Goal: Creating a PIP effect with fade in and fade out, that is, to show two video scenes simultaneously on the screen (a background and a thumbnail), the thumbnail appearing gradually and then becoming blurred.
The "envelope" concept is explained and detailed in this tutorial.

Caution: please take note that this tutorial is coming from our "old website". It has been revamped, but of course, you can create this PIP effect in different ways. Few years ago, it was the only solution to do Picture in Picture, and today it is only there to better understand Hollywood FX and the basic envelope concept (keyframes). It also help you to save a video track, that you can use another way....

This effect is 'continuous' and does not work like a transition: the progression of both scenes is simultaneous. The second scene appears gradually on the screen and becomes gradually blurred (fade in and fade out). We will also see later how to do a PIP effect with the thumbnail moving by sliding the second video scene.

In this tutorial, we shall call scene 1 (or clip 1), the video that takes place in the background and scene 2 (or clip 2) will be the scene in the small window.
The total concept approach of this tutorial is a must for a good understanding of the workings and the capabilities of the HFX software.

Step 1 - Let's go!

As we are going to modify an existing effect (249-pip-simple), it is necessary to open Easy FX Editor from the Pinnacle Studio software.

Open Pinnacle Studio. Insert 2 video scenes (regardless of the duration; the final duration of the effect will however be at most equal to the duration of the shortest scene). Reminder: the 1st scene (first scene to appear on the timeline) is the one that takes place in the background while the 2nd scene represents the video in the small window. For this tutorial, I used the Pinnacle video: Photoshoot.mpg (scenes No. 1 and No. 4).

As a general rule, when two scenes take place simultaneously, it's not a good idea to hear the sound from both scenes (otherwise there's quite a cacophony!). So, we are going to delete the sound from scene 2:

Lock the main video track to delete the soundtrack (click the small padlock at the far right of the screen).

Select the soundtrack for scene 2

Right click on the soundtrack, and press 'Delete'

Unlock the video track (click again on the padlock)

As you have already followed Tutorial "Tuto-8 Making PIP (Picture In Picture)" insert the effect '249-pip-simple' which you should find in the list of Studio transitions (if this is not the case, please refer to step 5 of the Tutorial "Tuto-4 Organise your HFX effects".

If you did not follow Tutorial "Tuto-8 Making PIP (Picture In Picture)", to download the effect : 249-pip-simple
For the use of files hfz, refer to Tutorial "Tip-1 HFX effects do not appear in Studio"

For the effect to take place for the duration of scene 2, "extend the effect" to the right.

While stretching the video the sound will not appear to follow

After stretching the video the sound will automatically correct itself

Step 2 - Everything is ready?

To modify our '249-pip-simple' effect, just double-click on the transition to display the control screen and click 'Edit'.

Using the knowledge obtained in Tutorial "Tuto-3 Prepare the saving of HFX effects" (from step 2), save this effect under another name (for example 'PIP FADE').

Verify the proper configuration of the Easy FX editor using the "Tuto-2 General tutorial / Easy FX Editor" tutorial from Step 2.

Step 3 - Respect the hierarchy!

The first step we have to take here, is concerned with the hierarchical positions of the objects used for our effect. It was not a necessary step in the previous tutorial, but the placement of objects here is more critical because we are going to create a dissolve in the 'Back 2' object (containing video scene 2): verify that this 'Back 2' object is the last one in the list in the FX tree. If this is not the case, simply select the 'Flat1 ' object with your mouse and move it to the top (or move 'Back 2' to the bottom):

Swapping the objects

After the objects have been swapped

Step 4 - Fade or Dissolve?!? What is it???

Now, for scene 2 where we will make it gradually appear. But first, let's get a basic understanding of what the ‘Dissolve’ is, which is located in the settings panel

Watch the result in the preview window:

Dissolve at 0.0 (Scene 2 visible at 100 %)

Dissolve at 25.0 (Scene 2 visible at 75%)

Dissolve at 70.0 (Scene 2 visible at 30%)

This 'Fade' option in fact represents the percentage of "fade in/ fade out" of the video on the screen. 0 % and the scene is completely visible, 100 % and the scene is 'invisible'.
Once the tests are finished, return the value to 0.0%

So now you understand how scene 2 appears gradually on the screen, it will be necessary to modify this option over a period of time. We now introduce a very important concept in HFX: envelopes. Hollywood FX uses the term envelope to denote a series of keyframes whose value changes over a period of time. We will therefore vary the values of the 'Fade' option for the 'Back 2' object over time. This envelope concept allows us to define Keyframes for these temporal modifications. It is not practical to define the modifications frame by frame, but only the "main images", HFX then takes care of extrapolating between two key points. In other words: HFX deduces the intermediate images from the keyframes.

