Cinelerra CV Manual

Heroine Virtual Ltd
Cinelerra CV Team

Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2024 Adam Williams - Heroine Virtual Ltd.

Copyright © 2003 - 2024 Cinelerra-CV Team.

This manual is free; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA.

1 Introduction

Cinelerra in brief.

• 1.1 About Cinelerra
• 1.2 The two versions of Cinelerra
• 1.3 About this manual
• 1.4 Getting help
• 1.5 Tutorials
• 1.6 HOWTOs
• 1.7 Miscellaneous links

2 Installation

Making Cinelerra work on your system.

• 2 Installation (intro)
  • 2.1 Hardware requirements
  • 2.2 Software requirements
  • 2.3 Compiling Cinelerra CV
    • 2.3.1 Usual compilation process
    • 2.3.2 Compiling with debugging symbols
  • 2.4 Running Cinelerra
  • 2.5 Live CDs
  • 2.6 Arch Linux
  • 2.7 Debian
    • 2.7.1 Debian binaries
    • 2.7.2 Debian prerequisites
  • 2.8 Ubuntu
    • 2.8.1 Instructions for Ubuntu packages installation
  • 2.9 Gentoo
  • 2.10 Fedora
  • 2.11 Mandriva
  • 2.12 Slackware
  • 2.13 OpenSUSE
  • 2.14 Manjaro
  • 2.15 ROSA Linux

3 Configuration

Adjusting the behavior of Cinelerra.

• 3 Configuration (intro)
  • 3.1 Environment variables
  • 3.2 Audio drivers
    • 3.2.1 Sound driver attributes
    • 3.2.2 OSS
    • 3.2.3 OSS Envy24
    • 3.2.4 Alsa
    • 3.2.5 Esound
    • 3.2.6 Raw 1394
    • 3.2.7 DV 1394
    • 3.2.8 IEC 61883
  • 3.3 Video drivers
    • 3.3.1 Video driver attributes
    • 3.3.2 X11
    • 3.3.3 X11-XV
    • 3.3.4 X11-OpenGL
    • 3.3.5 Buz
    • 3.3.6 Raw 1394 video playback
    • 3.3.7 DV 1394 video playback
    • 3.3.8 IEC 61883 video playback
  • 3.4 Playback
    • 3.4.1 Audio out
    • 3.4.2 Video out
  • 3.5 Recording
    • 3.5.1 File format
    • 3.5.2 Audio in
    • 3.5.3 Video in
  • 3.6 Performance
    • 3.6.1 Background rendering
    • 3.6.2 Renderfarm
  • 3.7 Interface
  • 3.8 About window

4 Project attributes

Changing the way the media is displayed.

• 4.1 Set format window
• 4.2 Presets
• 4.3 Audio attributes
• 4.4 Video attributes

5 Loading and saving files

Moving media between disk and Cinelerra.

• 5 Loading and saving files (intro)
  • 5.1 Supported file formats
    • 5.1.1 Quicktime
    • 5.1.2 MPEG-4 audio
    • 5.1.3 Still images
      • 5.1.3.1 Loading still images
      • 5.1.3.2 Still images size
      • 5.1.3.3 Open EXR images
      • 5.1.3.4 Raw digital camera images
    • 5.1.4 Images sequence
    • 5.1.5 AVI
    • 5.1.6 MPEG files containing video
    • 5.1.7 DVD movies
    • 5.1.8 MPEG 1 audio
    • 5.1.9 Ogg Theora/Vorbis
    • 5.1.10 Edit decision list
    • 5.1.11 WAV
    • 5.1.12 PCM
    • 5.1.13 AIFF
    • 5.1.14 AC3 audio
  • 5.2 Loading files
    • 5.2.1 Insertion strategy
    • 5.2.2 Loading multiple files
    • 5.2.3 Loading files from the command prompt
    • 5.2.4 Filtering files by extension
    • 5.2.5 Loading other formats
  • 5.3 Loading the backup
  • 5.4 Saving project files
  • 5.5 Merging projects

