Slides,Layers,and motions....good god.

[MrsGrowle]

I am new to the forum but have already learned a vast amount in the past few days...so a hearty Thank You to those who have the wisdom to share!

I have psp 2.5 something and PSCS2.

I love my slideshows, but find the instructions to have just enough info not to be helpful. For instance,

what is the difference between an individual slide and a slide that has layers? Besides the obvious of having more than 1 picture on the screen at once. So far, the only way I can achieve the multiple picture transistions I see in my brain to translate in the program is by 1 tedious slide at a time. So far I cannot figure out what the value is of the layers in the slide?
it says you can bring a picture from behind and have it move at its own timings....well from working with captions- I understand how to do that....the problem is I cannot see the ones underneath the top.
How do you make the pictures from below and come to the top?
I tried the opacity on the first layer, but all that did was make it opaque enough for me to see the pics moving behind. In the instructions, the only time it mentions moving a picture from behind another is in just saying that you CAN do that....NOT HOW to do that.
Can anyone tell me the point of the layers and how they are helpful?And also...how do you work them?
Thank you

callie

[kneedeep Profile Private message]

I am new to the forum but have already learned a vast amount in the past few days...so a hearty Thank You to those who have the wisdom to share!

I have psp 2.5 something and PSCS2.
.......
Can anyone tell me the point of the layers and how they are helpful?And also...how do you work them?
Thank you

Hmmm, Okay, I do not have psp 2.5, but I believe it is like 2.6 and I have used that.

Add a picture to the "Slide List", then double left click on that slide, that should bring up a window called "Slide Options".
Near the top left you should see a button called "Layers" Click on that that , now you should be able to add a picture using the +
Now when you wish to move a layer, go to the "Motion" button and click on it.
You should see a "Selected Layer" box near the top left (not sure about ver 2.5)
There should be a "small" triangle, click on it, it will show you your layers.
Highlight the one you wish to work with, by left clicking on it.
Now that layer will be the one your are working with in the "Motion" Window.
It may looked ghosted, (if it is layer 5 of 5 the other four will be in front of it) but it is the one that you are now working with.
When working with layers 1 is ontop then 2 etc.....
So, when working with a layer that is behind, it will look ghosted.

So, highlight the layer you wish to work with and give it a try.... good luck. It will become easier.

[MrsGrowle]

Thank you for your reply.

I understand how to choose the layers and make the individual changes to each one. The problem I am having is say I have 3 layers one 1 slide. we will call them slide 1,2,3. number 1 being on the top(the one seen) and 2 and 3 beneath. (not visible) I have made the timing and motion changes to all 3, including varying start and end motions. So say #1 is to shrink and #2 is to rise and zoom in(i assumed slide 1 would disappear) and then it would do its movements and then disappear for slide 3 to start. This was how it was supossed to work in my understanding.... However what IS happening is slide number 1 zoom and pans like it should but then stays stationary and the other pictures DO do their motions....only you cannot see them!!!! They are still underneath. I know they move because I adjusted the opacity of layer #1 and saw them moving...but still #2 was on top of #3 and You could not see what the picture was- only the edges moving because it was a different size.

So WHY is this a good function to use. The only way I can get layer 2 and 3 to be seen and move like I planned is by putting them in a slide of their own. If you are going to make the layers move...you should plan for the pictures to all remain visible and fit on the screen together? How do you make a picture come up from behind another?

thanks!
callie

[briancbb Profile Private message]

Callie

What you cannot do within one slide is to make layer 2 become layer 1. What you should be able to do is have the layer 1 picture pan (move) off the screen so that you can see layer 2. Or you can make the picture on layer 1 become smaller (-ve zoom) and then see layer 2 exposed by the smaller layer 1.

With PSP v3 it is possible for the opacity of layer 1 to go from 100% to 0% by program control thus being able to see layer 2 appear, but once again layers cannot change position within a slide. Note v2.5 and v2.6 cannot change opacity under program control.

Brian

[kneedeep Profile Private message]

Thank you for your reply.

I understand how to choose the layers and make the individual changes to each one. The problem I am having is say I have 3 layers one 1 slide. we will call them slide 1,2,3. number 1 being on the top(the one seen) and 2 and 3 beneath. (not visible) I have made the timing and motion changes to all 3, including varying start and end motions. So say #1 is to shrink and #2 is to rise and zoom in(i assumed slide 1 would disappear) and then it would do its movements and then disappear for slide 3 to start. This was how it was supossed to work in my understanding.... However what IS happening is slide number 1 zoom and pans like it should but then stays stationary and the other pictures DO do their motions....only you cannot see them!!!! They are still underneath. I know they move because I adjusted the opacity of layer #1 and saw them moving...but still #2 was on top of #3 and You could not see what the picture was- only the edges moving because it was a different size.

So WHY is this a good function to use. The only way I can get layer 2 and 3 to be seen and move like I planned is by putting them in a slide of their own. If you are going to make the layers move...you should plan for the pictures to all remain visible and fit on the screen together? How do you make a picture come up from behind another?

