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# Creating Soft Effects

You apply soft effects to segments directly on a BFX timeline or on the EditDesk record timeline. You can apply soft effects to a clip either before or after Batch FX have been applied.

You create soft effects using either a soft effects quick menu or an editor. The quick menu provides access to the basic controls for each soft effect. For greater control and customization, use the editor.

When you add a soft effect to the timeline of a BFX clip, an [E] appears after the clip name in the schematic, indicating it is edited.

To create a soft effect:

1. Select the element on the timeline where you want to add a soft effect.
2. Click the button of the soft effect you want to apply, or press Alt plus the corresponding hotkey.
   NoteThe hotkeys for creating soft effects apply to the EditDesk record timeline only.

   (a) Soft effect buttons(b) Hotkey number for Axis soft effect

   NoteOn a 21-inch monitor, not all the soft effect buttons are visible at once. Click the down arrow to view the second page of buttons.

   Click: | To:
   --- | ---
   Axis (or press Alt+1) | Work with the 3D X, Y, Z axis of layers and surfaces; create garbage masks, light sources, motion tracking, and 3D text. Also create chroma or self keys. See Creating Axis Soft Effects .
   Wipe (or press Alt+2) | Add wipe effects to layers. The incoming and outgoing shots exist on different layers of the timeline. See Creating Wipe Soft Effects .
   Spark (or press Alt+3) | Apply video Sparks to a timeline element. See Creating Sparks Soft Effects.
   CC (or press Alt+4) | Perform colour correction and colour warping to timeline elements, which are animatable on a segment basis. See Creating Colour Correction Soft Effects.
   TW (or press Alt+5 or Home) | Apply a timewarp to a timeline element. See Creating Timewarp Soft Effects. You can also apply a timewarp to an audio element.
   Blend (or press Alt+6) | Control the transparency of a segment, which enables parts of the background to be exposed through overall transparency. The blend occurs between different layers of the timeline. See Creating Blend Soft Effects .
   Resize (or press Alt+7) | Resize a segment to standardize its resolution with the project. Use Resize to correct blanking problems and add a soft letterbox. See Creating Resize Soft Effects.
   Text (or press Alt+8) | Add text to a video element. See Creating Text Soft Effects.
   Colour Source | Modify the colour of a colour source directly on the EditDesk record timeline. See Creating Colour Sources.

   The soft effect quick menu is displayed, the LED on the soft effect button turns blue, and the soft effect indicator appears on the timeline segment.

   If the quick menu does not appear, see Editing with Soft Effect Quick Menus.

   (a) Axis quick menu(b) Axis LED(c) Axis soft effect indicator

3. Click the A button beside the soft effect button to enable Autokey. A keyframe will be created on each frame where you modify soft effect parameters.
   NoteThe A button is available from the EditDesk record timeline only. You can set a preference for how you want the A button to look when enabled. See Auto Key Button Look.
4. For more control of the soft effect, use the soft effect editor. See Accessing the Soft Effect Editors .

#### Topics in this section

- Editing with Soft Effect Quick Menus
- Soft Effect Mini Editor — Widescreen Only