Hello there, welcome to this video! In a short time we will show you how
to start using the newest CyberLink PowerDirector 16!
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guides for this outstanding software!
CyberLink PowerDirector 16 is one of the most used professional video
editing software on the market, due to its simple interface and several
outstanding features, such as the 360° Editor, automated editors to
create videos and slideshows, and loads of samples, templates and effects
to realize customized videos.
We are also running a giveaway for this software! Write a comment in the
video description by the end of November, and tell us how
PowerDirector can help you. The best comment will win a free copy right
away!
When opening PowerDirector, a start-up page opens, showing useful
features depending on your purpose and practice level. Some of these,
such as Slideshow Creator and Auto Mode, open a guided interface where
you first add your media and then choose your favorite template, which
adds cool effects and transitions to your video. By default you have
several available, but you can download loads of others for free from
the DirectorZone website, check it out!
After choosing a template, add some background music, and take a look at
the Preview. If you like it, you export your video either to your
computer, to any Disc, or to the main PowerDirector editor to correct and
adjust it.
If you want to work with no ready templates, you can use either the
Timeline or the Storyboard Mode.
The Timeline Mode is the main workspace inside PowerDirector, where you
can work on the project timeline directly, and control anything in it.
You can also add extras such as particles and titles.
Whereas the Storyboard Mode is a new simplified version of the Timeline
Mode, where the timeline is substituted by a continuous sequence of media
clips, taken entirely. Pictures will have a standard duration of five
seconds each. You won't be able to use some features, such as
Text and extras.
You can switch between the Storyboard and the Timeline Mode anytime by
using the Tab button.
There is also another feature called 360° Editor, which opens the
Timeline Mode ready to manage and realize full spherical media. In respect
to default 2D or 3D media, here you have the possibility to check videos
and images through any direction, by clicking and dragging on the Preview.
At the top of the start-up page, you can set the project aspect ratio,
between 16:9, the old 4:3 and 9:16, useful for smartphone videos. You
can change the aspect ratio anytime from the main interface, in the top
left corner.
To learn how to use all the powerful features inside this software, let's
see how to create videos with the Timeline Mode.
This is divided in four main sections, as you can see from the four tabs
at the very top. The Capture workspace is used to record any media from
either your webcam or your microphone. You can also record your screen by
using CyberLink Screen Recorder, included in this software.
The Edit workspace is used to import and edit your media, and realize
every part of your video.
The Produce workspace is used to render and export your project, to save
it in your computer, or upload it directly online.
The Create Disc section is used to export your final video within a DVD
Menu, complete with Titles, Chapters and interactive buttons. We won't
see this section in this basic tutorial.
Once you have recorded your media from Capture, or you have it ready, you
can start editing with the Edit workspace. This is divided in three
parts: the Navigation panel in the top left corner, collecting all the
main features and samples inside PowerDirector; the Video Preview on the
right, showing your timeline content; and the project Timeline below,
used to show and edit your whole project structure.
Now, let's see how to create your first project with PowerDirector!
The first thing to do is import all the files you have to work
with, which can be videos, pictures and sound files. You can directly
drag and drop your files from your folders to the timeline, or from the
Media Room section of the Navigation panel. Here you can find additional
media, samples, backgrounds and even your entire projects.
The Timeline collects all your media on several rows called Tracks.
There are the Video Tracks, that collect visual media, such as video
frames, pictures and titles, showing a blue frame icon on the left; and
the Audio Tracks collect sound files and speech, including the ones
from videos. These show a blue speaker icon on the left.
Besides these two, you also have other secondary Tracks you can use, for
example to contain just titles, or speech.
All your imported media files are shown as rectangles called clips,
with a quick useful preview of these, such as thumbnails for visual clips,
and audio waveforms for sound clips. You can check these better by either
zooming on the timeline with your mouse wheel, while holding CTRL down,
or by enlarging the Tracks height by dragging their edges.
To check your project carefully you have to use the Video Preview. This
shows the whole content of your Timeline right where its marker is placed.
So you can check a precise instant of time by clicking on the timeline,
or you can click and drag the marker to preview frame-after-frame with no
sound.
To playback all with sound, you have to use the Player below the Preview.
Also use the Space bar to play and stop fast. To preview in full screen
mode, double-click on the Preview itself, and exit from it by using the
Escape key.
Next to the Player, you have other useful options. Use the camera button
to take and save a snapshot from your current project frame. Use Preview
Quality to regulate its quality, and lower it in case the preview may
seem laggy.
