Preparing Images for your slide show

[jan smit]

The files from my camera are 3000 W and 2000 H so 3:2. I want my pictures to be 1024 by 768 for the projector. I can crop the piture from 3:2 to 4:3 in photoshop. For some pictures not a problem but for others a big problem.

How do you crop or resize the images?

regards,

Jan

[bmccammon]

I use Photoshop CS2 but the procedure is the same for other versions. I put 1024 and 768 into the crop dimensions in the tool bar at the top of the screen. I then drag the mouse to select the part (or all) the image that I can or that I want. No matter how much or how little you stretch the crop tool, the result will be 1024 x 768. You can also specify the final resolution you want... eg, 72, 240, 300. Good luck

[Lin Evans]

The files from my camera are 3000 W and 2000 H so 3:2. I want my pictures to be 1024 by 768 for the projector. I can crop the piture from 3:2 to 4:3 in photoshop. For some pictures not a problem but for others a big problem.

How do you crop or resize the images?

regards,

Jan

Hi Jan,

You shouldn't need to crop them unless you specifically want to. You should just resize them in Photoshop to 1024 on the wide aspect. If they were taken with "most" consumer or prosumer fixed lens digicams they will probably resize to 1024x768. If they were taken with an SLR and scanned or with a dSLR they will resize to 1024x683. Your projector "should" project whichever size you have.

If for some reason you want the total size to be 1024x768 then you can either set the crop tool in Photoshop for that size then resample down to 1152 by 768 then use the crop tool to trim the edges to 1024.

What I would do is to resize all to 1024 by whatever the native size ends up (768 or 683) then use a color or decorative backdrop to fill the top/bottom where applicable.

The quality will be best for projection if you do the resample in Photoshop rather than let the program do it unless you are using version 5 beta. With the beta you can have the higher resolution originals and take care of the resize using Objects and Animation. The advantage of this is realized if and when you want to zoom in tight. This way you take advantage of the hardware rendering and will be using the full resolution image without loosing anything to the resample for the closeups.

Best regards,

Lin

[JohnFeg]

The files from my camera are 3000 W and 2000 H so 3:2. I want my pictures to be 1024 by 768 for the projector. I can crop the piture from 3:2 to 4:3 in photoshop. For some pictures not a problem but for others a big problem.

How do you crop or resize the images?

regards,

Jan

An option that can be used, as an alternative to using the "background" feature in PTE, is to set slides, that cannot for aesthetic reasons, be sized 1024X768 (eg. those in Portrait format) onto a background slide at 1024X768, created in Photoshop. Then advantage may be taken to use such effects as: Layer effects, Styles, Textures, gradients, other images etc. etc.

Best wishes

John

[Gilio]

Jan, what is the native resolution of your projector?

why do you want change the size of images?

If you are dutch?

any questions you can find me with a email.

[stevehurst]

With the beta you can have the higher resolution originals and take care of the resize using Objects and Animation. The advantage of this is realized if and when you want to zoom in tight. This way you take advantage of the hardware rendering and will be using the full resolution image without loosing anything to the resample for the closeups.

I have to resize my 3504x2336 images down to 1024x768 otherwise the transistions don't work properly - very jumpy, sometimes only part of the image shown even with 5beta - can't see a resize option in Objects and Animation - am I missing something or is it that my PC's just not up to it.

Steve

[alrobin]

I have to resize my 3504x2336 images down to 1024x768 otherwise the transistions don't work properly - very jumpy, sometimes only part of the image shown even with 5beta - can't see a resize option in Objects and Animation - am I missing something or is it that my PC's just not up to it.

Steve

Steve,

Welcome to the Forum!

In general, you should resize your images to 1024x768, or whatever the native resolution of your display medium is. If your production is going to be distributed, then 1024x768 is a good compromise as it will probably match the majority of viewers' monitors.

For PZR effects, it is advisable to use an image sufficiently large to cover the total area traversed in the effect. If you find the show becoming "jumpy", then cut back on the size, and don't pan or zoom as much.

You can think of it this way: your pc has a limited capacity, and every object or transition you add to the show is a burden on this capacity. So, if the images are changing at a rapid pace, or if you many different objects all moving at the same time, then you might have to back off and compromise a bit (fewer objects, smaller images, smaller objects, lower transition rate, smaller music files, etc., etc.)

If you have the "horsepower" in you pc, you should be able to accommodate quite large images in your PZR actions; however, the actions themselves might have to be very slow, without many other effects happening at the same time.

[Lin Evans]

I have to resize my 3504x2336 images down to 1024x768 otherwise the transistions don't work properly - very jumpy, sometimes only part of the image shown even with 5beta - can't see a resize option in Objects and Animation - am I missing something or is it that my PC's just not up to it.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Resize in Objects and Animation is done by simply dragging the corner of the rectangle bounding the image with the mouse.

You probably don't see this because you are looking at the image at 100% (the default). Click on the small down arrow in the small blue box to the right of "Paste" and change to 50% or so and then you will easily see the bounding rectangle. This does not change the actual file size as a "resize" from say 1600x1200 to 1024x768 but rather changes the display appearance in size as the image can be made to fill the screen (indicated by the black rectangle) or any portion thereof.

The problem you have with transitions not working properly with larger images (file size) is quite probably due to system resources (your computer). As mentioned above you will want to resize with your choice of image manipulation software (Photoshop, Irfanview, etc.) to get the output to match projector output (if you are using a projector) so resizing via Objects and Animation is not the answer.

Best regards,

Lin

[jan smit]

Thank you all for your answers.

The picture are taken with a Canon Mark II. The native resolution from my beamer is 1024 x 768. I want to use as much from that resolution as possible.

