Dynamic Blur and Unsharp Mask

[BarryH]

Having downloaded the trial version of PTE, I have now paid for the software. What I didn't realise was the downloaded trial was the "De Luxe" version. Now having bought the "Essentials" version, I find I do not have Dynamic Blur which I had used in the downloaded trial.

Unsharp Mask is also missing from the Essentials version. Can anyone please advise what can be done to a sldeshow presentation with Unsharp Mask that would make it worth me upgradinging to the full version, could it be used to make my presentation any sharper when being viewed on YouTube?

[Igor]

Hello Barry,

Unsharp mask and blur features are available only in the Deluxe edition.

See the comparisson of the Deluxe and Essentials versions:
http://www.wnsoft.com/en/picturestoexe/compare/

In the Essentials edition you can partially use dynamic blur via Slide Styles.

Or you can pay a difference between the Essentials and Deluxe editions to use all advanced features:
http://www.wnsoft.com/en/picturestoexe/buy/upgrade-essentials-to-deluxe/

[BarryH]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Igor.

When you say I can partially use Dynamic Blur in Essentials, do you mean Blur - Zoom In and Blur - Zoom Out?

What I managed to do in the "trial" version was to add a slide, slightly blur it and then add two new images on top of the slide. In the Essentials versions, I can add two new images on top of the slide but I cannot blur it at all.

Would I be able to use Unsharp Mask to sharpen my slideshow to improve the quality when it's shown on YouTube?

[Lin Evans]

Hi Barry,

Yes - when you go from an executable code to an mp4 there is a very good chance that when loading the show to YouTube, Facebook or other social media site that the default sharpness will be reduced by the re-codeing done by the host to accommodate their own proprietary video formats. By using unsharp mask to oversharpen your images you can compensate for the loss - that's been my experience.

But other than blur and unsharp, etc., the very powerful feature of audio wave control is also present in the Deluxe PTE version. I find this to be a compelling reason for me to use the Deluxe version myself.

Best regards,

Lin

[BarryH]

Thanks for the reply Lin.

Are you aware of any "tutorials" on how to use the Unsharp Mask feature to "oversharpen" images in the way you suggest in the Deluxe version? Also can I ask if there is a difference in Unsharp Mask and Dynamic Unsharp Mask?

[Lin Evans]

Hi Barry,

I'm not aware of any tutorials on using the Unsharp Mask to oversharpen, but here is how I proceed. There are technically two ways to sharpen images with PicturestoExe. The first way is by going to the Properties Tab on the Objects and Animations screen, left click on the small down arrow, and pulling the "Sharper/Smoother" slider to the left. This process applies a sharpening effect (or if pulled to the right a smoother effect) to the currently selected image.This procedure is fairly subtle and affects the image regardless of the keyframe settings. This is to say that the setting can not be changed from one keyframe to another. 

The second way, and a more dynamic appearance, is done by clicking on the "Animation" tab and using the "Blur" tool. By sliding it to the left, a much stronger sharpening effect is accomplished. Unlike the Sharper/Smoother tool, this setting is keyframe dependent so that it's possible to totally blur or totally sharpen a selected image at any point along the timeline. If you apply the sharpening at the first keyframe and do not change it, the image will remain sharp for the duration.

My suggestion would be to use both of these features to slightly oversharpen each slide before converting to a video which you later plan to upload to social media. This will compensate for the normal degredation of sharpness due to various reasons. The best way is to experiment with some very short videos.

Best regards,

Li

[BarryH]

Thanks for the help and advice Lin. Really appreciated.

[Ken Cox]

Barry

scantips has a multitude of answers re "sharpen"

 

https://www.google.ca/search?client=pub-2087502092777099&channel=3865157076&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT:%230066CC%3BGL:1%3BDIV:%23999999%3BVLC:336633%3BAH:center%3BBGC:FFFFDD%3BLBGC:FF9900%3BALC:0066CC%3BLC:0066CC%3BT:000000%3BGFNT:666666%3BGIMP:666666%3BFORID:1&hl=en&domains=scantips.com&q=sharpen&sa=Search&sitesearch=scantips.com&gws_rd=cr&ei=CXJaV7qgDcrMyALQ-avwDg

 

ken

[BarryH]

Thanks for the help Ken.

[Ken Cox]

Barry

even tho' it is a scanner site, it still covers photograph manipulation and use it for reference and guidance

ken