Chop shop
In terms of actual editing, 4XCamera Maker leaves a lot
to be desired. Although you can cut between angles,
add transitions, create split screens, trim the start/end
point of an entire project, and add new media from the
Photos library, it’s not entirely obvious at first how to
do any of these things. Worse still, there’s no built-in
tutorial that walks you through the editing process,
like there was for shooting.
Aside from the aforementioned pop-up tool
tips, editors are left to awkwardly tap around the
UI before finally stumbling across the Edit Mode
button on the left side of the screen, just under
the preview window. That’s what enables selecting
different angles and choosing where to make cuts or
add dissolves, wipes, and split-screen compositions.
Swiping through the timeline displays a quick preview
of edits, but there are also basic transport controls
for play/pause, rewind to the previous edit point, or
jump to the beginning of a project.
Of course, since recorded footage is saved directly
to the camera roll of each device, you could always
import it directly into a more robust editing app such
as LumaFusion, but that defeats the purpose of using
something like 4XCamera Maker in the first place.
There are a few basic settings for fade in/out options
and saving projects, otherwise the only other feature
is a vague in-app ‘upgrade’ promising to unlock ‘full
editing functionality’. There’s no indication what that
£3.99 purchase actually gets you (presumably unlimited
editing), but we couldn’t tell the difference either way
in our tests. (Pro tip: Roland Go: Mixer Pro owners canChopshop
Intermsofactualediting,4XCameraMakerleavesalot
tobedesired.Althoughyoucancutbetweenangles,
addtransitions,createsplitscreens,trimthestart/end
pointofanentireproject,andaddnewmediafromthe
Photoslibrary,it’snotentirelyobviousatfirsthowto
doanyofthesethings.Worsestill,there’snobuilt-in
tutorialthatwalksyouthroughtheeditingprocess,
like therewasforshooting.
Asidefromtheaforementionedpop-uptool
tips,editorsarelefttoawkwardlytaparoundthe
UIbeforefinallystumblingacrosstheEditMode
buttonontheleftsideofthescreen,justunder
thepreviewwindow.That’swhatenablesselecting
differentanglesandchoosingwheretomakecutsor
adddissolves,wipes,andsplit-screencompositions.
Swipingthroughthetimelinedisplaysaquickpreview
ofedits, butthereare alsobasictransportcontrols
forplay/pause,rewindtothepreviouseditpoint,or
jump tothe beginningofaproject.
Ofcourse,sincerecordedfootageissaveddirectly
tothecamerarollofeachdevice,youcouldalways
importitdirectlyintoamorerobusteditingappsuch
asLumaFusion,butthatdefeatsthepurposeofusing
somethinglike4XCameraMakerinthefirstplace.
Thereareafewbasicsettingsforfadein/outoptions
andsavingprojects,otherwisetheonlyotherfeature
isavaguein-app‘upgrade’promisingtounlock‘full
editingfunctionality’.There’snoindicationwhatthat
£3.99purchaseactuallygetsyou(presumablyunlimited
editing),butwecouldn’ttellthedifferenceeitherway
inourtests.(Protip:RolandGo:MixerProownerscan