General Module Function
The video_safe_area module is used when creating an animation for DVD or Video. It displays the areas that are usable for both text and animation purposes for several standard video formats. This allows you to properly setup your animation in order to get the best possible output on multiple television sets.
Notice in the picture below that the title is restricted the safe for text area, while the plume is displayed inside the safe for action border. Since it contains text and sharp lines, the legend should be placed inside the safe for text border.
NOTE: This module should have the visible toggle unchecked when the actual animation for video is produced to avoid having the safe areas displayed in the video.
Once you turn off the visible toggle, you will notice a large border around your content. This border is vital for proper output to a television.
Module Input Ports
The video_safe_area module has one input port that accepts the output from a viewer module.
Module Output Ports
The video_safe_area module has one output port that connects to a viewer module's input and displays a viewable "safe area" in the viewer window.
Module Control Panel
The control panel for the video_safe_area module can be seen in the image above.
The Video Output Format changes the safe areas in the viewer window to match the default width and height values for the selected video format.
The Visible toggle turns the safe area display on and off. This toggle should always be off when making the actual video so the safe areas are not recorded.
The Move to Back toggle will put the safe area display behind any graphics in the viewer.
The Transparency slider changes the opacity of the safe area mask.
The Mask toggle turns the safe area masks on and off. The mask is a visual tool to help visualize which graphics fall into which safe area.
The Mask Text Area toggle turns the masking surrounding the text area on or off.
Mask Color alters the color of the masking.
The Lines toggle turns the lines defining the safe areas on and off.
The Labels toggle turns the labels defining the safe areas on and off.
The Action Border Color button selects the color of the action border.
The Text Border Color button selects the color of the text border.
Selecting Set Viewer Res. sets the resolution of the viewer to the default for the video format that has been selected.
If the Preserve Width toggle is selected when the Set Viewer Res. toggle is chosen, the current resolution width of the viewer will be maintained while the resolution height of the viewer will be based upon the appropriate ratio for the video format that has been selected.
If the Preserve Width toggle is unselected the Double Res toggle can be selected. The Double Res toggle will double the resolution of the viewer, while keeping the appropriate width-height ratio for the video format that has been selected. This should only be used while using the Screen Renderer output of Output_Images with the 4x4 anti-aliasing option.
The Update Viewer button will set the viewer to the correct width and height if the Set Viewer Res toggle has been selected.