Guest Yachtsman1 Posted June 15, 2012 Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 Watched the excellent promo by BB & thought can I do that? So I have taken on of my wip shows & tried to add a video clip. First of all I had to find the clip in O&A which I did changing the "graphic files to all files" is that a bug?, see ss4. I added my clip which showed up as a film clip on the screen, with perforated edges, see ss1 why I don't know. Then I tried to play the show in preview & first of all got ss2, which must surely be a bug as it's my clip???. So then I unticked the don't allow screen print option, tried to play the clip again & got ss3. So by now I've had enough & need some guidance. What I'm trying to point out is the fact that using such a promo without the written instructions on how to accomplish it is not going to go down well with potential purchasers who haven't used the software before.Once again Igor, please update the PTE instructions so the bewildered can release the potential of what you produce. With a comprehensive set of English language instructions your sales would rocket.Regards EricYachtsman1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Beckham Posted June 16, 2012 Report Share Posted June 16, 2012 Check your PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yachtsman1 Posted June 16, 2012 Report Share Posted June 16, 2012 What a difference a day makes. Woke up early after dreaming about movie clips floating across my static slides. Then I mentally went through last nights failure to emulate BB, thought through each stage, then bingo I remembered the movie icon in the icon list in the O@A screen. Opened my wip show again, went to O&A, clicked the movie icon & there were my movie clips, clicked the one I wanted to use & there it was as large as life. I then went to the V7 manual & read up what I could find on adding video clips & there is quite a lot of basic instruction.So apologies for engaging pen before brain, classic fiddle before reading instructions syndrome Now I know what to do today, it's p*****g down here so no photography.BB I haven't looked at your PM yet, I'll do that after breakfast.Regards EricYachtsman1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_alexander Posted June 16, 2012 Report Share Posted June 16, 2012 What a difference a day makes. Woke up early after dreaming about movie clips floating across my static slides. Then I mentally went through last nights failure to emulate BB, thought through each stage, then bingo I remembered the movie icon in the icon list in the O@A screen. Opened my wip show again, went to O&A, clicked the movie icon & there were my movie clips, clicked the one I wanted to use & there it was as large as life. I then went to the V7 manual & read up what I could find on adding video clips & there is quite a lot of basic instruction.So apologies for engaging pen before brain, classic fiddle before reading instructions syndrome Now I know what to do today, it's p*****g down here so no photography.BB I haven't looked at your PM yet, I'll do that after breakfast.Regards EricYachtsman1.Hi Eric, Barry's Promos are great but his CD's, which you have to buy, are worth their weight in gold. I found the video clips easy with a little help from his relevant CD which I thoroughly recommend to all.Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yachtsman1 Posted June 16, 2012 Report Share Posted June 16, 2012 Hi SteveBB & I go back to 2007 before he sought pastures new, I do have a couple of his early tutorials & copyright free music CD's. However I believe when one buys software there should be a comprehensive manual included. There has been a lot of chat on here about PTE's current manual which is not what I call comprehensive, in fact one French member re-wrote it adding more detail, unfortunately for us it's in French & too technical for standard auto translators. In this case I have owned up to jumping the gun when I should have read the PTE manual.Regards EricYachtsman1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Beckham Posted June 16, 2012 Report Share Posted June 16, 2012 However I believe when one buys software there should be a comprehensive manual included.Its not that simple and I would bet the manual would then become far more of a problem to produce than the software itself. What does the manual writer include, the basics of how to do things? Something a bit more creative ? Or, the top end of any software ? How can a manual help creativity or how you creatively use the software. I will bet that Igor sees his software used in many ways he never imagined as he developed it. How does that get included in any comprehensive manual. Thinking about it, it would take more than one person to cover a wide enough latitude. Then the biggest part of all, keeping it up to date. It would be an almost full time job for something that comprehensive and still you would have some people who could not fathom how to do things.Its like buying some woodworking tools. In my unpractised hands they would be as good as useless, but in another pair of hands beautiful furniture can be produced. What is it that I lack and the Carpenter has. Experience, skill, creativity, a flair for working with wood. You have to practice to get good at anything and a comprehensive manual on your set of woodworking tools would not help you one bit.I see some people so scared up upgrading their software that they allow a number of versions to pass them by. When they inevitably have to upgrade, they now have a small mountain to climb when it could have been a steady walk through smaller less significant changes.Manuals or tutorials cannot remain fully up to date all the time. There isn't enough time to produce them so that every button they refer to is in exactly the place they said it was. The user has to use their eyes and common sense to bridge these little gaps themselves. A manual can only ever be a rough guide to point the user in the right direction, the rest is up to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin Evans Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 Hi Barry,That pretty well sums it up.When Jeff and I did the first "unofficial user guide" we were pretty thorough, but it was all based on a button by button, feature by feature basis on push this and this happens and then you do this or that to achieve so and so. There was no way to approach the myriad different "ways" one could use particular features to achieve specific effects. By the time we were finished with the manual and "published" it, already changes in screen appearance and additional features were quickly coming. We decided to skip trying to "update" it and wait for the "major" change to include things such as 3D transforms, video, animated gifs, audio and so on, but the changes and improvements came so fast that we had to rethink the plans.I then thought that it was way too awkward