Hmmm, okay, from what I read in this post, you will need to have your layers continue in new slides.
use the "Copy All to Next". That will copy all you setting to the next slide (all your layers) and you can continue to move your layers. When you use the continue for slide and layers, you may wish to use the cut transition between slide.

[MrsGrowle]

Thank you brian!

So in a way, disecting this problem I sort of answered myself with your help?! If I want layer 2,3 to be front and centered(become a solo pic) I need to use individual slides. If I want to have 3 pictures on the screen by the end of the slide time then use layers.



I have done the layers and used different timings successfully.
But I got it in my head that the only way to make a picture come from behind another was within the layers process....then I could not figure out how to make the layers cooperate!

When I tried to drag a pic off the screen under the motions section...it never goes far enough off the screen. it is always visible if even just a corner.
Same with the zoom out. It was teeny... but still there. That makes me crazy...especially for the effect I wanted.
It seems so obvious now. LOL

Thank you!

callie

[kneedeep Profile Private message]

Thank you brian!

So in a way, disecting this problem I sort of answered myself with your help?! If I want layer 2,3 to be front and centered(become a solo pic) I need to use individual slides. If I want to have 3 pictures on the screen by the end of the slide time then use layers.



I have done the layers and used different timings successfully.
But I got it in my head that the only way to make a picture come from behind another was within the layers process....then I could not figure out how to make the layers cooperate!

When I tried to drag a pic off the screen under the motions section...it never goes far enough off the screen. it is always visible if even just a corner.
Same with the zoom out. It was teeny... but still there. That makes me crazy...especially for the effect I wanted.
It seems so obvious now. LOL

I wish I how to make a layer come forward..... from the back within the slide. I know that the layer number tell it the position of the layer. 1 is in front then 2 etc..... So one needs to decide which layer he/she wants up in front. In the layer list, you can move the layer up and down, but I do not know how one can do that within the slide? For now, I just move the other layers out of the way to show the one I want.

You should be able to move a layer off the screen, just keep on dragging it past the window, it will move off the screen or use the pan position manually.... enter something like 300 X 300, -300 x -300-300 x 300.... depending on where you want it, that will take it off the screen and to bring it back use the pan manual number again... 0 x 0 bring it back to center.

Are we having fun yet

[cfeather]

Don't worry if you can't use layers right off the bat. The most important thing to do is communicate with your show. Learn how to do that with one slide and one layer at a time first. As you gain experience, you'll see where you want to accomplish a certain effect or think 'it would be cool if...' and then you'll start thinking in terms of layers and how to accomplish what you want to do.

A lot of the power of layers involves using masks. Usually when you use layers, one of them will be a mask that will have some action going on under it. Start with that use of layers.

Another thing you might want to do is move two pictures, say a boy and girl, into one location, then have them merge into a couple of them as a bride and groom. That's a use of three layers -- a background, a layer for each person. When the two separate images are on top of each other, you would fade to a new slide, same background, but the couple in the exact location and same dimensions.

Again, remember it's more important to communicate than to dazzle the audience with a bunch of effects that leave them saying at the end of the show, 'What was that all about?'

[cfeather]

Don't worry if you can't use layers right off the bat. The most important thing to do is communicate with your show. Learn how to do that with one slide and one layer at a time first. As you gain experience, you'll see where you want to accomplish a certain effect or think 'it would be cool if...' and then you'll start thinking in terms of layers and how to accomplish what you want to do.

A lot of the power of layers involves using masks. Usually when you use layers, one of them will be a mask that will have some action going on under it. Start with that use of layers.

Another thing you might want to do is move two pictures, say a boy and girl, into one location, then have them merge into a couple of them as a bride and groom. That's a use of three layers -- a background, a layer for each person. When the two separate images are on top of each other, you would fade to a new slide, same background, but the couple in the exact location and same dimensions.

Again, remember it's more important to communicate than to dazzle the audience with a bunch of effects that leave them saying at the end of the show, 'What was that all about?'

[CarynEikon]

This answers one of the questions I've had... how do I have an image "fade in" on a slide. It sounds like you can manipulate opacity in version 3.0 and I have the latest 2.6. I have "free upgrades" since I'm within the one year but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to download a free upgrade.

So what I think I hear is that I can have a layer from zero opacity gradually appear using opacity with that new version? I hate that all the pictures are just "there" when the slide opens... I want a sexy gradual appear!

Thanks in advance.
Caryn

[nannybear Profile Private messageWebsite]

http://www.photodex.com/downloads/registeredusers.html

Go here and download the upgrade.....then you will install over top of the old one. Some have had to uninstall old before loading new but I haven't had a problem....Cheers Jan

[CarynEikon]

Jan, thank you SO much!! I got it all worked out! Now I just have another learning curve with all these awesome new features in 3.0! Love it. Thanks for your help. I posted the first slideshow I've successfully completed to http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalb ... ?bm=123671

I'm going to post it in the other thread, but was excited and had to share. It's a slideshow of an on location portrait session I had with a family in October. About 3 weeks later, the dad died. So these pictures are priceless for the family.