As long as you have no media selected, the Preview works in Movie mode,
showing your project as-it-is. But when you select any media from the
timeline, the Preview works in Clip mode, showing your project content
and giving also the possibility to edit the basic clip appearance.
When you click on a clip, this will be selected and highlighted in blue
color. At this point, you can use the Clip mode to edit such clip from
the Preview. You can place it by clicking and dragging; scale it by using
its white nodes; skew and distort it with the blue squares; and rotate
the clip by clicking and dragging from the blue circle on the center.
You can also crop pictures by using the Crop Tool on the extreme left.
With the Crop Image window, use the white nodes to crop the clip as you
like, choosing any standard or custom aspect ratio on the left.
Now, let's see how to edit your clips to create your own video project!
You can move a clip through the timeline by clicking and dragging it.
You can also move it from a Track to another of the same kind. Videos
with sound compose a unique clip by default, but you can make video
frames and audio independent by right-clicking on the clip and going to
Link/Unlink Video and Audio.
If you need to move multiple clips at the same time, you can select all
of them first and move. To select multiple clips, click and drag on the
timeline to create a section area. This selects all the clips that
touch it.
In case your clips overlapped in time, PowerDirector shows them
depending on the Track order. All the clips that stay on lower Tracks are
always shown in front of all the clips that stay on higher Tracks.
To stretch or shorten clips in time, approach their edges and click
and drag. Pay attention to video and sound clips: if you shorten these,
you will cut part of their content anyway; if you stretch them, you can do
so until you cover their original duration.
If you need to stretch or shorten these clips without editing their
content, you have to trim these by dragging their edges by holding CTRL
down. This way, you will set the clip duration by acting on its
playback rate: if you shorten the clip, this will be played faster; if
you stretch it, this will be played slower. The trimming is shown as a
Video Speed effect within orange i icon on the clip.
To cut, copy and paste a clip, right click on it. Remember to use CTRL+Z
to undo your past actions if you make a mistake.
To split a clip in two, just place the main marker correctly, right-click
on the clip and go to Split.
Moreover, you can also pull up and down the envelope lines to set the
opacity level on visual clips, and the volume level on sound clips.
Check out our dedicated video to learn how edit your clips in depth!
You also have several Track options on the extreme left. You can uncheck
and check each Track to hide or show its content. A hidden Track makes
all its visual clips invisible, and all its audio clips muted.
You can use the Lock button to lock a Track, in order to block any
possible modification of all its clips until you unlock it.
To add or remove Tracks, right-click on a Track.
With PowerDirector you can also import text and titles to your videos.
If you go to the Title Room section, you can browse for several ready
title templates you can drag and drop on your Timeline directly. At this
point, a new green title clip is created, which can be moved, stretched
and edited as seen for visual clips. To edit text content, placement and
appearance, double-click on the title clip and use the Title Designer.
To learn more about Text and Titles, check out our video in this guide!
Moreover, you can also apply effects and transitions.
Effects are used to change the visual clip appearance in order to make
it look different and cooler. All effects are collected inside the Effect
Room. Click on one effect to select and check it through the Preview. To
apply it on a clip, just drag and drop the effect on it. This will be
listed within the orange i icon on the clip.
Transitions are effects that are applied just at the beginning or in the
end of a visual clip, in order to introduce or end in a cool way. All
these are collected inside the Transition Room, and shown as visual
effects from the clip A to the following clip B. You can drag and drop
these on the extreme sides of the clip, or also between two consecutive
clips in time. Then you can drop another transition to change the effect,
and drag the edges to edit the transition duration.
For more information about Effects and Transitions, take a look at our
dedicated video in this guide!
Let's see how to save and export your work.
To save your project, go to File and then to Save Project As.... This
saves a .pds file, this includes everything inside your timeline, such
as placement, effects and settings applied.
Whereas, to export your project to playback and upload it, you have to
use the Produce workspace.
Here, on the left, choose Standard 2D or 3D to render a 2D or a 3D video
on your computer; Device to use templates suitable for smartphones and
consoles; and Online to render and upload on social websites directly,
such as Facebook and YouTube.
Then, choose the correct format, codex and resolution, and on the right
set the Destination folder and check the final Video Preview and the
size required. When you are ready, start rendering by using the Start
button!
Thanks for watching this video! Check out our full guide for more amazing
and free guides for this software!