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: 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 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: Some embodiments provide a graphical user interface (GUI) of a media-editing application. The GUI includes a composite display area for displaying a set of media clips that define a composite presentation. The set of media clips includes a particular media clip which includes several different groups of ordered clips that are selectable for use in the composite presentation. The GUI includes a preview display area for simultaneously displaying video images from several of the different groups corresponding to a time in the composite presentation. The displayed video images in the preview display area are selectable to determine which of the groups is for use in the composite presentation.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a media-editing application. The application displays a trackless composite display area for creating a composite presentation from several different media clips. The composite presentation includes a multi-camera media clip that includes one of several different groups of ordered media clips. Upon receiving a selection to edit the multi-camera media clip in the composite presentation, the application displays each of the different groups of ordered media clips as separate tracks in the composite display area.

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: 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 computer readable medium storing a media editing application for creating multimedia presentations. The application includes a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI includes a composite display area for displaying a portion of a timeline to which multimedia clips are assigned to create a composite media presentation. The timeline is divided into user-defined segments. The GUI includes an outline window for displaying a list of selectable items representing the user-defined segments, the selectable items for use in applying various operations to the user-modifiable segments. In some embodiments, the various operations include operations to insert a new segment into the timeline, to merge at least two segments into one segment, to hide a particular segment from view, to focus on a particular segment or group of segments in the composite display area, as well as other operations.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a timeline search tool for searching and navigating a timeline. The timeline search tool includes a search field that allows a user to search for clips. In some embodiments, each clip in the list of clips is selectable such that a selection of the clip causes the timeline to navigate to the position of the clip in the timeline. In some embodiments, the timeline search tool allows a user to search for clips based on keywords or markers.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that receives a timeline that includes several pieces of content. The method receives user input to divide the timeline into hierarchical segments of varying duration. The method defines associations between the pieces of content and at least one hierarchical level of the segments. In some embodiments, the method is performed by a media-editing application and the pieces of content are media clips inserted into the timeline by a user.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a computer readable medium storing a media editing application for creating multimedia presentations. The application includes a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI includes a composite display area for displaying graphical representations of a set of media clips that are part of a composite presentation. Each graphical representation of a particular media clip is assigned to a particular row in the composite display area, where each row corresponds to a particular track in the composite presentation. Some embodiments of the GUI include a compression tool for assigning the graphical representations to new rows so as to reduce blank space in the composite display area, where the assignment of the graphical representations to new rows eliminates the correspondence between the rows and the tracks. Some embodiments include a collapsing tool for reducing a size of graphical representations in the composite display area.

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.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a computer readable medium storing a media editing application for creating multimedia presentations. The application includes a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI includes a composite display area for displaying a portion of a timeline to which multimedia clips are assigned to create a composite media presentation. The GUI includes a user interface tool for dividing the timeline into segments. The GUI includes an editing tool for applying an effect to each of a plurality of clips in a particular segment of the timeline. The GUI includes a user interface tool for modifying a duration of at least one segment. Different versions of the segments may be created.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a media-editing application. The application displays a trackless composite display area for creating a composite presentation from several different media clips. The composite presentation includes a multi-camera media clip that includes one of several different groups of ordered media clips. Upon receiving a selection to edit the multi-camera media clip in the composite presentation, the application displays each of the different groups of ordered media clips as separate tracks in the composite display area.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a graphical user interface (GUI) of a media-editing application. The GUI includes a composite display area for displaying a set of media clips that define a composite presentation. The set of media clips includes a particular media clip which includes several different groups of ordered clips that are selectable for use in the composite presentation. The GUI includes a preview display area for simultaneously displaying video images from several of the different groups corresponding to a time in the composite presentation. The displayed video images in the preview display area are selectable to determine which of the groups is for use in the composite presentation.

Abstract: A method of defining a dynamically adjustable user interface (“UI”) of a device is described. The method defines multiple UI elements for the UI, where each UI element includes multiple pixels. The method defines a display adjustment tool for receiving a single display adjustment parameter and in response adjusting the appearance of the UI by differentiating display adjustments to a first set of saturated pixels from the display adjustments to a second set of non-saturated pixels.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a media editing application for assigning roles to media content. In some embodiments, the media editing application assigns one or more roles to each piece of content in order to categorize each piece of content that it imports. In categorizing audio content, the media editing application may use industry standard terms such as “Dialogue”, “Effects”, and “Music”. The media editing application of some embodiments extends the categorization to other types of content such as video content, textual content (e.g., annotations, sub-titles), image content, etc.

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: 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.