distortion (such as from fisheye camera
lenses).

Perspective Warp
Simulates rotating the layer in 3D.

Polar Warp
Wraps the layer into a circular shape.

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Quad Warp
Adds quad controls to the layer so that you can change its shape by moving its corners.

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Spherical Warp
Creates the appearance of a spherical lens, as if wrapping the layer around a concave or convex surface.

Vortex Displacement Warp

Similar to the Twirl distort effect but with additional displacement and vortex controls for pinching and
stretching the affected area.

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7.23.1. Action Cam Lens Distort

Adds or removes fisheye lens distortion. Several presets are provided specifically for use with GoPro
cameras, making it simple to composite layers naturally into GoPro footage or to adjust GoPro footage to
match traditional lenses.

Here is a grid representing the natural curvature of a GoPro HERO4:

Here is the exact same image with the curvature removed using the fisheye warp:

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The effect can also be used applied to other layers, so that they can be composited realistically into fisheye
footage:

The FOV property adjusts the amount of distortion and Center adjusts the distortion’s center – ordinarily you
will want to leave the Center at 0,0.

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Scale anchor
When the layer is adjusted this controls how it is scaled.

Corner maintains the corners of the image, scaling from the sides so that all the image is retained but some
black areas are introduced:

Height scales the image so that the frame is filled vertically while some areas are cropped:

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Width scales the image so the frame is filled horizontally, while some black areas are introduced at the top
and bottom:

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Layer resize
When the warp is applied some parts of the original frame are likely to be cropped outside of the frame. This
is a natural and expected side effect of removing fisheye distortion.

If you are removing the distortion so that you can then apply other elements before re-distorting back to the
original look this can lead to potential problems. For example, rewarping the unwarped grid results in lost
areas around the edge due to the cropping:

Original:

Fisheye removed:

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Fisheye reapplied using a reverse fisheye warp effect:

This can be countered using the Layer Resize options.

Take a look at this expanded view, with the Layer Resize set to None:

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You can see that the undistorted grid is kept within the layer’s boundaries.

Here is the same layer with the Layer Resize set to Grow:

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Grow lets the layer expand beyond its boundaries, meaning that none of the original frame is lost. When this
version is then redistorted using a second fisheye warp set to Reverse, the entire contents of the original
are recovered.

Wrap
The various wrap options determine what happens if the effect produces empty areas of frame. Tile, Reflect
and Blur Reflect fill in the empty areas using various techniques.

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7.24. Presets
Making use of presets can massively speed up your workflow in HitFilm. Presets can be created for 3D
effects and combinations of 2D effects.

Presets store your chosen settings so that you can quickly recreate them elsewhere in your project or even
in completely different projects.

Using Presets
The presets are organized into multiple folders in the Effects panel.

3D Presets

All the default 3D effects presets are kept in the 3D Effects folder.

When dragged to the timeline, 3D presets create new 3D effect layers. The layer will be automatically set up
according to the settings in the preset.

2D Presets

2D effects presets need to be dragged to a layer or clip. They can store the settings for multiple 2D effects,
providing a quick way to re-use specific combinations. This is especially useful for different film looks.

* Some 2D effects presets can only be used on composite shot timelines. These are marked
automatically by [Layer Only] in the Effects panel.

Preset Management
You can arrange presets into folders for easy access.

New folders can be created by clicking the New Folder button at the bottom of the Effects panel.

Presets can be imported and exported by right clicking in the Effects window and using the relevant menu
options.

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You can drag presets between folders inside the Effects panel to change how they are categorized.

Folders and presets can be deleted by selecting them then clicking the Delete button.

* Deleting presets cannot be undone. However, if you accidentally delete the wrong preset
you can retrieve it from your computer’s Recycle Bin.

Creating Presets
You can create your own presets. When creating a preset you will be asked to select a folder in which to
store it. See above for information on creating folders.

3D Presets

To create a new 3D preset, simply right click the 3D effect in your layer list on your timeline and choose
Create 3D Preset.

You can then choose a name for your new preset and specify which folder to store it in.

The Include Layer Properties option will also include any Transform, Material or Clip Window keyframes
and values, as well as the width, height and dimensions of the layer. This can be useful if you want to
recreate the exact effect within the same project.

* Presets cannot store texture information for particle effects using a layer as the texture
source. To store the settings for complex particle effects we recommend saving the effect
as its own project file. This can then be imported and used in future projects.

2D Presets

To create a 2D effects preset you first need to choose which effects to store in the preset.

Effects can be selected on the timeline by holding shift or ctrl and clicking on the effects you want.

Once you have selected your effects, right click them and choose Create Preset.

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8. Licensing Details
Licensing Details

Dolby Digital® (Decoder) © 1993-2002 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved.

Manufactured under license from Dolby® Laboratories. Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered
trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Confidential unpublished works. Copyright 1992-2005 Dolby
Laboratories. All rights reserved.

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