Edit Mode

Once you have a video file to play with, Nuendo can edit in a different mode known simply as Edit mode. In this mode, the transport has a different behavior as you manipulate events in the project window, enabling you to reference video frames for editing tasks.

To turn it on, choose Edit Mode from the Transport menu. (See Figure 12.7.)

The first thing you might notice is that the cursor bar disappears from the project window except in the ruler display at the top. This is the only visual indication in the project window of being in Edit mode. The idea is that the cursor is now tied to the event selection. When you select an event, the transport will snap to the start of that event. The video will also snap to that frame.

To best see how this works, create an empty project and import a video file into it. You can either record some audio or import a sound into the project and then follow this example to see how Edit mode functions.

Figure 12.7 Transport Menu Edit Mode.

1. Put the transport in Edit mode.

2. Select the video event. Notice how the video snaps to the first frame. (See Figure 12.8.)

3. Select the audio event. Notice how the transport, including the video display, snaps to the start of the audio event. (See Figure 12.9.)

4. Now trim the audio event by moving an event handle. Notice how the video scrubs along as you move the handle. This gives you instant feedback on where you are in the film.

5. Adjust the fade-in handle. The video scrubs along as this adjustment is made. The same is true for the other editing handles.

6. Switch to the Range tool and make a range selection. The video scrubs along as you drag. Once you let go, the video will snap to the start of the selection.

Figure 12.8 Click on the Video event.

7. Double-click the audio event to open the sample editor.

8. Move the snap point from the start of the event to another location. The video will scrub along with this too. (See Figure 12.10.)

9. Close the sample editor and click on the audio event. The video will now align with the snap point of the event and not the start.

Editing any event in Nuendo while in Edit mode will have this same behavior. Even editing the info line or nudging will cause the transport to follow those changes in real time.

This becomes very helpful for spotting sound effects to picture by giving you instant feedback on where you are in the video as you move, trim, and fade events in the project window.

Figure 12.9 Select the audio event.

Figure 12.10 Moving the snap point.

Pro Tools User Tip: Link Edit and Transport Since Nuendo and Pro Tools use fundamentally different approaches to the transport, users switching to Nuendo can be confused by this behavior. Normally, Pro Tools has the edit selection and the timeline linked so that what you have selected is where playback will begin. When Nuendo is in Edit mode, this is the same behavior. Nuendo’s normal mode is to have the selection and timeline unlinked or out of Edit mode. Understanding this difference can make migration to Nuendo easier.