Apple Final Cut Express HD: Getting Started - Manual (Page 111)

Chapter 7 Adding Transitions 111
If one clip or both clips have overlapping frames, but not enough for the entire
duration of the transition, Final Cut Express HD shortens the transition that’s added. The
duration changes to fit that of the available frames. For example, you might have a
one-second overlap to the left of the edit point, but only seven frames of overlap to the
right, like this:
In this case, your transition will be shortened to a total duration of 14 frames. The
length of each half of a transition placed at the edit point is based on the side of the
edit point with the least amount of overlap.
If there is no overlap at all (for example, if you’ve edited two clips into your sequence in
their entirety), you can’t apply the transition. A message appears that says “Insufficient
content for edit.” To add a transition, you need to add more overlapping frames or
change the duration of the transition to accommodate the available frames.
Adding a Transition to the Center of a Cut
You can quickly add the default transition between two clips in your sequence. The
default transition in Final Cut Express HD is set to Cross Dissolve.
To add the default video transition, do one of the following:
m Select an edit point between two video clips or position the Canvas or Timeline
playhead at the edit point, then press Command-T.
m Control-click an edit point between two video clips in the Timeline, then choose
Add Transition from the shortcut menu.
If there are enough overlapping frames on both sides of the edit point, the selected
transition is added to your edit, centered at the edit point.
You can add any type of transition, whether or not it’s the default transition, using the
Effects menu in the menu bar or the Effects tab in the Browser.
Incoming overlap
Outgoing overlap
Incoming clip Outgoing clip
Incoming clip Outgoing clip