6 Program window

• 6 Program window (intro)
  • 6.1 Navigating the program window
    • 6.1.1 Video and audio tracks
    • 6.1.2 Track navigation
    • 6.1.3 The zoom panel
    • 6.1.4 The track popup menu
    • 6.1.5 The insertion point
    • 6.1.6 Editing modes
    • 6.1.7 The in/out points
    • 6.1.8 Using labels in the program window

7 Editing

• 7 Editing (intro)
  • 7.1 The patchbay
  • 7.2 Nudging tracks
  • 7.3 Panning audio tracks
  • 7.4 Automatic audio track panning
  • 7.5 Standard audio mappings
  • 7.6 Manipulating tracks
  • 7.7 Two screen editing
  • 7.8 Drag and drop editing
  • 7.9 Cut and paste editing
  • 7.10 Trimming

8 Compositor window

• 8 Compositor window (intro)
  • 8.1 Compositor controls
    • 8.1.1 Protect video
    • 8.1.2 Magnifying glass
    • 8.1.3 Masks tool
    • 8.1.4 Ruler tool
    • 8.1.5 Camera
    • 8.1.6 Projector
    • 8.1.7 Crop tool
    • 8.1.8 Eyedropper
    • 8.1.9 Tool info
    • 8.1.10 Safe regions tool
  • 8.2 Compositing
    • 8.2.1 The camera and projector
      • 8.2.1.1 The temporary
      • 8.2.1.2 Compositing projector controls
      • 8.2.1.3 Compositing camera controls
      • 8.2.1.4 Popup menu of options
      • 8.2.1.5 The camera and projector tool window
    • 8.2.2 Masks
    • 8.2.3 Cropping
    • 8.2.4 Safe regions
    • 8.2.5 Overlay modes
    • 8.2.6 Track and output sizes
      • 8.2.6.1 Track size
      • 8.2.6.2 Output size

