Use the Proportion Helper effect while compositing and working with title overlays to arrange and balance elements in a composition. Display guidelines over a clip while you work, including diagonals, grids, and classical design guidelines such as the golden ratio and the rule of thirds. Guidelines will not appear in the final results.
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Video of Proportion Helper in action
Steps to use Proportion Helper
- In your non-linear video editor (NLE), add Proportion Helper as its own layer to a composition, which allows you to adjust clips without altering effects that are applied to the clips.
Note: The steps to add an effect as its own layer varies by NLE. Here is a summary for some of our supported NLEs (details for more NLEs will be added soon):
- Adobe Premiere Pro — Apply the effect to an adjustment layer and add the layer to your composition.
- Avid Media Composer — Apply the effect to its own track in your composition.
- MAGIX VEGAS Pro — Apply to the effect to empty media and add the media to your composition.
- In the Proportion Helper settings, select one of the following guidelines from the Preset or Shape drop-down list. The guideline you select appears over your clip. (You can customize the guidelines in the next step.)
- Rule of Thirds — Divides an image into nine equal parts with two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. The rule of thirds is commonly used to position points of interest where the lines intersect.
- Golden Section — Divides an image into the golden ratio, called Phi. Position footage and layered elements, such as text, along the lines.
- Golden Spiral — Displays a spiral along the path of the golden ratio. Position footage and layered elements, such as text, along the path.
- Spiral Sections — Displays boxes aligned with curves based on the Golden Spiral. For example, include an out-of-focus background along the larger curve, and include in-focus details within the boxes.
- Golden Triangles — Divides the image into an asymmetrical, diagonal arrangement. Position objects of interest where the lines intersect to suggest dynamic motion.
- Diagonals — Displays a simple yet effective set of intersecting lines that originate from the four corners of the image, which provides a quick way to identify the center of an image and see how elements are balanced in relation to the center.
- To customize a guideline, use any of the following controls.
- Flip Horizontal — Flips the shape horizontally. If the shape is symmetrical, this control has no visible effect.
- Flip Vertical — Flips the shape vertically. If the shape is symmetrical, this control has no visible effect.
- Center — Sets the proportion shape's position.
- Scale — Decrease the scale to reduce the shape's maximum dimensions. This is useful if you want to focus on a specific area of the image, such as a picture within a picture.
- Angle — Rotates the shape, which is useful if the horizon isn't level or if the image is inclined. If you selected Diagonals as the Preset or Shape guideline, use Angle to make a scene more dynamic.
- Thickness — Adjust the thickness of the guideline’s shape. Thicker shapes are easier to see on higher resolutions.
- Disable — Hides the shape.