Managing overlays

Submit button for form overlay

If you add a form overlay (see the list above), a submit button will automatically appear to submit the data entered on the form. This button will appear in the bottom right corner, as shown below:

In this example, a dropdown has been dragged onto the screen, and the button called Submit was added automatically, positioned in the lower right of the screen.

If you add further form overlays, no further Submit buttons are added; the single Submit button will submit the data from all the form overlays.

Once the Submit button has been added, you can move it around. However, you cannot delete it while there are any form overlays on the screen. Deleting the last form overlay will also delete the Submit button.

You cannot copy, duplicate or multi-select the Submit button.

The properties of the Submit button are the same as for a standard button, except that the Link to option is not included.

The Reporting ID for the Submit button defaults to Submit_01.

Timing tab

The appearance of this tab depends upon the type of overlay - specifically whether it is a form overlay (which takes user input) or not. See the list of overlays above to see which types are form overlays.

Non-form overlays

An example of a non-form overlay is shown below (the example shows a button overlay but the fields are similar for other non-form overlays):

This tab allows you to control the timing, duration and method of entrance and exit for the overlay.

<overlay name> Entrance. This allows you to control the entrance of the overlay. The Timing / Voiceover cue dropdown lets you select Scene timing or any voiceover cues that have been created with the voiceover for the video (see Adding voiceover cues). You can adjust the time in seconds in the box at the right (either use the up and down arrows or enter a value in the box). This is the time delay from the start of the scene (for Scene timing) or the time delay from the appropriate voiceover cue (for voiceover cues) to the start of the overlay entrance transition. The value must be positive for Scene timing (i.e. the entrance transition must start after the start of the scene) but can be positive or negative for a voiceover cue.

The Transition in field is a dropdown that allows you to select the means by which the overlay is introduced to the scene (the overlay entrance transition). The options are:

• None: No transition - the overlay just appears at the specified time.
• Fade-in: the overlay is faded in (in its final position).
• Slide-in (from right): The overlay slides to its final position from the right.
• Slide-in (from left): The overlay slides to its final position from the left.
• Slide-in (from top): The overlay slides to its final position from the top.
• Slide-in (from bottom): The overlay slides to its final position from the bottom.

For all options except None, you can enter a time in seconds in the Duration box at the right. This is the duration of the entrance transition.

<overlay name> Exit. This allows you to control the duration and exit of the overlay. If you want the overlay exit to be timed in relation to the scene end, leave the Timing dropdown to say Scene timing. You can adjust the time in seconds in the box at the right (either use the up and down arrows or enter a value in the box). This is the time delay from the end of the overlay exit transition to the end of the scene. The value must be negative (i.e. the exit transition must end before the end of the scene).

If you want the overlay exit to occur after the overlay has been displayed for a specified duration, select Duration from the Timing dropdown, then enter the duration in the box at the right. The Duration is measured from the end of the overlay entrance transition. The overlay exit transition will start after the duration is complete.

If you want the overlay exit to occur in relation to a voiceover cue, select the appropriate voiceover cue from the dropdown, then adjust the time in seconds in the box at the right. This is the time delay (positive or negative) from the voiceover cue to the start of the overlay exit transition.

The Transition out field is a dropdown that allows you to select the means by which the overlay is removed from the scene (the overlay exit transition). The options are:

• None: No transition - the overlay just diasappears at the specified time.
• Fade-out: the overlay is faded out (remaining in its position).
• Slide-out (to left): The overlay slides away towards the left.
• Slide-out (to right): The overlay slides away towards the right.
• Slide-out (to top): The overlay slides away towards the top.
• Slide-out (to bottom): The overlay slides away towards the bottom.

For all options except None, you can enter a time in seconds in the Duration box at the right. This is the duration of the exit transition.

Form overlays

An example of a form overlay is shown below (the example shows a dropdown overlay but the fields are similar for other form overlays):

The only difference between this tab and the tab for non-form overlays is that the Timing option for Dropdown Exit is set to Scene timing and cannot be changed. There is no option to set the duration of a form overlay or an exit offset from a voiceover cue. However, the options for the entrance and exit transitions are the same, and you can set a duration for these transitions.

Using the Logic tab to apply conditions

The Logic tab is shown for every type of overlay. It looks like this:

This tab is used for applying conditional rules to the overlay. The overlay will only be displayed if the specified conditions are met. The conditions use Custom Fields in the specified data source, or System Fields available regardless of data source.

For details of how to create conditions, see Applying conditions. Note that the only System Fields available for video overlays relate to date and time.

Copying and pasting multiple overlays

There are two ways that you can select multiple overlays:

• Click the first overlay, then press and hold SHIFT, then click the other overlays that you want to select. (You can also hold down the SHIFT key first, then select all required overlays.)
• Hold down the left mouse button and drag the pointer across the area with the overlays that you want to select.

Once you have selected a group of overlays, three dots appear (as for a single overlay). If you click the three dots, a menu appears with three options: Copy, Paste and Delete.

Click Copy to copy the selection of overlays.

If you want to copy to another scene, go to that scene, right-click within the scene and select Paste. The overlays will be pasted into the scene in the exact same positions as they had in the scene from which they were copied.

If you want to copy to the same scene, right-click within the current scene and select Paste. The overlays will be pasted with a slight offset from the originals, so that they can be clearly distinguished. Each additional paste will apply a further offset.

If you want to delete all the overlays that are selected, select Delete. Note that there is no confirmation; the deletion happens immediately (although the Delete action can be reversed by clicking the Undo button ).

In addition, if you have made a multiple selection of overlays, you can drag the selection to the required position in the same way as for a single overlay. Snapping into position (to help with alignment) also takes place (as for a single overlay).