Organizing Your Media
Organizing Your Media
The Media Database, Gallery, and Favorites Bar are the primary means for storing and organizing content within the application. This section illustrates how each is used in the context of preparing media for mashing, co-collaboration, and brodcast. In the course of this section, we will explore the purpose and strengths of each tool, and the differences between them.
In This Section:
- Learn to use the keyword search and indexing functions w/in Media Search to find media quickly
- Learn how the Gallery can be used to catalog captured media for broadcast to the Portal
- Get acquainted with the Favorites Bar as a means for building a base of frequently used assets
- Load the Base Asset Library into the Media Database
- Backup your Media Search window Database
The Media Window
The Media Search window is an interface to a sophisticated database that catalogs every piece of media you have imported or received from another user. This list may include audio, images, video, shows, and their contents. The Media Search window features a search engine that allows you to search for assets by keyword or title. Here are the basic elements of the search interface:
- Filter Bank: Selected Filetypes are included in the search results.
- Location Selector: Selected locations are included in search results.
- File Info: Displays metadata for selected file.
- Search Results: Search results area showing thumbnails.
- File Type Icons: File Type Icons represent type of associated files.
- Query Field: Enter text here to search against title or keyword.
- Search: Click the search button or hit <Enter> to search against text in the Query Field.
To perform a keyword or title search, enter the search term in the Search Field and click on the “Search” button or hit the Return key. To view all of the assets in the Media Search window, leave the Search Field blank and click on the “Search” button.
Searching by Keyword and Title
The Media Search window provides the ability to search by title, keyword and/or file type. To perform a search, type a word or phrase into the search field and click on the Search button or hit <Enter>.
Note, that you must have the correct filters enabled in order to see the files you are searching for.
Filtering by Media Type
You will see a row of buttons at the top of the Media window.
Each button represents a filter for its corresponding file type. Green indicates that the filter is active, and that files of the corresponding type will appear in your search. Gray indicates that the filter is inactive, and that files of the corresponding type will be blocked. The filters represent the following media types, in order from left to right. The tool tips which appear when hovering over the filters can be used to confirm which filter is which.
- Show
- Talking Character
- Video
- Audio
- Image
- Animation
- SMV (Stop-Motion-Video)
When MashCast opens, all of the file type filters are enabled. Clicking on any single filter from the "all on" state enables just the filter you have clicked on. This way, you can easily restrict a search to a single file type. If you want to add file types to your search, you can continue to click on the inactive filters to add to the search until they are all active again.
If you have performed a search already, clicking on any of the filter buttons will update the search results field immediately. However, if new assets have been added to the database since the last search was performed, these assets will not appear in the results window until you click on the Search button again.
Filtering By Location
The Media Search window can also be used to filter by location. By default, all search queries include both the database and the MashCast Gallery, which is the portion of the local file system which is devoted to storing content that is acquired using MashCast. This content includes:
- Captured Videos, SMVs and Stills
- Content that is exported from the stage as WMV, JPG, or SWF
Exactly which locations are searched during a query can be specified in the Locations bar. The Locations bar is located to the left of the Thumbnail Gallery. It can be revealed or hidden by means of the thin vertical bar on the left edge of the Media Search window.
Locations which are highlighted are reflected in the search results area. Search results can be dynamically updated by clicking on different locations within the Locations bar.
You can add a location in the Location Bar by right-clicking on "Everywhere" and selecting "Browse for New Source". The selected folder will be added to the tree. You can delete a folder from the tree by right-clicking on it and selecting "Delete". The folder will be removed from the tree (It will not be removed from your hard disk.)
Asset Properties
You can edit Filenames for assets in the My Media Folder, and Title & Keyword for assets that are located in the database, by selecting Asset Properties from the Asset context menu.
My Media Folder
When content is acquired via Live Capture, or from the desktop, it is stored in the My Media Folder in a tab which corresponds to its media type.
Each SMV is composed of a series of frames. These frames can be viewed in sequence by double-clicking on the associated SMV thumbnail within the SMV gallery. To return to the main SMV Gallery, right-click on any of the poster frames and select “Back”.
Right-click on any of the SMV frames in the SMV Frame Gallery in order to set that frame as the poster frame for that SMV.
Sending to the Stage can be accomplished by
The metadata display provides a variety of useful information about a selected asset, including file name and extension, duration, file size in kilobytes, and dimensions in pixels.
Sorting Search Results
To sort search results, right-click on any thumbnail or asset name and choose from the following sort criteria off of the “Sort” submenu.
- Date received
- Date created
- File type
- Title
You may also set the list order by selecting “Ascending” or “Descending” from within this menu. The default search order is ascending by creation date.
Previewing Search Results
Right-click on any asset and select “Preview” to view it in a separate window. See Previewing an Asset.
Sending to the Stage From The Media Search window
Sending an asset to the Stage from the Media Search window can be accomplished in one of two ways:
- Right-click on the asset, and select “Send to Stage” from the context menu.
- Drag and drop an asset from the Media Search window onto the Stage.
The asset will be placed on the Stage in a new Layer. (See Layers in MashCast). Audio assets will be placed on whichever track is armed (red). If audio already resides on an armed track, it will be overwritten.
Deleting Assets
To delete an asset from the Media Search window, right-click on the asset and select “Delete” from the context menu. If this asset appears in any of your shows, you will be notified before the asset is deleted.
Once the asset is deleted, you will see a blank with a question mark where the asset used to be in any shows which contain the deleted asset.
Backup and Restore
It's a good idea to back up your MashCast Database from time to time in order to protect your data. Here's how to do it:
- Save changes to any work you have open.
- Select "Back Up Database" from the Main Menu or the Media Search menu.
- Click "Yes" to proceed with the backup.
- You should see a dialog to confirm that your database was backed up successfully.
Be aware that restoring your database will replace all existing files in the database. To restore the database, select "Restore Database..." from the main menu or Media Search menu and follow the prompts. You will be required to log out if you have not done so already.
Organizing Media on the Stage
The Favorites Bar
The Favorites Bar, located just above the Stage, is a convenient place to store assets that you use frequently.
To add an element to the Favorites Bar, drag an asset from the Media Search window and drop it onto the clipboard. MashCast will automatically generate a thumbnail of the asset to assist you in identifying the asset. Additionally, mousing over the asset will reveal title, type, date, and keyword information.
The Favorites Bar is capable of storing up to 100 assets. The buttons on the left and right sides of the Clipboard allow you to scroll left and right through the asset queue, one stage-width at a time.
Using the Margins
Another way of organizing objects that you intend to use in a Show is by "zooming out" when building the Show, and dragging objects from the Media Search window or the Favorites Bar so that they are arranged around the Stage.
- 551 reads