Fading music out

[shirleyhogan]

I have never mastered fading music in and out of my slide shows.     The 1st attachment is a print scrren from a YouTube tutorial I was just looking at.  As you can see there is an orange line running through the music file in the Timeline view.   (The tutorial shows how to fade out the music by Clicking on the red line about ten seconds before the end of the line - see the blue dot - and dragging the line so that it is at the bottom of the screen at the end.)  Looks easy enough.

The second attachment is a printscreen from one of my projects.  There is no red line.   Can anyone tell me what I am missing?  

[davegee]

http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en-us/8.0/main-window/the_timeline

DG

 

[goddi]

Greetings Shirley,

The horizontal 'red' line is just the audio progress line of the voice over that plays in the YouTube video. That is not part of the PTE program. What seems to be missing is the 'orange' volume line. Perhaps you accidentally you moved it down...but you still should be able to see it. I am not sure, from your screen print, if you are really missing the entire orange volume line. Take a closer look for an horizontal 'orange' volume line. There is no horizontal 'red' line in the  program.

Gary

Later...I just noticed that the audio file is an WMA format. Try to convert it to MP3 and see if that makes a difference.

[shirleyhogan]

Thanks Gary.  You are right -  it's the orange volumn line I am talking about.    I think it's may also be called the envelope line  but I'm not sure.   I didn't realize I had used WMA format -  thanks for pointing that out -   I've tried an MP3 and I still can't see the orange line.   I have also gone back and looked at several old projects to see if I have ever seen that volume line.

I'm thinking about re-installing PTE and seeing if that helps.    

[shirleyhogan]

Thank you Gary and DG.   I now have a orange volume line thanks to you two. (see attachment)  I clicked on the little icon that says "hide/show envelope line".    I thought I had already done that after I looked at the tutorial DG sent me.   

[goddi]

Shirley,

I have been using PTE for a long time but I have never been aware of the ability to 'hide/show' the envelope line. Why someone would need that, escapes me. I guess that is why I didn't mention that as a possibility!! Good you figured it out.

Gary

[shirleyhogan]

Now I'm off to try to figure out how to add a video clip to my slideshow about my Venice trip in Nov.   Thank you very much.  

 

[goddi]

1 minute ago, shirleyhogan said:

Now I'm off to try to figure out how to add a video clip to my slideshow about my Venice trip in Nov.   Thank you very much.  

 

Easy...just drag it  down like an image. But drag it down to the Slides, not the Timeline view. At least, that is what I do. Less chance of unexpected results.

Gary

[shirleyhogan]

Gary, They are MP4's.    Is that what they should be?   And do I need to trim them in some other software or can I do that in PTE?   

[goddi]

2 hours ago, shirleyhogan said:

Gary, They are MP4's.    Is that what they should be?   And do I need to trim them in some other software or can I do that in PTE?   

Yes, MP4s are good to start. My camera takes MOVs. But when you add your videos, you should normally let PTE 'convert' them. They will then be AVIs, for better performance in PTE. You can do some trimming in the Convert screen of PTE. It is best to right-click on the video file in the file list before you drag it down so the Convert window opens and you will be able to use the Trim function just before you convert. It took me a while to notice the little green down-pointing arrows which will bring in the trim points to when you want the video to start and where you want it to stop, for the trimming. They will be converted to 'AVI'.

You can also use the free Windows Movie Maker to do trimming (and other things, like stabilization). I just bought the Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate for an alternative trimming program. Lots to learn about video but it really adds to the show.

Gary

[wideangle]

Hi Shirley

Just for info, there is a very easy way to fade out music in the timeline.
If you look at the top right-hand corner of the audio track in the timeline, you will see a little black upside-down L shape. Just drag this to the left.
there is a similar one at the beginning of the audio track for fading music in.

It's this sort of little touch that makes PTE the great package that it is.

Regards

wideangle

[shirleyhogan]

7 hours ago, wideangle said:

Hi Shirley

Just for info, there is a very easy way to fade out music in the timeline.
If you look at the top right-hand corner of the audio track in the timeline, you will see a little black upside-down L shape. Just drag this to the left.
there is a similar one at the beginning of the audio track for fading music in.

It's this sort of little touch that makes PTE the great package that it is.

Regards

wideangle

Thank you so much wideangle.   That would have never occured to me.   Actually, I had never ever noticed that little upside-down L - and certainly would have had no idea what it meant.   I need to find an organzied way to study and try to figure this software out.   I have been using it - and loving it - since version 5 but only for simply things.    Thanks again.  

[wideangle]

Hi Shirley

That's fine - it's a powerful versatile package, so just take your time with it and enjoy!

Regards

wideangle

[davegee]

The Envelope:

http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en-us/9.0/main-window/main#the_envelope

DG

[shirleyhogan]

Thanks for all the help, guys.   I'm about to start a new thread concerning video files.   Hope I find as much help on that as I did here about the fading music.