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# Getting started

This section describes in five easy steps how to make a simple show.

### Step 1: create a new show

Action: Choose File > New Show.
Explanation: by choosing this menu item you do not get a completely empty show, but a default text has been created for you. You can change this text with the Text editbox in the upper left corner of the tool window.

### Step 2: create the first key

Action: Click on the Create Key button.
A small vertical line above the Time slider (the big slider on the right) is now visible, representing this key.
Explanation: to make smooth animations you only have to define a couple of keyframes and BluffTitler computes all the in between frames. To create an animation you need at least two different keyframes.

### Step 3: drag the Time slider

Action: Drag the Time slider (the biggest slider) all the way to the right.
The text above the slider now says: '00:03.000' which means 3 seconds.
Explanation: in order to create the second key we first have to change the current time.

### Step 4: change the scene

Action: Use the Property sliders (the three small sliders) to change the scene. Drag the lowest slider to the left until the 3D text completely fills the screen.
Explanation: all the effects you can animate are listed in the Property listbox (the listbox above the three sliders). The default property is Position. In this mode the first slider controls the horizontal, the second the vertical and the third the depth position. To move the text towards the camera you change the depth position. Notice that when you change the scene a keyframe is created automatically.

### Step 5: showtime!

Action: Click on the Play button.
That's all!

You only have to understand a few basic concepts to be able to work with BluffTitler:

### Working with properties

All the things you can animate (properties) are listed in the Properties listbox. This is the listbox above the three small sliders. In this tutorial we've animated the text position. You can select all other properties with the properties listbox.

You can change the property itself with the three sliders. Most properties have three components. For example, when selecting Position the first slider controls the horizontal, the second slider the vertical and the third the depth position. When selecting Rotation the sliders control the heading, pitch and roll. When selecting Colour the sliders control the red, green and blue components.

When a property has less than three components, one or two sliders are disabled. For example, the Texture Position property has only two components and Font Size uses only a single slider.

### Working with keys

A keyframe (key) is a set of properties at a specific time. To create an animation you need at least two different keys. BluffTitler computes all the frames in between your keys.

Every key is represented as a small vertical line above the time slider. You can select a key by clicking on it, or by pressing the Previous Key and Next Key buttons.

You can edit keyframes with the buttons above the time slider. Keys can be moved, copied, pasted and deleted.

### Working with layers

A BluffTitler animation is built out of layers. Every layer has its own effects. For example with the text layer you can create 3D texts, with the picture layer you can place a picture in the background and with the plasma layer you can create plasma effects.

The layers of the current show are listed in the Layers listbox. This is the big listbox above the Play button. You can only edit a single layer at the same time. You set the active layer with this listbox.

You can create a new text layer with the menu item Layer > Add Text Layer. All the other layers can be created with other submenus of the Layer menu item. You can delete the active layer with the menu item Layer > Delete active Layer.

### Summary

Remember that a show is built out of layers, a layer is built out of keyframes and a keyframe contains properties you set with the three sliders.

Learn more about Button functions

Learn more about Menu functions