Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1184)

If the frame size of your graphic doesn’t match the frame size of your edited sequence
and you want to correct this, you can do so easily.
To scale an image within a sequence to exactly fit the sequence dimensions
1 Select one or more clips in the sequence.
Tip: You can also place the playhead over a clip in the Timeline without selecting any
clips.
2 Choose Modify > Scale to Sequence.
Each selected clip’s Scale parameter is set to the appropriate amount so that both
horizontal and vertical image dimensions fit within the sequence dimensions. The images
are not squeezed or stretched, but they may appear letterboxed or pillarboxed if the
aspect ratios of the image and the sequence don’t match.
Note: The Scale to Sequence command works on video clips as well as still-image clips.
If you want to zoom in to and out of an image, such as a scanned map or photograph,
you should use an image with higher resolution than the sequence. The higher the
resolution of the image, the less likely it is that you will need to scale more than 100
percent to show details. Scaling video and still images more than 100 percent creates
artifacts: individual pixels become noticeable, causing a “stair-stepping” artifact on
high-contrast diagonal lines.
Note: You can add the illusion of camera motion to still images, as is often done in
documentaries, by subtly keyframing the Scale setting (for zooming) as well as movement
of the image within the frame (Center, Anchor Point, and Rotation parameters). See
“Example: Adding Camera Motion to Still Images” for details.
To scale an imported graphic in a sequence
1 Edit the image into the sequence in the Timeline.
2 Double-click the clip in the Timeline to open it in the Viewer.
3 Click the Motion tab in the Viewer.
4 Edit the percentage value in the Scale field, or adjust the Scale slider until you find a size
you like.
Changing the Duration of Still Images
Once an image is edited into your sequence, it has a default duration of 10 seconds.
However, you may want the image to play for a longer or shorter duration. There are a
few ways to change the duration of a clip.
To change the default duration of still images
1 Choose Final Cut Pro > User Preferences, then click the Editing tab.
2 Enter a new value in the Still/Freeze Duration field.
1184 Chapter 70 Working with Freeze Frames and Still Images