to try to "revise" the manual and that we might as well start from scratch again but then realized that a major paradigm change was needed so that we could make the manual and index into smaller segments covering fewer features as stand-alone, independent "chapters" which could be more easily expanded and changed without redoing the entire manual. Finally, I decided that doing it via "tutorials" made more sense because adding the visual in real time to the written made more sense. Of course this has its weaknesses as well because of the many "languages" necessary to convey the information to users in different countries and different language groups. As you say, it would almost take a full-time crew of two or more people to keep up and then have everything translated into the many necessary languages to be thorough. I remember when a full written "manual" was available for Photoshop. Now, it would be virtually impossible to do such because of the vast complexity of features and myriad applications possible. Definitely it's not an easy task.....Best regards,Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Beckham Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 LinI think the PTE Manual is a great thing, but those of you who made it have your work cut out, if its to reflect every current version.I have almost stopped making tutorials for Photoshop Elements because they change it so fast, as soon as I complete a reasonable range of videos, they are out of date. For many users, these changes would not make the videos useless, but some people do need to be taken to the button they have to press or they cant cope. Move the button and they are lost. I always say its like getting into a car and there is no handbrake in the usual place. We know it has to be there somewhere, just need to look. I think the manual should cover as few subjects as possible, because its better to have 10 pages fully up to date, than 100 where 90 are not. The trouble is, we like to help and we feel as though we should include detail that then makes the whole thing unmanageable.No easy answer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deskjet1uk Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 18th January 2009 I purchased Lins 'How to make slideshows' To anyone new to PTE I highly reccommend that you consider adding this to compliment the user manual, very easy to follow and very inspiring.ralph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopernatural Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 Eric,Keep your expectation levels realistic. The promo is selling something that will not be achieved by the average user. Like many ads,it’s selling the idea that they could.By all means as a gratuity, visit BBs site. There,all the magical pointy hats reappear again,along with pretentious words like artistry,magic etc. The faithful and clueless are only too glad to throw money at tutorials to compensate for their lack of wit or ability. It matters little about equipment or software. If it were possible to do a Joe 90 transfer of BBs brainwaves into your head,no doubt you could do exactly the same as the promo. I wouldn’t like to comment on possible shortcomings during the transfer, regarding magic,artistry,sound,and video though. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yachtsman1 Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 I'm in the process of constructing a new show in PTE, it has 4 video clips & around 30 standard slides. One of the clips is a Pano which was done on a standard tripod and is somewhat jerky. I read somewhere about anti stutter hardware & wondered if this could correct this. Then I moved to PTE's manual & when editing the clip saw the de-interlacing option, with the default at auto. So I thought I would have a fiddle with the setting to try to improve the jerky video. This led me to a number of options, none of which are explained in the V7 manual. If the options are there, some explanation on when & how to use them would be nice. I've checked Wiki but that is a bit vague also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin Evans Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Hi Eric,The problem is that it's beyond the purveyance of a program like PicturesToExe to teach you all the background, terminology, nomenclature and methodology of either photography or video. You wouldn't expect a dissertation on the relationships between aperture and depth of field as they might relate to sharpness of your capture even though there is a "sharpness" adjustment in PTE. My point is that there are far to many variables in video for the developers of PTE to even begin to broach, and the expectation is that you do your homework and understand the terms if you want to change from the automated defaults.Specifically, the "deinterlace" feature has nothing to do with correcting a jerky video. The "cause" of a jerky video is either camera movement (most often the culprit) or possibly extreme erratic subject motion (rarely). To correct this what is necessary is micro adjustment movement of the frames either up and down or from side to side or even diagonally or all the above to offset and counter the motion of the camera. There are myriad technologies which provide algorithms which diagnose the motion then adjust frame by frame to counter it and when all is said and done you end up with realignment and a slight "crop" of each frame to compensate. The result is a much "smoother" appearance.If you are using Vista or better (Windows 7) I would strongly suggest having a look at ProDAD Mercalli 2 here:http://www.prodad.co...rial,l-us.xhtmlNext to Warp, the incredible stabilizing algorithm found in Adobe's Aftereffects which will cost you about $1000.00 U.S., it's the best I've found for stabilizing your video at a reasonable cost. You can also go the freeware route, but believe me, Mercalli is "much" easier to use and unless you want to spend days learning the in's and out's of stabilizing - you would be well advised to spend the bucks for Mercalli which does all the work for you.Using a fluid head will greatly help, but if you hand hold and you want a real quality result, you need this software.Go here to learn about the deinterlace issue.....http://www.100fps.com/Best regards,Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yachtsman1 Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Hi LinI don't think I have enough years left for all that, even reading what you have written gives one a headache. I think a video head will be on my Christmas list, it's been in my Amazon wish list since I got the camera but haven't felt the need to plunge.Regards EricYachtsman1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin Evans Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Hey Eric,You wouldn't jump in a sailboat and try to even cross the channel without learning to sail. Chances are you wouldn't make it a half