9 Viewer window

10 Resources window

• Resources window (intro)
  • 10.1 Navigating the resources

11 Sound level meters window

12 Transport controls

13 Timebar

14 Realtime effects

• Realtime effects (intro)
  • 14.1 Realtime effect types
  • 14.2 Editing realtime effects
  • 14.3 Realtime audio effects
    • 14.3.1 Compressor
    • 14.3.2 Delay audio
    • 14.3.3 Denoise
    • 14.3.4 DenoiseFFT
    • 14.3.5 Despike
    • 14.3.6 EQ Parametric
    • 14.3.7 Freeverb
    • 14.3.8 Gain
    • 14.3.9 Heroine College
    • 14.3.10 Interpolate
    • 14.3.11 Invert Audio
    • 14.3.12 Live audio
    • 14.3.13 Loop audio
    • 14.3.14 Overlay
    • 14.3.15 Pitch shift
    • 14.3.16 Reverse audio
    • 14.3.17 SoundLevel
    • 14.3.18 Spectrogram
    • 14.3.19 Synthesizer
    • 14.3.20 Time stretch
  • 14.4 Realtime video effects
    • 14.4.1 1080 to 480
    • 14.4.2 Aging TV
    • 14.4.3 Blur
    • 14.4.4 Brightness/contrast
    • 14.4.5 Burning TV
    • 14.4.6 Chroma key
    • 14.4.7 Chroma key (HSV)
    • 14.4.8 Color balance
    • 14.4.9 Decimate
    • 14.4.10 Deinterlace
    • 14.4.11 Delay video
    • 14.4.12 Denoise video
    • 14.4.13 Denoise video2
    • 14.4.14 Difference key
    • 14.4.15 DotTV
    • 14.4.16 Downsample
    • 14.4.17 Fields to frames
    • 14.4.18 Flip
    • 14.4.19 Frames to fields
    • 14.4.20 Freeze frame
    • 14.4.21 Gamma
    • 14.4.22 Gradient
    • 14.4.23 GreyCStoration
    • 14.4.24 Histogram
    • 14.4.25 HolographicTV
    • 14.4.26 Hue saturation
    • 14.4.27 Interpolate video
    • 14.4.28 Interpolate pixels
    • 14.4.29 Inverse telecine
    • 14.4.30 Invert video
    • 14.4.31 Lens
    • 14.4.32 Linear blur
    • 14.4.33 Live video
    • 14.4.34 Loop video
    • 14.4.35 Motion
      • 14.4.35.1 Secrets of motion tracking
      • 14.4.35.2 2 pass motion tracking
      • 14.4.35.3 Using blur to improve motion tracking
      • 14.4.35.4 Using histogram to improve motion tracking
      • 14.4.35.5 Motion tracking in action
      • 14.4.35.6 Tracking stabilization in action
    • 14.4.36 Motion blur
    • 14.4.37 Oil painting
    • 14.4.38 Overlay video
    • 14.4.39 Perspective
    • 14.4.40 Polar
    • 14.4.41 RGB-601
    • 14.4.42 Radial blur
    • 14.4.43 ReframeRT
    • 14.4.44 Reroute
    • 14.4.45 Reverse video
    • 14.4.46 Rotate
    • 14.4.47 SVG via Inkscape
    • 14.4.48 Scale
    • 14.4.49 Selective temporal averaging
    • 14.4.50 Sharpen
    • 14.4.51 ShiftInterlace
    • 14.4.52 Swap channels
    • 14.4.53 Threshold
    • 14.4.54 Time average
    • 14.4.55 TimeFront
    • 14.4.56 Title
      • 14.4.56.1 Adding fonts to the titler
      • 14.4.56.2 The title-safe region
    • 14.4.57 Translate
    • 14.4.58 Unsharp
    • 14.4.59 Videoscope
      • 14.4.59.1 The waveform scope
      • 14.4.59.2 The vectorscope
    • 14.4.60 Wave
    • 14.4.61 Whirl
    • 14.4.62 YUV
    • 14.4.63 Zoom blur

15 Rendered effects

• 15 Rendered effects (intro)
  • 15.1 Rendered audio effects
    • 15.1.1 Resample
    • 15.1.2 CD Ripper
  • 15.2 Rendered video effects
    • 15.2.1 Reframe
    • 15.2.2 GreyCStoration

16 Ladspa effects

17 Transitions

• 17.1 Using transitions
• 17.2 Dissolve video transition

18 Keyframing

Making effects change over time.

• 18 Keyframing (intro)
  • 18.1 Curve keyframes
    • 18.1.1 Navigating curve keyframes
  • 18.2 Toggle keyframes
  • 18.3 Automatic keyframes
  • 18.4 Compositor keyframes
  • 18.5 Editing keyframes

19 Capturing media

Moving media from the real world to disk.

• Capturing media (intro)
  • 19.1 Capturing using Cinelerra
    • 19.1.1 Cinelerra recording functions
    • 19.1.2 Batch recording
    • 19.1.3 Editing tuner information
  • 19.2 Capturing using dvgrab

20 Rendering files

• 20 Rendering files (intro)
  • 20.1 Single file rendering
  • 20.2 Separate files rendering
  • 20.3 Insertion strategy of rendered files
  • 20.4 Batch rendering
  • 20.5 The render farm
  • 20.6 Command line rendering
  • 20.7 Rendering videos for the internet
    • 20.7.1 Encoding a video in MPEG4 format for the internet
    • 20.7.2 Encoding a video in FLV format for the internet
  • 20.8 Quicktime for GNU/Linux compatibility chart
  • 20.9 Making a DVD
    • 20.9.1 Rendering to mpeg2
    • 20.9.1.1 yuv4mpeg pipe through mpeg2enc
    • 20.9.1.2 yuv4mpeg pipe through ffmpeg
    • 20.9.2 Making a DVD menu
    • 20.9.3 Authoring a DVD
    • 20.9.4 Burning a DVD
  • 20.10 Using background rendering

21 Tips

Unusual applications of Cinelerra to common problems.

