Media nodes contain indirect media and are connected to an Action node. Media nodes have the following properties:

• A Media node is permanently parented to the Action node (you cannot sever these process lines).
• Media nodes have red and blue input tabs for the front and matte inputs, respectively.
• Media nodes support floating-point input.

Setting up indirect media is a good way to use pre-processes (a precomposite or the result from multiple nodes) that you want to input into media.

To change the input clips of indirect media, you must either parent new front and matte clips to the Media node or add a new Media node. You cannot change the input clips from the Media menu. If you attempt to do so, a message appears indicating that the selected media is indirect media.

To add indirect media to an Action node:

1. Double-click the Action node and then click Media.

   The Media menu appears.

   
   

   (a) Media List box (b) Media From box (c) New media line

2. Select the <new media> line in the Media list and then do one of the following:
   • Click Add Input in the Media List box.
   • Ctrl-click Add Media in the Media List box.

   The Media node is added to the Action node.

   
   

   (a) Media node 

3. Connect front and matte clips to the red and blue input tabs of the Media node, respectively.

   Media nodes are represented in the Media list with brackets (“[ ]”) around the input clip names.

   
   

   (a) Front (indirect) clip (b) Matte (indirect) clip (c) Front and matte indirect media in the Media list

4. To help identify Media nodes in the Batch schematic, select media in the Action Media list to automatically highlight in orange the corresponding Media node and link to the Action node. Conversely, selecting a Media node also highlights the corresponding media in the Action Media list.