mile unless you understood the basics. Likewise with the technology involved with video.Read the link on interlacing - it's not that difficult. Once you understand the basics it will be "much" easier for you to get the results you want. Essentially, the better your original capture in terms of camera stability, the fewer manipulations are necessary to make it professional. The fluid head will be a major contributor toward a good original. Try to approach it with an open mind. I think many of us, when we get older, resist learning new things. Believe me, in my 70 years I've been through this mind set, but I've learned that the old "noggin" can still work as it did when I was a young punk with the world as my oyster! LOL. Don't make it difficult - just do it!!!Best regards,Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegee Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Here's a thought Lin:If you stay abreast of the latest updates and try each new addition as it is introduced then you don't have to keep looking backwards.DG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin Evans Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 LOL - words of wisdom David!Best regards,Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegee Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Too quick for me!I was about to edit to say that "However, new users should not have to resort to third party tutorials whether they are free or paid for".DG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin Evans Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Hi Dave,I would agree somewhat. I think it depends a great deal on what "new users" want to do. It's beyond the scope of the developers of a software to teach a user each and every nuance of possibility for the use of their program. For example, and automobile manufacturer sells you a car and gives you an owners guide which tells you what each "button" and "gauge" and switch is for, but they don't teach you how to drive. If your vehicle is equipped with a tow hitch, they don't try to teach you how to tow a vehicle or how to back it into a tight parking spot. My point is that, as you well know, there are myriad things which we "can" do with PTE that are beyond the scope of the developer to either support or teach. This, in my opinion, is where 3rd party tutorials enter the picture. Your automobile may have a thermometer which reads inside and outside temperatures, but it isn't the manufacturer's duty to give you a course in meteorology or explain the relationship between celcius and farenheit even thought the gauge may indicate both. It's sufficient that the manufacturer explain that turning the heat or cooling knob this way or that either increases or decreases the temperature inside the vehicle. Terms like "interlace" or "deinterlace" need not be explained any more than a term like "temperature" needs to be explained. There are some reasonable expectations of basic knowledge expected. When one purchases a sailboat, there is no expectation that the manufacturer or seller teach the buyer to sail - just that he/she show the buyer where the relevant controls are located. I believe the same applies to software such as PTE. It's difficult to know where, precisely, to draw the line. Some new users may be able to intuitively understand a "timeline" and "keyframes" and very quickly be able to grasp the more subtle nuances of how to use these features. Other new users may be totally bewildered at the terms themselves and need individual hand-holding. This, I believe, is where 3rd party tutorials are useful. Depending on the background and technical education level of the new user - a wide variance exists in the specific requirements of an owners guide. As a former sofware developer myself, I tended to build my manuals for the least common denominator, but this too might have negative consequences for the more advanced user who just wants to know where the "button is."It's not an easy task, I fear, to find middle ground which will appeal to all.Best regards,Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegee Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Agreed.There has to be a definable amount that a newbie can do without help.That's what the debate is about.DG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhwarner Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 From my perspective, tutorials and templates are the best means of learning to use the more sophisticated features of PTE (or any other program for that matter). But consider Photoshop. It comes with a manual (Help file/system). Actually, the latest version doesn't even include one in the download. It's online only at the moment with a downloadable version "coming in June" (maybe late June?). But I digress. That's pretty much all that you get from Adobe included in the cost of the program -- a program I might add that has more features and can do more things with pictures and other graphics than most of us can learn in our lifetime. However, there is a huge third-party market (some free, some not) providing books, classes, tutorials, actions, templates, etc., not the least of which is NAPP -- an entire empire built around teaching Photoshop. If you just want to edit a picture, resize it, sharpen, color correct, etc., you can find that in the Adobe manual. If you really want to learn how to do something more sophisticated, you're pretty much on your own, but you can usually find the answer somewhere on the internet or in one of the many books or tutorials. I think it's the same, on a much lesser scale, with PTE. I think the manual gives you enough details to create a basic slideshow, include a video or two and do some animations. Beyond that, you either need to experiment or spend some time here reading the postings and downloading the templates of the very clever people who have taken the time to learn these tricky things and are willing to share their knowledge. Or buy some of Dom's templates, or purchase some of Barry's tutorials or download one of the tutorials from Lin's site. Obviously, I wish it were easier to learn some of this fancy stuff in PTE, but I don't think we could ever expect Igor and his team -- for the small price of the program (which many of us paid once 10 or so years ago) -- to provide this kind of technical documentation. I'm not opposed to paying for it personally, but I just wish more 3rd party technical tutorials were available for download on demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegee Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 Isn't this community designed to do what is suggested?We pool ideas and techniques and bounce ideas off one-another.It is sometimes hard to say what is an original idea and what has "evolved" out of discussions and demos here.DG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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