Step 5 - The envelope concept

To edit a 'Fade', it is necessary to display the time axis (to show the window envelopes). To toggle 'panel contents albums' to the 'envelope' mode, just click the little folder in the top right corner of this same panel

Let's pause for a moment on the envelope window to better understand how it works:

Keyframe buttons (1) Window which displays the percentage or timecode (2) The ruler indicates the percentage of the transition or the length of the option chosen under configuration / timecode (3) The slider for the time scale allows you to view a new image in the effect FX - more precise than the preview slider, it works on the same principle (4) Keyframe indicator (5)

Keyframe buttons (1)

From left to right: Prev key, next key, zoom, create, delete, copy, paste.

From left to right: curve parameters, curve, linear, jump, save envelope, load envelope, and remove envelope.

Step 6 - Modify the Fade Envelope

Come on, you know enough and we can move forward.
What should we do? In the example used here, the duration of scene 2 is about 4 seconds (3.14 sec to be precise). We shall set it up so scene 2 begins its progressive appearance from the beginning and will be completely visible at the end of 1 second, then begin its disappearance at the end of 2.14 sec (to have completely disappeared at the end of 3.14 sec - the end of the scene 2). You will see the total duration of your transition by looking at the window located above the timeline.

Let's modify the time values for the 'Fade' option for the 'Back 2' object to implement what we just been described above:

Select the 'Back 2'object if not already done so.

Move 'Fade' slider to set the value to 100.0

Create a key frame

Change the key frame interpolation by selecting 'linear' (no visible impact in the first instance)

Move the time slider to 00:00:01:00

Change the value of 'Fade' to 0.0 (a new key frame is created automatically).

At any time, if you're not happy with the results, you can start over again by erasing the envelope by pressing the button with the trash can icon...

You should see the above envelope display

You can preview the effect by clicking the 'Play' button.

We now have to edit the effect at the 2.14 sec mark.

Move the time slider to 00:00:02:14

Set the value of 'Fade' to 0.0 (a new key frame is created automatically).

Change the key frame interpolation by selecting 'linear'.

Move the time slider to the end of your clip (00:00:03:14) or click the following key frame, then change the key frame interpolation by selecting 'linear'.

The display envelope should look like this

The steps for creating the effect are complete! Save your effect (do not forget before you save, place your time slider so that the label representing the effect looks like what you wish). File > Save. For the backup method, see Step 2 and 3 Tutorial "Tuto-3 Prepare the saving of HFX effects"

If you had not correctly placed the time slider before saving your effect, nothing prevents you from moving the time slider to another position and saving the effect again.

If you did not follow everything or if you prefer to not follow this tutorial, you can download the effect: 285-pip-fondu

For info on how to use hfz files, refer to Tutorial "Tip-1 HFX effects do not appear in Studio"

Show the result:

So there you have it!

If you reached the end of this tutorial without too much trouble, you should have no trouble with this HFX effect in the future. The concept of envelopes is an indispensable step for a good understanding of the software and its capabilities. With a little creativity, you can easily adapt and modify a lot of the pre-made effects.


!! BONUS 1 !!

In Step 6, depending on the duration of your scene 2, you can completely customize the values of time for which you go to create key frame (the first key frame being always created in 00:00:00:00 and the last key frame at the end of the effect). So for a scene 2 which would last 30 seconds, the second key image can be created at 2 seconds, the third key frame at 28 seconds.

!! BONUS 2 !!

If you watched the video example supplied here, you probably noticed that it does not correspond exactly to what you were able to create by following this tutorial... My apologies! Here is why: the effect was integrated in the middle of the scene 1, to assure continuity in this scene. You can completely proceed also in your video creations, to have a perfect fluidity.

In that case, proceed in the following way:

Insert your two scenes

Remove the sound of the scene 2

Locate in scene 1 where you want the PIP effect to end.

Cut the video in this exact place (Razor tool!)

Move your scene 2 towards the cut

Add the 285-pip-fondu effect, "pull the effect" so that it completely covers scene 2.

Save your creation.

You will see a "nasty jump" at the end of the transition. Open the saved file in a new project to cut the image jump between the end of the transition and the beginning of the second part of step 1. By doing this correctly, you will be able to make a perfect connection at the end of the transition and to have a continuous and smooth running of the step 1 video.

Well, that's it!
{Thanks to Malobar for the translation and Loosecannon for the fine tuning}