Terminology for FastFlick templates
The following terminology is used when creating and describing FastFlick templates.
• Segment — each image or video clip added to the main track creates a segment (this includes images or videos from the Graphic Library, such as backgrounds or objects). You can enhance your segment by adding elements such as overlays, titles, and transitions. You can also apply effects to elements in your segment. It’s important to think of a segment as an independent block. This is achieved by ensuring that elements within the segment do not extend beyond the duration of the segment’s image or video in the main track (the Music track is the only exception).
• Element — an element can be a transition, title, object, or any piece of media. It is a way of describing the individual pieces used to build a template segment.
• Attributes — the properties that you assign to template elements that determine their behavior.
• Placeholder — an attribute that is assigned to temporary media that will be swapped out for user media. Placeholders are repeatable by default (to accommodate the unspecified number of media that a user can add to a template).
Optional is an attribute you can assign to a placeholder if you feel that the element is not required if there is not enough user content. For example, you can apply Optional to a placeholder in the main video track if the segment can be dropped when user content runs out (rather than repeat user content to complete the sequence).
• Static — an attribute assigned to a template element that you want to keep in the current position. When the media in the main video track is marked as static, the segment won’t repeat in the sequence—it will display only in the current position (for example, in a beginning or end segment).
Each image or video clip added to the main video track creates a segment (indicated by the orange boxes). Each segment can have multiple elements (indicated by the red ovals).
The FastFlick Template Designer dialog box lets you assign attributes to the elements in your template. To open the dialog box, right-click a template element in the Timeline and choose FastFlick Template Designer.
