Abstract: In some embodiments, the media editing application provides tools to assigns one or more roles to each piece of content in order to categorize each piece of content. The media editing application of some embodiments allows its user to categorize media clips using predefined roles or custom roles. In some embodiments, the custom roles include sub-roles of existing roles. When a clip is assigned a sub-role, the media editing application allows the clip to be searched or identified based on the sub-role as well as the sub-role's parent role.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provides a media editing application for exporting a composite presentation based on roles assigned to media content. In some embodiments, the media editing application provides an export tool for selecting one or more roles for different output files. With this tool, a multi-file output can be specified such that all “Dialogue” clips are combined and output to a first audio file, all “Music” clips are combined and output to a second audio file, etc. In some embodiments, the media editing application extends the stem export feature to include other types of content (e.g., video, sub-titles, closed caption, etc.).

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provides a media editing application that includes tools to perform a variety of different editing operations based on roles assigned to media content. In some embodiments, the media editing application includes focus-editing tools to emphasize or de-emphasize different sets of clips based on the assigned roles. In some embodiments, the media editing application allows one or more sets of clips to be disabled or enabled during playback based on the assigned roles.

Abstract: A video signal can be decoded at a reduced resolution by receiving a video signal encoded at a first resolution; determining a second resolution at which the received video signal is to be decoded, wherein the second resolution is lower than the first resolution; and decoding the received video signal at the second resolution. The second resolution can be selected from a plurality of predetermined decoding resolutions. Further, the second resolution can be selected in response to an input received from a user. Decoding of the received video signal can include scaling one or more reference pictures by a first scaling factor and scaling one or more non-reference pictures by a second scaling factor. Additionally, scaling can comprise transforming a first portion of frequency coefficients associated with a block of picture information and discarding a second portion of frequency coefficients associated with the block of picture information.

Abstract: The decode resolution of a video signal can be varied during decoding by decoding a first portion of a video signal at a first resolution; determining a second resolution, different from the first resolution, at which a second portion of the video signal is to be decoded; adjusting one or more reference pictures associated with the video signal to correspond to the second resolution; and decoding the second portion of the video signal at the second resolution. The second resolution, at which the second portion of the video signal is decoded, can be selected from a plurality of predetermined decoding resolutions in response to the detection of a predetermined condition or in response to an input received from a user. Additionally, one or more reference pictures associated with the video signal can be up-sampled or down-sampled in at least one of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for defining a data structure for representing a media file imported into a media-editing application. The method defines a reference to an original version of a media file. The method defines references to one or more transcoded versions of the media file. Each of the transcoded versions has a different resolution. The method defines a set of metadata storing information regarding the media file. In some embodiments, the media file includes both audio and video. The method defines a video clip data structure for the media file that references the first data structure and an audio clip data structure for the media file that also references the asset data structure. The method defines a media clip data structure that contains the video clip data structure and the audio clip data structure. The media clip data structure is for editing into a composite video presentation.

Abstract: A novel method for retiming a portion of a media content (e.g., audio data, video data, audio and video data, etc.) in a media-editing application is provided. The media editing application includes a user interface for defining a range in order to select a portion of the media content. The media editing application performs retiming by applying a speed effect to the portion of the media content selected by the defined range. For a faster speed effect, the media editing application retimes the selected portion of the media content by sampling the media content at a faster rate. For a slower speed effect, the media editing application retimes the selected portion of the media content by sampling the content at a slower rate.

