MacroSystem Columbus 3 - Manual (Page 7)

7 Columbus 3 manual
Chapter 2: Operation
2 .1 The route
A route, i.e. the path to be followed, is defined by positioning
various waypoints. Next, a line – together with an object – can
then be drawn over a configurable time period. Starting point,
end point and key points can be individually highlighted and
influence the creation of the line.
A route consists of several elements, displayed and listed
below:
(1) Line
The line can be rendered in different ways, with the following
configurable properties:
• Various line thicknesses
• Various colors (invisible when alpha = 0)
• Various line patterns
The line can also be angular (e.g. for streets) or smoothly
curved (e.g. for air routes). The appearance of the line can also
change from one key point to the next.
(2) Waypoints
Waypoints are used to enter the path followed by a route. They
are only visible while editing, not in the final image.
(3) Key points
Key points can be placed along a route. They can then be
labeled in different ways, although you will usually use the
same type for all key points, to make it easy to make overall
changes. You can also define pauses in the progression of the
line at key points. During the rendering phase, the scene can
also be split in different parts at these pauses.
(4) Starting point
The starting point for tracing out the route corresponds to the
origin of the line. Otherwise, the starting point has exactly the
same properties as a key point. It is, however, not possible to
delete it.
(5) Head object
It is possible to attach an object to the head (the front end) of
the growing line. This object, (e.g. a car, a ship, an airplane, an
arrow, a hand ...) will then move along with the head. An object
that moves along with the head, can automatically be turned in
the direction the line is growing.
(6) Finishing point
The finishing point represents the destination of the trip and
has the same properties as a key point, except that it cannot
be erased. For the points listed before, various symbols are
displayed within the colored points along the route. They are
explained in the following table:
Symbol Name
➔
Starting point
l Waypoint, but also for freely positionable objects
£ Key point
r Finishing point
Starting and finishing points
If you have not done any editing yet, the starting and finishing
points – connected by a line – will usually be displayed in a
position outside the menu bar area. The starting and finishing
points are clearly marked as such and they can be moved
and edited like any other point. Erasing them is not possible,
however.
Setting points
You can set a new point by moving the trackball pointer to the
desired position on the line and clicking on the left trackball
button. A new waypoint (green) will now appear.
Activating points
An inactive point (red) can be activated by clicking on it. The
color of the point changes into green, but its location remains
the same.
Moving points
Any of the points can be moved in the map display. An active
point (green) can be grabbed by clicking on it. It will then
become blue, while the trackball pointer disappears. While you
move the point by rolling the trackball, the shape of the curve
will automatically adapt to the new location. To fix the point at
its current location, click again. Right clicking will cancel the
move.
Deleting points
An active point (green) can be erased by clicking on the right
trackball button. For this to work, the trackball pointer must be
precisely positioned on the point that is to be deleted.
2 .2 Transition effects
In the transition effects menu, you have the option of inserting
various fade effects for transitioning from the map display to
the video scene (and back again).
To create these transitions, you must the set the pause time
for the defined key points to a value greater than 0 and then
set the
Split key points effect option to „Yes“ in the Special
window before the effect is calculated. This way, the sections