Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 777)

Chapter 54 Compositing and Layering 777
IX
When you layer clips, the clip in the topmost track in the Timeline is the one that
appears during playback in the Canvas. However, this is true only if:
 None of the clips is set to be transparent (by changing the opacity parameter)
 None of the clips has an alpha channel
If you change the opacity level of one or more layered clips so they have some
transparency, the clips blend and you see both images combined.
Adjusting Opacity Levels of Clips
Every clip has a level of transparency, or opacity parameter, that you can change. When
you adjust the opacity setting of one or more clips, they blend to create a single image.
You can then use the resulting image as the background for another layer, such as a
text or graphic layer.
There are two ways you can adjust a clip’s opacity:
 Drag the opacity overlay of a clip in the Timeline.
 Open the clip in the Viewer and specify the Opacity parameter’s value in the Motion tab.
The Opacity parameter in the Motion tab and the opacity overlay displayed in the
Timeline are identical. A change made to one is mirrored in the other.
Moving Clips Vertically to Another Track
When you’re compositing, you may need to move a clip vertically from one track to
another, but keep its location in time in a sequence from changing. You might do this to:
 Move a video clip on top of another one so that it appears in front.
 Move a clip to another track to make room for another one being edited in.
To do this, simply press and hold the Shift key while you drag a clip up or down. For
more information about moving clips to another track without accidentally moving
them forward or backward in time, see “
Arranging Clips in the Timeline ” on page 373.
Opacity is used to blend
two clips, one of dancers
and the other of a piano
player.