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Exporting a project as a video file [⭐ Pro+]

  • Updated

⭐ This article revolves around a feature only available in Pro+.

The video export feature allows you to get a video file of a project. This article gives you information on how to perform the export and what you can expect from it.

 

How to export a project as a video

To export a video of a project, go to File → Export as a Video.... A popup will appear asking you to confirm the start of the rendering.

Once the export has started, you'll be informed of its progression, as seen in the screenshot below (the percentage is related to the rendering of one sequence, not the whole export.)

video-export-progress.PNG

Once the rendering is finished, a new popup window will notify you and let you access the folder where the video file is located. All exports are created in the same folder:

  • "Documents/HeavyM/Export" on Windows and Mac as of 2.12.
  • "User/Library/Application Support/HeavyM/Export" on Mac pre-2.12.

Note: you have the possibility to cancel at all time during the export from the progress window. Clicking on the "Cancel" button stops the export process and deletes the unfinished video file.

 

What is exported exactly?

Here are a few things to know about what will be in the resulting video file.

Video

  • The whole canvas output is rendered as one single file. Please make sure that the width and height of the canvas are not odd numbers, as it could make the export fail.
  • Screens and deformations applied by the Warping Module of the Output Setup are not taken into account in the rendering at the moment.
  • The whole Timeline is exported, but only "Play" cues are taken into account, i.e "Pause", "Stop" and "Jump to" actions are bypassed.
  • If there is no "Play" cue at the start of the Timeline, a fully black canvas will be rendered in the export until a Play cue triggers a sequence, as if a "Play - Blackout" cue was placed at 00:00. That way, the duration of the export always corresponds to the Timeline length.
  • The Playback and Loop mode of Sources are observed. If a Source is supposed to Restart with a specific sequence, it will in the export.
  • If the project contains "Live" streams (NDI, Webcam, etc) in certain sequences, the export renders what is sent to the software at the moment it renders those specific sequences.

Audio

  • Audio from the Timeline is included in the export.
  • The audio file of a Sequence that is playing is also included in the export. (from 2.12)
  • Audio coming from Medias rendered in Players is not included.
  • If the audio analysis is set on "HeavyM Timeline & Sequences Audio", visuals that react to the analysis of audio files are reflected precisely in the export. (from 2.12)
  • Audio coming from Medias rendered in Players is included in the export. The exported volume of each media corresponds to its individual volume. (from 2.13)

 

How is it exported?

The resulting video file has the following specs:

  • Resolution: it matches the resolution of the Canvas.
  • Duration: it corresponds to the length of the Timeline.
  • Format: .mov
  • Codec: H264
  • Frame rate: 30 FPS
  • Bitrate: it depends on the resolution of the Canvas, in order to keep a constant bitrate per pixel value.
  • Audio: if there is an audio file on the Timeline, it is included in the export. As of 2.12, audio files added on Sequences are also included and as of 2.13, audio coming from medias rendered in Players too.

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