Playback Preferences

Parameter Description
Audio

Audio Output Device

This drop-down allows you to select the audio output device used to play sound from Storyboard Pro. The drop-down lists the Default System Device and all other available devices on the system.

Cached Playback

Playback Mode (Requires Relaunch)

You can select the following options from the drop-down menu:

  • Disabled: Default state. Keeps the Playback view hidden in the Windows menu and the Auto Update Playback Cache button unavailable in the Playback toolbar.
  • Playback view: Makes the Playback view available in the software. You must close and relaunch the software as an additional step. The Playback view is then accessible from the Windows menu. Use the Playback view to play high quality playbacks of your animatics.
  • [Blackmagic Design playback device]:If you have one of these devices connected to or installed in your computer, this option appears and can be selected from the drop-down menu. Selecting it allows you to preview real time playbacks of your Storyboard Pro projects on a separate reference monitor through the Black Magic Design playback device.

External Monitor Frequency

This option is enabled if a Blackmagic Design playback device is selected in the Playback Mode drop-down menu. Select either Project Frame Rate, 50Hz or 60Hz depending on what refresh rate you prefer and the technical specs of your reference monitor.
Overlays - Captions

Display Text Captions

Enables text from the Panel view to appear in the Playback view.

Caption Field

Type in the name of the Panel view caption field (Dialog, Action Notes, etc.) whose text content you wish to display during playback in the Playback view.

Position

Sets the position of the Text Captions in the Playback view.

Overlays - Overlay Format

Font

Sets the font for any overlay content:

  • 1st field: A drop-down list that allows for the selection of any typeface (Times New Roman, Helvetica, etc.) and font weight (bold, medium, light, book, etc.) that is available on your computer.
  • 2nd field: Sets the font size. Type in a number or use the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the currently set size.

Text Colour

 Sets the text colour for any overlay content. To select a new colour, click on the colour swatch to bring up the Select Colour dialog.

Background Colour

Checking this option allows for a background colour to be displayed behind the overlay content. To select a new colour, click on the colour swatch to bring up the Select Colour dialog.

Overlays - Timecodes

Project Timecode

Turns on the display of the current time location of the project in the Playback view. It is always displayed at the bottom centre of the Playback view and above any other information.

Secondary Timecode

Turns on the display of the current panel, scene or sequence's timecode in the Playback view, depending on which Mode is selected.

It is always displayed at the bottom centre of the Playback view.

Secondary Timecode Units

Sets the units of time for the Secondary Timecode. Resets to 0 from the start of each panel, scene or sequence, depending on which Mode is selected.

  • Timecode: Uses the format HH:MM:SS:FF, where HH = hours, MM = minutes, SS = seconds and FF = frames.
  • Frames: Uses the frame number in a given panel, scene or sequence.

Mode

Sets the period for the Secondary Timecode:

  • Per Panel: Tracks the time of each panel in the project. Resets to 0 at the start of each new panel.
  • Per Scene: Tracks the time of each scene in the project. Resets to 0 at the start of each new scene.
  • Per Sequence: Tracks the time of each sequence in the project. Resets to 0 at the start of each new sequence.

Overlays - Project Info

Display Project Info

Turns on the display of the project's current location in the playback, in relation to its acts, sequences, scenes and panels. It is always displayed at the bottom centre of the Playback view.

Display Pattern

Allows you to enter which Project Info to display:

  • Act: %a
  • Sequence: %q
  • Scene: %s
  • Panel: %p

These simple codes will automatically generate the current number of the given storyboard unit.

Type in additional informational text, as well as information separators, for clarity. For example %p displays the current panel number, but without the word "Panel" in front the number lacks meaning.

Use hyphens, dashes, spaces, commas, semicolons or any other punctuations or symbols needed to separate or make the units and numbers more clear.

You can use any nomenclature you choose. For example, %a does not have to be an Act. You could type in Part or Episode instead.

Cached Files

Path

At the end of the Path field, click the Browse button to navigate to and select a new location to house the cached files used for real time playback in the Playback view.

By default, the cached files are stored in a temporary directory.

The available space of the selected location is displayed after the Path field.

Clear All

 Clears all local cached files from the selected location.

Clear Current Project

 Clears all cached files for the current project from the selected location.