Tutorial: Motion Style

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

As far as the smoothing slider, I have not played with it much either although vidqueen
did mention it in one of her tutorials some time ago and trying to get things to move
in a square for example (seems to me she got more of a circle with the slider high
and a square as expected with the slider set low. Just thought it fit in with your
motion tutorial.

mikey

Uh, clearly you missed my "Smoothing" tutorial where I show you how that control works. Get with the program Mikey!

Here is the link to the Smoothing thread: http://www.proshowenthusiasts.com/viewtopic.php?t=5067

You're correct Rick - I was not with the program - my bad !!
Nice job on the smoothing tutorial as well !

mikey

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Yes, but what purpose does the first smoothing slider serve in the very first keyframe? Is it actually there only for continuity of interface?

Barbara

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

I'm not near my machine right now (by about 35 miles), but it seems to
me they changed the layout of that a while back. Isn't there just one
slider for smoothing now between the "begin" and "end" sections for
motion ?? I have 3.2.1942 and thought there was only one slider now.

mikey

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Nope. Two sliders in version 2047. Maybe I ought to send off this question to Photodex.

Barbara

EDIT: I just sent off the question to Photodex.

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

I got my answer from Photodex, and because the person answering didn't know the problem was occurring because of something I didn't quite get, the question almost went unanswered in her very long description of smoothing which included a test for me to do. I thought I'd humor her and do every step she suggested, but that old light bulb lit once she had me add another keyframe and then remarked that, for smoothing to occur, a minimum of 3 keyframes was required. Three? I looked at the motion graphic and, as far as I was concerned, there were only 2 keyframes: the one between markers 1 and 2, and the one between markers 2 and 3. And that's when it hit me: The markers are the keyframes.

So, when you increase smoothing on the right side, you're only smoothing half the motion path. If you increase smoothing on the left side too, you're smoothing the entire motion path.

It's going to take me a little while to reorient my thinking.

Barbara

[slideshower Profile Private message]

Hi Rick,

Thanks again for a great tutorial. Don't worry about it being long - that's what
it takes to make it so easy to understand! Lucie

[webandgraphicsguy Profile Private message]

Great tutorial, Very well explained. Thanks for your time and effort

[im42n8 Profile Private messageWebsite]

Herriot

I just came across this particular thread and thought I'd share something. Maybe you've already got a handle on double alpha masks and alpha masks etc... maybe not. If not, check out the following.

This tutorial does deal with the double alpha masks or their equivalent (using lower 3rds, revealers, etc).
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... alb=135843

Tutorial and Demo of Alpha Masks
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... alb=135843

Comprehensive Introduction to masks (alpha and greyscale)
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... alb=135843

I'm not one to chuck what I don't understand. Maybe you don't NEED them (ie., what you don't understand) ... but they're nice to have! Like DJs' regular or double alpha swipes or lower thirds or revealers (for example). Maybe you needed that stuff but didn't know it yet! That's where experience comes in. Watch some of their applications (lower thirds, revealers, transitions, swipes) in commercials or sports shows for instance...

Double Alpha is a Digital Juice product that just came out at the end of last year. I wouldn't lose an ounce of sleep over it. If you needed it then you'd already know it. You don't need it.

[dcbyrne Profile Private message]

Hello Rick,
I appreciate you letting us in on this wonderful tutorial. I learned a lot about motion thanks to you. Great job.

Douglas

[PeaceOut]

Great tutorial!!
Like everyone said, a little lengthy and a little repetitive, but covered all points.

I have a question. Like you, I prefer the Linear style but everything defaults to smooth. Is there a way to change this default? Or a way to highlight everything and change them all?


Thanks

[hardsoftware Profile Private message]

I could have sworn that it defaults to Linear but then again I have an older version of Producer.

Ricks tutorials are great for explaining the differences between all the choices. Heck I am just glad that they offer a choice. I've used them all at one point or another but I tend to prefer Smooth over the Linear in my shows especially when scrolling documents from top to bottom. I tried Linear but did not like the sudden start and sudden stop that linear exibits at the beginning and end of each move.

With Smooth I get the wonderful ease in, ease out, ease up, ease down, at the beginning and end of the scroll or zoom. Especially when using long slide times. Nice slow acceleration, then nice slow deceleration to a stop. It Just seems more natural to me. I used it exclusivly in The Lost Hero show scrolling such things as a the birth certificate at the beginning of the show and Military award certificates for my MIA uncle.

Ben

[PeaceOut]

Yeah...I agree that smooth is nice for the type of slides you are talking about but I don't understand why they didn't allow us to choose a default. Roughly 200 slides with about 300 pictures total...3 options (pan/zoom/rotate) to change = 900 extra clicks.
Smooth works great for certain occasions but while using transitions that fade two slides together (no black out), smooth seems a little strange as the motion from the ending of the slide A and beginning of slide B doesn't fit well together. It feels like it's coming to a stop then starting up again. Linear gives a nice same motion throughout slide A and slide B so there is not strange stop/go jaring type feeling while watching.

Hopefully there's a fix for this.

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

One of the utilities I've yet to get any kind of grip on is the copy-settings thing where you can choose everything you wnat to copy from, say, slide 1 to other slides that come after. Is it possible that motion style is in there? Wish I could say yea or nay on it, but that little screen consistently confuses me.

Barbara

[seektheburd Profile Private message]

Yes, both motion and motion-style multiple copy settings are available under "between layer key frames." You can access this feature under Edit on the main screen or while editing in the motion or effects tab by clicking the copy icon between the preview window. You can individually check-mark each option available under the different categories or highlight the list, then click one to select all.

Hugs,
Stephanie

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Stephanie, are you using a slightly older version of Producer? In the newest version, that button no longer exists. The copy settings ability is down at the bottom as part of a drop-down list. Just pointing this out in case someone who's never had an older version reads this and goes nuts trying to find the button.

Barbara