SliceX 4 Documentation

CoreMelt SliceX 4 allows you to create masks tracked to movement in your video, and has many uses.  First, here is a quick reference guide to the user interface. We then we recommend you look at our video tutorials, and the hotkey guide sheet.

User interface overview

Press the "open editor" button after you add an effect from the category "C2 SliceX 4" to a clip. The SliceX interface will open full screen as shown below.  You can scrub the length of the current shot using the play controls at bottom.  Click on the initial shape in the inspector at left, then use one of the tools to draw a new shape. Change parameters specific to the template in the inspector at bottom left. When finish, press the "save changes" button to return to the main FCP X screen with your tracked paint applied to the shot.

Guide to tools in the palette

	Select Tool: use this to transform or move any point or shape after it has been created.
	Pan Tool: use this to move around the image if you are zoomed in (see viewer zoom at top right)
	Rounded Rectangle / Circle Tools: drag to create rounded rectangles with a control which can be moved to change the shape to a circle
	Polygon shape tool: draw shapes with a straight line from point to point
	Bezier shape tool: draw shapes with tangents controlling the curvature at each point
	Freehand shape tool: draw a shape by freely moving the cursor in any direction

 For examples of usage of the above tools, please take a look at our list of SliceX tutorials

Tips for best usage

SliceX has many uses, so we can't detail every single case. There will be a certain amount of trial and error in learning to use tracked masks efficiently.  Keep in mind that you can always modify shapes after you create them. You can toggle them on and off, add new control points, as well as delete specific points.  All of this is done by using the select tool. Creating a new shape after tracking keeps the same tracked motion and can be a powerful technique.

Use the checkboxes on nodes to toggle them on and off.  This can help fine tune your work.

Layers & Strokes & Nodes Window

 This window lets you select nodes, turn them on and off, and change their opacity.  All SliceX templates (except Shape Mask Layer) have a background layer and an effect layer.  Use the shape and named node (eg Blur Shape Mask) to set the effect as wanted.  The mask created by "Curved Shape" controls the area of effect. Usually you will want to replace this with your own track shape.  Selecting the named node eg "Blur Shape Mask", loads the specific parameters for this effect into the bottom left parameter inspector.

 Layer Tracking Window:

This window has the controls for setting tracking parameters before you track, starting the track either forwards and backwards from the current frame, and manipulating track data, including deleting track data.  See this video tutorial for a detailed explanation.

 Effects Parameters Window:

​The parameters in this window vary in each template in SliceX 4.  This is where the unique parameters for each template are located (e.g. glow parameters for Glow Shape Mask).  Each parameter is described in the tutorials on each effect here.