Abstract: A media-editing application of some embodiments allows a user of the application to group media clips displayed in the timeline into a single clip representation. A composite display area of the media-editing application often displays numerous clips at various instances in time and at various levels in the compositing hierarchy. To reduce the number of media clips in the timeline, the media-editing application of some embodiments allows the user to select several media clips and combine them into a one media clip representation. In this manner, the media-editing application reduces the congestion in the timeline. These single clip representations are referred to as “compound clips.” Compound clips can be viewed as containers that can include several media clips of the same type in some embodiments, or that can include several media clips of several different types in other embodiments.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a list view that displays a list of media clips and, for each media clip, displays each tag associated with the media clip. The list view includes a list area for displaying the list of media clips and tags. In some embodiments, the list view includes a preview section for displaying a representation of a clip selected from the list view's list area. The list view, in some embodiments, displays information related to each tag such as a starting point of the tag's range, an ending point of the tag's range, and a duration of the range.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a media-editing application. The application includes several image processing destinations for performing operations on video images. The application includes a scheduling engine for scheduling disk read, decode, and graphics processing operations to perform on images to prepare the images for the several destinations. The scheduling engine includes a first set of instructions for scheduling images based on a speed at which a particular one of the several destinations processes the images when none of the destinations require images in real-time. The scheduling engine includes a second set of instructions for scheduling images based on a real-time clock when at least one of the several destinations requires images in real-time.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that receives the addition of a video clip having a first set of spatial properties to a composite video project having a second set of spatial properties. When the first set of spatial properties and the second set of spatial properties are different, the method automatically applies a spatial conform effect to the video clip to conform images of the video clip to the second set of spatial properties. The method receives input to transform images of the video clip as displayed in the composite video project. The method stores the spatial conform effect and the received transform as separate effects for the video clip.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that receives the addition of a video clip to a composite video project. The video clip has a sequence of video images at a first frame rate and the composite video project has a second frame rate for outputting video images. When the first frame rate does not match the second frame rate but is within a threshold of the second frame rate, the method generates output video images for a particular duration of the composite video project at the second frame rate by using each of the video images of the video clip once during the particular duration. When the first frame rate is not within the threshold, generating output video images for the particular duration of the composite video project at the second frame rate by using at least one of the video images for each output video image over the particular duration.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a keyword association tool for organizing media content. Each keyword can be associated with an entire clip or a portion of the clip. For each specified keyword, the keyword association tool creates a collection (e.g., bin, folder, etc.) in a dynamic collection structure. In some embodiments, a keyword collection is dynamically added to the collection structure each time a new keyword is associated with a media clip. To associate a clip with a keyword, a user can drag and drop a clip onto a keyword collection that corresponds to the keyword. The same technique can be used to associate multiple clips with the keyword by simultaneously dragging and dropping the clips onto the keyword collection.

Abstract: For a media-editing application, some embodiments provide a method for creating a media presentation that combines several media clips. During an editing process to define a particular media project, the method receives a first set of edits to the particular media project while the media-editing application is in a first resolution mode that uses content stored at a first resolution to generate the particular media project. The method receives a selection of a user interface tool to modify the resolution mode. The method switches to a second resolution mode that uses content stored at a second resolution to generate the particular media project without interrupting the editing process. After switching to the second resolution mode, the method receives a second set of edits to the same particular media project during the same editing process to define the particular media project.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a media-editing application. The application receives a command to import a media file into the media-editing application. The media file includes a sequence of video images. The application copies the media file to a storage location associated with the media-editing application. The method performs several analysis and transcode operations on the media file in parallel. In some embodiments, the application identifies a video image on which to the operations. The application schedules a single set of image preparation operations for the video image to generate one or more sets of image data for the operations. The method sends the image data to the different operations. A same set of image data is sent to at least two of the operations.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a media-editing application for creating and editing a media presentation that displays the results of edits as the edits are made to the media presentation. The media-editing application displays the movement of media clips of the media presentation as the media clips are being moved within the media-editing application to change the media presentation. Also, the media editing application in some embodiments can dynamically display the results of edits in a preview display area. That is, the media editing application has a preview generator that can generate previews of the media presentation on the fly as media clips are being dragged into and within the timeline. This allows the user of the media-editing application to see and hear the results of the operation while performing them.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a media-editing application that includes several background-rendering modules. These modules automatically render segments of a media presentation in the background of a system on which the media-editing application is being executed. By performing rendering in the background, the background-rendering modules produce rendered results for the segments. That is, the modules pre-generate playable media output data (e.g., composite video frames or audio samples) of the media presentation without interrupting other operations (e.g., editing operations, etc.) of the media-editing application. The background-rendering modules in some embodiments include a first background-rendering module and a second background-rendering module. The first background-rendering module determines a prioritized order in which the segments are to be rendered.

Abstract: For a media-editing application that creates a composite media presentation, some embodiments of the invention provide a method for reducing rendering operations by dividing the composite presentation into several segments and rendering the segments in a manner that allows for these segments to move with respect to each other without losing the rendered results. The media-editing application defines portions of a media presentation as segments. When the media-editing application renders a segment of the media presentation, the application computes an identifier that uniquely identifies the segment and then uses this identifier to store and later retrieve the rendered result for the segment. The application in some embodiments computes the identifier based on a set of attributes of the segment, and stores the results of rendering the segment at a location that is uniquely identifiable in a storage structure by the identifier.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a program that creates a composite media presentation from several media clips. The program creates an audition set for a particular location in a composite display area for placing media clips to specify a description of the composite media presentation. The program adds to the audition set several different types of media clips that are candidates for placement in the composite display area at the particular location. The program iteratively selects a different media clip in the audition set as the only committed media clip in the audition set to include in the composite media presentation.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a media editing application. The application places several committed media clips in a composite display area to specify a description of a composite presentation. In response to receiving a request to create a new version for a first media clip placed at a particular location in the composite display area, the application creates an audition set at the particular location in the composite display area. The application creates a second media clip from the first media clip. The application adds the first and second media clips to the audition set. At least one of the first and second media clips is a candidate media clip that is insertable at the location in the composite display area but is not a media clip that has been committed for inclusion in the description of the composite presentation.