Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 1242)

Chapter 20 Color Correcting Clips 455
II
Auto Level and Contrast Controls in the Color Corrector 3-Way Filter
Using the Auto Contrast controls and the Whites, Mids, and Blacks sliders to maximize
the contrast of your image is usually the first step you take when color correcting a clip.
 Auto White Level button: Click this button to analyze your clip and find the maximum
level of white in the frame. The Whites slider is then adjusted to move the maximum
white level to 100 percent as viewed on the Histogram.
 Auto Black Level button: Click this button to analyze your clip and find the maximum
level of black in the frame. The Blacks slider is then adjusted to move the maximum
black level of your clip to 0 percent as viewed on the Histogram.
 Auto Contrast button: Click this button to perform the functions of both the Auto
White Level and Auto Black Level buttons simultaneously.
Using a Trackball With the Color Correction Filters
Additional keyboard shortcuts are available to make it easy to use a trackball to adjust
the Color Balance controls in the Color Corrector and Color Corrector 3-way filters. These
keyboard shortcuts work only while the mouse button (or trackball button) is pressed,
and are designed to work with the drag lock button of your trackball.
Tip: By pressing the drag lock button of your trackball, the trackball button remains
pressed and continuous adjustments can be made to the Color Balance controls.
While the drag lock mode of your trackball is enabled:
 Press Tab to move from one Color Balance control to the next.
If your trackball has multiple programmable buttons, you can map three other
keyboard shortcuts to them to go directly to specific Color Balance controls.
 Control-Option-8: Selects the Blacks Balance control.
 Control-Option-9: Selects the Mids Balance control.
 Control-Option-0: Selects the Whites Balance control.
Auto Contrast button
Auto White
Level button Auto Black
Level button