Working with Multimedia Data

In this section, the following options are discussed:

  • Creating multimedia quotations
  • Creating multimedia quotations while listening to the audio file or viewing the video file
  • Display of multimedia quotations
  • Coding multimedia quotations
  • Activating and playing multimedia quotations
  • Adjusting the size of multimedia quotations
  • Renaming a multimedia quotation
  • Capturing video snapshots as image documents for further analysis

Creating Multimedia Quotations

You can also immediately code multimedia files. However, as especially video files contain so much more information as compared to text, it is often easier to first go through and segment the audio or video file, i.e. creating quotations before coding.

To create an audio or video quotation, move your mouse pointer on top of the audio waveform and mark a section by clicking on the left mouse button where you want it to start. Then drag the cursor to the end position. The times of the end and start positions are shown, as well as the total length of the segment.

As soon as you let go of the mouse, a quotation is created, and you see the blue quotation boundary in the margin area

If you want to make a selection first and then create a quotation, you can change the default settings. See Project Preferences. If you deactivate Automatically create new quotation on selection, to create a quotation you need to hoover with the mouse over the selection and click Create Quotation.

Coded Video Document

Creating Multimedia Quotations while Listening / Watching

You can also create an audio or video quotation while listening to or viewing a document. For this, you can use the buttons Mark Position and Create Quotation buttons in the toolbar; or the short-cut keys (see below).

Using the Ribbon Buttons

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Play the video. If you find something interesting that you want to mark as a quotation, click Mark Position. This set the start position. To set the end point and create a quotation, click Create Quotation.

Continue listening / watching and setting quotations.

Using Short

To mark the start position: use (<) or (,)

To create a quotation: use (>) or (.)

Which short-cut key to use depends on your keyboard. Use those keys where you do not have to use Shift.

Play the video. If you find something interesting you want to mark as a quotation, click on the (,) or the (<) key. This sets the start position.

To set the end position and create a quotation, click on the (.) or (>) key.

  • A new quotation will be listed in the Quotation Manager, the Project Explorer or Quotation Browser. The quotation ID consists of the number of the document plus a consecutive count in chronological order by time when a quotation was created in the document. The quotation ID 15:5 for examples means that this is a quotation in document 15, and it was the 5th quotation that was created in the document.

  • After the ID you see the quotation reference, which is the start position of the audio or video quotation. The name field is empty. You can for instance add a short title for each multimedia quotation, see below.

  • Depending on the media type, the quotation icon changes.

Audio and video quotations can be easily recognized by their special icon.

Coding Multimedia Quotations

Coding multimedia quotations is not different from coding text or image documents:

Right-click the quotation and select Apply Codes. For further information see: Coding Data.

Activating and Playing Multimedia Quotations

In the Margin Area

To play the quotation, double-click on the quotation bar, or hoover over the audio waveform with the mouse and click on the play icon.

You can move the play-head with the mouse to any position within an audio or video file.

From other Places

  • You can double-click on a multimedia quotation in the Project Explorer, the Quotations Browser or the Quotation Manager to play it in context.
  • You can preview a multimedia quotation in the preview area of the Quotation Manager.
  • You can preview a multimedia quotation if it is part of a hyperlink. See Working with Hyperlinks.

Adjusting the Size of Multimedia Quotations

To adjust or change the length of the quotation, drag the start or end position to the desired position.

Renaming a Multimedia Quotation

When you create audio or video quotation, the name field is empty. You can enter a name for instance to add a short description of what the audio or video quotation is all about.

Right-click on the quotation in the margin area or in the Quotation Manager and select the Rename option. This allows you to create a meaningful text output of coded audio and video segments.
Use the comment area to add further information, e.g. describe the segment and offer a first interpretation

See also Making Use of Quotation Name and Comment for Analytical Purposes.

See Example Reports for an instruction on how to create reports for named and commented multimedia quotations.

Capturing Snapshots of Video Frames as Image Documents

If you want to analyze particular frames of your video in more detail, you can capture a snapshot.

Move the play head to the desired position in the video.

Click on the camera icon in ribbon, or right-click on the video and select the option Capture Video Frame.
The snapshot is automatically added as a new image document to your project. See Creating Quotations im Images for further information on how to work with image files.