Apple Final Cut Express HD User Manual
Page 948
948
Part XI
Project Management and Settings
 Limit real-time video to N MB/s: Final Cut Express HD uses this number to limit how
many video streams can play back from your scratch disk in real time. This is useful
when you have a scratch disk with a limited data rate, such as a PowerBook hard disk.
For example, suppose you try to play a sequence with six simultaneous video
tracks containing DV media, and Final Cut Express HD warns you that frames were
dropped during playback. If you then try to play a sequence with five simultaneous
video tracks and no frames are dropped, you know that your scratch disk can
handle no more than five simultaneous DV video streams. Since DV has a data rate
of 3.6 MB/sec., you can select the “Limit real-time video to” option and enter
18 MB/sec. (5 x 3.6 MB/sec.) in the number field. Now, if a sequence requires a
sustained data rate of more than 18 MB/sec. for playback, Final Cut Express HD
shows a red render bar over this portion of the sequence.
Note: Final Cut Express HD always allows a single video stream to play, even if the
data rate limit you set is below the data rate of a single video stream. For example, if
you set the data rate limit to 1 MB/sec., Final Cut Express HD would still play back a
single DV video stream, even though its data rate is 3.6 MB/sec.
Interface Options
 Show Tooltips: Select this option to automatically display descriptions of interface
elements and their corresponding keyboard shortcuts, called tooltips. Tooltips appear
in small yellow boxes when you move the pointer over a control and pause briefly
(without clicking the control). When you move the pointer away from the control, the
tooltip disappears.
 Bring all windows to the front on activation: When this option is selected and
Final Cut Express HD is in the background, clicking one Final Cut Express HD window
brings all Final Cut Express HD windows to the front at once.
 Open last project on application launch: This option determines whether
Final Cut Express HD launches with a new, untitled project, or the last project or
projects that were open when you last quit the application.
The tooltip (interface element
and keyboard shortcut) that
appears when you place the
pointer over the Play button
in the Viewer.