Apple Shake 4 - Manual (Page 24)

24 Chapter 1 An Overview of the Shake User Interface
Overview of the Shake User Interface
The Shake user interface is divided into five main areas: the Viewer, the Tool tabs, the
Parameters/Globals tabs, the Node View/Curve Editor/Color Picker/Audio Panel/Pixel
Analyzer tabs, and the Time Bar at the bottom.
Node View
The Node View is the heart of Shake, and displays the tree of connected nodes that
modify the flow of image data from the top of the tree down to the bottom. Every
function in Shake is represented as a separate node that can be inserted into the node
tree. You use the Node View to modify, select, view, navigate, and organize your
composite.
For more information on the Node View, see Chapter 7, “ Using the Node View ,” on
page 217.
Viewer Area
The Viewer area is capable of containing one or more Viewers, which display the image
of the currently selected node. You have explicit control over which part of the node
tree is displayed in the Viewer—in fact, the ability to separate the node that’s displayed
in the Viewer from the node being edited in the Parameters tabs is central to working
with Shake. Each Viewer allows you to isolate specific channels from each image. For
example, you can choose to view only the red channel of an image while you make a
color correction, or only the alpha channel when you’re adjusting a key.
Viewer area
Displays the image at the
selected node in the
node tree.
Node View
One of many tabs that
can be displayed here.
The Node View displays
the node tree, which
defines the flow and
processing of image data
in your project.
Time Bar area
Lets you navigate among the frames of
your project using the playback
buttons and the playhead.
Tool tabs
All of the available nodes
in Shake are organized
into eight tabs. Click a
node’s icon to add that
node to the node tree.
Parameters tabs
The parameters of
selected nodes appear in
the Parameters1 and 2
tabs. The global
parameters of your
project appear in the
Globals tab.
Images from The Saint provided courtesy of
Framestore CFC and Paramount British Pictures Ltd.