• 21 Tips (intro)
  • 21.1 Encoding into Dolby Pro Logic
  • 21.2 Cleaning analog TV
  • 21.3 Defeating interlacing
  • 21.4 Making video look like film
  • 21.5 Clearing out haze
  • 21.6 Making a ringtone
  • 21.7 Time stretching audio
  • 21.8 Video screen captures
  • 21.9 Improving performance
    • 21.9.1 Disabling swap space
    • 21.9.2 Enlarging sound buffers
    • 21.9.3 Freeing more shared memory
    • 21.9.4 Speeding up the hard drive
    • 21.9.5 Disabling cron
    • 21.9.6 Reducing USB mouse sensitivity
    • 21.9.7 Assorted X tweaks
    • 21.9.8 Speeding up the file system
    • 21.9.9 Improving Zoran video
  • 21.10 Translating Cinelerra
    • 21.10.1 Available localizations
    • 21.10.2 Updating an existing translation
    • 21.10.3 Creating a new translation
  • 21.11 Panning and zooming still images
  • 21.12 HDV 1080i editing using proxy files
    • 21.12.1 Overview
    • 21.12.2 Grabbing HDV from camcorder
    • 21.12.3 Using TOC and WAV files
    • 21.12.4 Making the proxy files
    • 21.12.5 Converting HDV and proxy files
    • 21.12.6 Rendering the HDV project
    • 21.12.7 Other issues
  • 21.13 Adding subtitles
  • 21.14 Creating DVD video from Lower Quality Footage

22 Troubleshooting

Problems with Cinelerra.

• 22.1 Reporting bugs
• 22.2 Playback does not stop
• 22.3 Buz driver crashes
• 22.4 Dragging edit boundaries does not work
• 22.5 Locking up when loading files
• 22.6 Synchronization lost while recording
• 22.7 Applying gamma followed by blur does not work
• 22.8 Copy/Paste of track selections does not work in the timeline
• 22.9 Cinelerra often crashes
• 22.10 Theme Blond not found error

23 Plugin authoring

How to write new effects.

• 23 Plugin authoring (intro)
  • 23.1 Introducing the pull method
  • 23.2 Common plugin functions
    • 23.2.1 The processing object
    • 23.2.2 The configuration object
    • 23.2.3 The user interface object
  • 23.3 Realtime plugins
  • 23.4 Non-realtime plugins
  • 23.5 Audio plugins
  • 23.6 Video plugins
  • 23.7 Transition plugins
  • 23.8 Plugin GUI's which update during playback
  • 23.9 Plugin queries
    • 23.9.1 System queries
    • 23.9.2 Timing queries
  • 23.10 Using OpenGL
    • 23.10.1 Getting OpenGL data
    • 23.10.2 Drawing using OpenGL
    • 23.10.3 Using shaders
    • 23.10.4 Aggregating plugins

24 Keyboard shortcuts

How to accelerate most commands with the keyboard.

• 24 Keyboard shortcuts (intro)
  • 24.1 Program window shortcuts
    • 24.1.1 Editing Media shortcuts
    • 24.1.2 Editing Labels and In/Out Points shortcuts
    • 24.1.3 Navigation shortcuts
    • 24.1.4 File operations shortcuts
    • 24.1.5 Key frame editing shortcuts
    • 24.1.6 Track Manipulation shortcuts
    • 24.1.7 What is drawn on the timeline shortcuts
  • 24.2 Viewer and compositor windows shortcuts
  • 24.3 Playback transport shortcuts
  • 24.4 Record window shortcuts

GNU General Public License

The GNU General Public License