When I take picture of birds it is mostly not a big problem to crop them to 1024 x 768. Most of the time there is enough room in the picture. But with landscapes it's a problem. You make a composition with for example a rock in the foreground. Cropping to 1024 x 768 means that I am loosing a piece of the picture in the width.

So I think I will stay with 1024 X 682.

Regards from Holland

My Webpage

[ronwil]

Jan

A dodge that I sometimes use before cropping, when trying to select from a 3:2 image, is to squeeze it in from the sides or stretch it out top and bottom. I do this in Photoshop using Select>All then Edit>Transform>Scale. The change is basically not noticeable to a viewing audience particularly with landscapes.

I will await the brickbats from the purists

Ron [uK]

[Conflow]

PICTURE RESIZING

There is a very simple solution to re-sizing an entire folder of Pictures or for that matter single Pictures.

It's called "PIXresizer" available from 'BlueFiveSoftware'. This Program takes copies of your Pictures from

Folder X and resizes them and parks the resultant resized Pictures into Folder Z. (You choose the Folders).

It uses "lossless Jpeg Copying" ~ You simply decide on the largest dimension Eg:-1024 pixels and it does the rest. You can preserve the X-Y Ratio or alter to suit your needs. It uses simple Steps: 1,2,3,4. thats it !

Here is a link below:-

http://bluefive.pair.com/

And a Screenshot above:-

Brian.Conflow.

[wideangle]

Just to add to this - there are 4 superb little freeware programs at www.faststone.org for viewing, processing and handling files. (Put a tick in the advanced options on the photo resizer/batch renamer program). The image viewer is superb when you get used to the hidden menus around the four sides of the screen.

[dagrace]

My 2 cents' worth... if you have Photoshop CS2, there is a built in resizer (part of Dr. Brown's Image Processor). In previous versions of Photoshop Dr. Brown's can be installed as an add-on. See

http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

I've found it quite handy.

[Alan Lyons]

Hi Jan,

My normal projection image is 1024 x 768 and I take the full size image into Photoshop and re size. Then when you "Save As"set the slider to 8 just at the point where it changes from 7 and save. (Can be set up as an action) This gives you a small image which is perfect for projection. Depending on colour and detail this can range from 150kb to 250kb. Projection is fine (prize winning) and you can keep the images colse on the timeline, and run transitions to your hearts content. Add this to MP3 music files and your average show should rearly venture out beyond 30MB,

Regards,

Alan

[ronwil]

Yes Alan, that is exactly what I do, but Jan's problem was converting from a 3:2 format to 4:3 format and losing some wanted parts of the image. I offered a dodge of slightly squeezing the image from the sides or stretching from top or bottom. Otherwise the thing to do is to allow for cropping off the sides when taking in 3:2 format. I ask members of our AV Group to do this when we are taking images for a combined project.

Ron [uK]

[Alan Lyons]

I see what you meen Ron in that case I would resize the with to 1024 and maintain aspect ratio to let the "drop work its self out". I think the 3:2 ratio looks better anyway, it has a more cinematic look than the near square 4:3. I found a 3:2 option on my camera and intend to use this format for sequences, so there!

[ContaxMan]

I see what you meen Ron in that case I would resize the with to 1024 and maintain aspect ratio to let the "drop work its self out". I think the 3:2 ratio looks better anyway, it has a more cinematic look than the near square 4:3. I found a 3:2 option on my camera and intend to use this format for sequences, so there!

An interesting discussion. As I work from scanned slides, the 3:2 ratio would be the norm but I find the empty strips at the top and bottom of the screen that are inevitable with this format rather distracting. So I nearly always crop but sometimes use Ron's cheat" of resizing the image without constraining proportions so that it ends up 4:3.

Just to add to the list of resizing software, if you look at help in PTE you'll find a link to a WnSoft free tool that works well. Odd that it isn't referenced on the WnSoft website!

[Maureen]

Depending on the content of the image I have resized in a variety of ways.

Create a new image with the canvas size to the dimensions you require.

Drop image straight from your camera onto the new canvas.

It may be enormous so shrink it constraining the proportions keeping the shift key down in Photoshop.

You may get a band to fill along the top.

If you stretch your whole image layer then it can look slightly "odd" afterwards.

However if you select a band on this image layer e.g. the sky or foreground,

and then just stretch just the selected band, it can look easier on the eye.

Especially if the part you have selected isn't crucial to being in focus as you can then put a slight gradient on the selection and add a little blur.

Have done this to sky, grass, foregrounds and the sides of some images (radial blur outwards for portraits or the 'lazy lasso technique') with no problems.

I don't like using an action for every image if I'm doing a serious AV sequence.

OK for quick Photo Harmony or long slide shows.

I prefer to work on each image individually.

Still trying to update all the www.digital-av.co.uk web site and that'll then have more detailed instructions in image, sound & PTE preparation which hopefully even the most basic beginnner can follow I hope.

Think Dom is doing a brilliant job with his site too & several French sites are tres bien!

Above was written in a rush so hope you can follow the main idea?

BW

Maureen

[ContaxMan]

That was quick Maureen! And useful too.

[alrobin]

Hi, Maureen,

Thanks for the tip! I wouldn't have thought of using that selective stretching technique myself - very clever way to fit an image to the monitor! Unfortunately, I am working mostly in a 15:9 aspect ratio these days (closer to 3:2 than 4:3 is, but I still have to crop a bit off the top and bottom). Stretching horizontally is probably out of the question in most instances. But, by using your technique, I could probably selectively compress the sky or foreground a bit instead of just lopping it all off.