Custom crop a source

You can change the size and shape of your video using the crop tool on the Sources page. Cropping a source gives you a lot of advantages. You can capture a 1080p section from a 4K source, a specific aspect ratio or size from a source, or select a crop that fits into your layout better than the full area of your video.

To crop a source in your layout:

1. Login to the Admin panel as admin. See Connect to the Admin panel.

2. Follow the steps in Custom channel layout editor or Create a custom channel or layout to get to the channel layout editor.
3. From the channel layout editor, click Add new item; a drop down box appears. (If you have any other items already in your layout, the new item appears at the top of the list.)

4. Select Video Source from the drop down; the new item is added to the layout and the Source settings box appears on the right side of the page.

5. Click the Crop button; your source appears in a pop-up crop editing window.

6. The Crop window has several tools for creating the best crop possible.
   • Free form mode is the default crop mode, which you can selected at any time. In this mode, you can change the size, aspect ratio, and position of the crop with minimal restrictions.
   • The red box with circular click-and-drag points indicates what your crop shows in the final layout. The channel only shows the part of the source within the box. In Free form mode, you can click and drag the red circles to change the size and ratio of the box, and you can click and drag the box itself to change its position. When you have selected an aspect ratio, you can alter the size by dragging the red circles. When you have selected a size, you can change its position by dragging the box.
   • The number boxes allow you to make precise crops. Click the text boxes and change the number to determine how many pixels distant from the edge that line is drawn. If you wish, you may also erase the "px" after the number and type in "%" to manipulate the box using percentages. For more details on how these boxes work, look at Resize and position layout items using percents or pixels (custom channel).
   • To create a crop with a specific resolution, choose a Size from the available list. This creates a box with that exact resolution. Click and drag this box to move it to the desired position. Its size cannot be altered except by selecting a different size, or by selecting Free form or Aspect Ratio.
   • Selecting an aspect ratio allows you to create a crop box of almost any size in a particular ratio. After selecting a ratio, you can manipulate the crop area's size and position without changing its shape.
   • At any time, click Cancel, and all changes made to the crop are undone and you are returned to the layout customization screen.
   • At any time, click OK, and all changes made to the crop are confirmed and you are returned to the layout customization screen.
7. When you have used the tools as outlined above to achieve the desired crop and clicked OK to finalize the changes and return to the main layout page, you can use the tools outlined in Add a video source (custom channel) to further customize the cropped source. You can change the style of your crop at any time by returning to the Crop tool.

You can also manipulate the crop-box using keyboard controls. You can move the crop box using the arrow keys, and holding Ctrl or Shift while resizing the box keeps the aspect ratio of the box constant. Hold Shift and use the arrow keys to move one side of the box while leaving the other in the same location.