distortion tool modifiers

you how you can hold shft and drag a tile in a strait line. well i have notice that while using the distort tool that only modifier is shift and it effects all 4 corners.
if i am attempting to distort a jpeg from a true panaramic to a size that is more like dv ntsc ( 720 x 480 ). is there a modifier that allows me the ability to pull one corner horizonally or verticly only.
meaning that when i want to move horizonally i can hit a keyboard combo that restricts the single point i chhose to only horizonal or vertical movement?

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

If you want precision, use numbers. More accurate than wrestling with the mouse, if a lot more typing.

And J., you might want to type slower, use more punctuation and check your spelling. Your posts can be a little hard to read. Just a suggestion -- the faster and easier we can read your posts, the better we can answer your questions.


www.derekmok.com

from what ive seen you CANT do the shift to drag-straight thing in FCP. and thats nutty! i cant believe that theyve just overlooked that well into 5 versions now...

we have to remember though that fcp was never intended to be a compositing program... still cant quite figure out why they left out shift-drag???

> from what ive seen you CANT do the shift to drag-straight thing in FCP.

You can do it with the Wireframe. Not sure if you can do it with the Center buttons (the ones with the cross in the center to determine points for garbage mattes and Distort corners).


www.derekmok.com

Turn on image and wireframe on the canvas. Select the arrow tool - not the distort tool. Select 'Fit all' or smaller on the canvas so you can see outside the frame. Click and hold on a corner. Hold shift and drag inwards or outwards. Both aspects will move at once, but this is easy to control by moving left to right or up and down as you go.

Shift drag with the arrow key does move the whole picture in a straight line. I use this all the time for keyframing.

J,
you CAN do what (i think) you want to do.

the trick to this is that you DONT use the distort tool:
use the all-purpose select tool.
grab the corners of the wireframe, hold shift, and drag.
you should now be squeezing or stretching the image.

i'll almost always do this sort of work with the mouse.
if i need precision, i mouse it into place,
then fine tune the numbers

nick

The shift drag while using the arrow tool will stretch/squeeze but it does it to all sides and not to a single side on a single axis.

the distort tool (when modified by shft) will distort both left and right side at an opposite value. if the right side gets larger the left will get smaller, sorta like phony perspective.

what i have to put it simple is a rectangle that needs to be a square. i ended up doing it the hard way anyway. i was just wondering if apple had thought about and someone knew something that i didn't ( which is pretty easy ).

Quote
wayne
we have to remember though that fcp was never intended to be a compositing program...

i think that once they started doing the roundtrips from live type they had already began doing compositing. round trip is so that you can bring other elements into fcp to be place in a single frame. that is compositing. the should have thought that this programs second nature would be compositing.
it doesn't really make much though because i will still use it. maybe developers should read more post.

Quote
mok
And J., you might want to type slower, use more punctuation and check your spelling. Your posts can be a little hard to read.

you are right at times i get excite about more than one thing and want to do all of them at once. i.e. answer post, answer calls while reviewing footage. maybe i should become a hemp activist i have heard they take things a little slower and calmer.

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

Quote
J.Corbett
The shift drag while using the arrow tool will stretch/squeeze but it does it to all sides and not to a single side on a single axis.

Quote
Jude Cotter
Both aspects will move at once, but this is easy to control by moving left to right or up and down as you go.

If you still can't manage to make this work properly, you might try adjusting the aspect ratio in the motion tab under Distort > Aspect.

well hit me with cream pie. thats one i havent thought of. the simplelest solution.

thanx
Mike

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

i dont get what the problem is..
shift drag will do the same thing as aspect ratio,
sure the image stays centered (as it does with aspect ratio)) but then you just move it to where you want it.
dont you??

nick

Quote
nick
sure the image stays centered (as it does with aspect ratio)) but then you just move it to where you want it.

in a lot of cases thats whats done but in some caes you need more vertical and the same horizonal. in these case it would be nice if fcp had the ability to drag 1 point on a single axis thru some kinda modifier.

however with the method that mike described you can do this with numeric values.

maybe final cut extreme will have this when its released.

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

crop?

Crop circles?


www.shanerosseditor.com

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""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"