Human interface for modifiers

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

What I'd suggest people do is just play with the waveforms because they're the easiest to use right out of the box. Just looking at the waves will tell you pretty much how the motion or other effect will turn out--whether it will be smooth or sudden, like a hill or step, or maybe even like a plane taking off.

I suspect, Dale, that you're correct about Photodex's lack of deeper explanations, and I also suspect a short book could be written on them. They are, indeed, extremely powerful.

I've been slowly digging into them, having begun the journey with those waveforms, getting to understand them before launching into anything further, but right now, "further" isn't extremely far.

Barbara

[Robert Barnett]

Well, Photodex isn't going to let me post the class videos for the modifiers. However, I am working on them trying to get them to put them up on their site as a Halloween Treat. If I can do this it maybe for a short time so you will want to jump on them. I will let you know how it goes. I am trying.

Robert

[Robert Barnett]

Well, Photodex won't even post the videos to their own sites. I have to say that I am quite disappointed. Since they closed out the classes they have nothing to loose by posting the videos to their own sites especially since it would help user's a great deal. Instead they suggested looking in the user's guide. Which honestly isn't all that great.

Robert

[debngar Profile Private message]

Well, Photodex won't even post the videos to their own sites. I have to say that I am quite disappointed. Since they closed out the classes they have nothing to loose by posting the videos to their own sites especially since it would help user's a great deal. Instead they suggested looking in the user's guide. Which honestly isn't all that great.

Robert

I'm not surprised they would say no to someone uploading their content to another site. To do that would be a copyright infringement of the material and probably violates the terms of use. There's no shame in them saying no. People that paid good money for the classes will not be happy customers if they see it given away.

[Robert Barnett]

I can understand them not wanting it posted to someone else's site. However, since the classes are gone and in all likely hood they video files will in a year or so be deleted I see no reason why they couldn't post the modifier video to their own site. Either that or they need to do better on their user's manual. Personally I think this is quite petty of them and in a big way.

As for those that paid, they got what they paid for. No place did it say that the videos were exclusive to the classes. There is not a single reason for them not putting the video out there other then being petty.

Robert

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Robert, how would you feel if you bought a car on Friday for $20,000 and then on Monday when the new models were introduced, all the previous year's models were given away? I, for one, would never again deal with that company. Just because we're not talking about such large amounts of money here doesn't mean the same principle doesn't apply.

Instead, why don't you devise your own original tutorials--your own examples, your own words--and post those?

Barbara

[debngar Profile Private message]

I can understand them not wanting it posted to someone else's site. However, since the classes are gone and in all likely hood they video files will in a year or so be deleted I see no reason why they couldn't post the modifier video to their own site. Either that or they need to do better on their user's manual. Personally I think this is quite petty of them and in a big way.

As for those that paid, they got what they paid for. No place did it say that the videos were exclusive to the classes. There is not a single reason for them not putting the video out there other then being petty.

Robert

Back when 3.0 came out, some people paid a large sum of money for the program right before the price dropped like rock. Some users were able to get an extended maintenance agreement and but some others did not and still have hard feelings about that. This is the kind of thing I'm talking about that doesn't results in good customer relations with a company.

It's possible part of the class content comes from other contributors (not company employees) that would not agree to that kind of thing. For example, if Mark Ridout gave permission for some of his images to be used in those classes, but not for someone else to post those videos elsewhere, that is an infringement of copyright to let that happen. You don't know what other artists' stuff they have in the class content that would restrict them from doing that. To call Photodex petty in that case is short-sighted and not seeing all the facts. I don't know what all the facts are either but why say this?

Certain music licenses only allow for use in one project only and on one website (embedded YouTube videos on other sites are often fine). To use it in another slideshow would violate the agreed to "terms of use" when the license is purchased.

[Robert Barnett]

First off we are not talking about a $20,000 car or a several hundred dollar program. We are talking about a video recording of an online class that sold for less $30. That money paid for a live interactive experience that all buyers of the class got. They even got to ask questions and get answers.

Now those classes are no longer available. Those video files will probably sit of some hard drive someplace until they are deleted. I see no reason whatsoever that the modifier (and I am only talking about the modifier classes) be put up on their site in the demos section. They are no longer live or interactive which again is what people paid for.

It is petty and honestly pretty lame of you to try to equate a simple video to a $20,000 car or a several hundred dollar software program. I video I might add that has zero value to anyone other than those that paid the big $ for Producer.

Robert

[debngar Profile Private message]

First off we are not talking about a $20,000 car or a several hundred dollar program. We are talking about a video recording of an online class that sold for less $30. That money paid for a live interactive experience that all buyers of the class got. They even got to ask questions and get answers.

Now those classes are no longer available. Those video files will probably sit of some hard drive someplace until they are deleted. I see no reason whatsoever that the modifier (and I am only talking about the modifier classes) be put up on their site in the demos section. They are no longer live or interactive which again is what people paid for.

It is petty and honestly pretty lame of you to try to equate a simple video to a $20,000 car or a several hundred dollar software program. I video I might add that has zero value to anyone other than those that paid the big $ for Producer.

Robert

.

So if something cost $20,000 it's not ok but if it's a $30 thing, it makes it ok to infringe? That seems to clarify your position on copyright then.....

[AMD Profile Private message]

Iris,

I love the slide; the cats are darling with their moving eyes!

Ann

[im42n8 Profile Private messageWebsite]

In the meantime, check out examples of modifiers use in the tutorials section. There are a number of free ones that should give you a good leg up on trying to understand modifiers and to use them in a productive way.

By the time you figure them out and have gotten comfortable with them you won't need a Photodex tutorial. In another year or so maybe they'll be given a bit of a face life (wrt the UI).

Good luck!

Dale

[debngar Profile Private message]

In the meantime, check out examples of modifiers use in the tutorials section. There are a number of free ones that should give you a good leg up on trying to understand modifiers and to use them in a productive way.

By the time you figure them out and have gotten comfortable with them you won't need a Photodex tutorial. In another year or so maybe they'll be given a bit of a face life (wrt the UI).

Good luck!

Dale

I agree. So all is not lost. But I kind of wonder about it getting easier Dale. It seems to help to have a propensity to complicated mathematics or experimenting with some chance and logic applied at the same time.

For those not knowing where to find the FREE modifier tutorials, look on page 2 of the Tutorial section of the forum where you'll find Dale's threads and Rick's threads on that subject. Both should be of some help to users.

I did an advanced search using "modifiers" in the keyword box and specifically selected the "PSP Tutorials" area of the forum to find these.

http://bit.ly/Enthusiast-Modifier-Tutorials

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

That's what's been slowing me down--the mathematical kind of thinking required for the more complicated stuff. The waveforms are extremely visual, and so math mind or not, I think folks can pick up on them with relative ease. What I stumble on is the adding of one modifier to another or subtracting it. Granted, I haven't invested a whole lot of time in studying these things, so I suppose what's really slowing me down is simply not digging into things.

Barbara

[im42n8 Profile Private messageWebsite]

Basically, the only time I got into the math of it was when I wanted to combine waveforms. The simple ones I just put into MS Excel and graphed them (but, that's not something I have done in awhile). The only other time I used math was when I needed to do some trig to find a relatively quick location where an end point (destination) should be (sometimes it's quicker than trial and error).

Sometimes it's just knowing that two waveforms of same amp and freq and 90deg out of phase (in the x and y) will give me a roughly circular path (adjusted of course by the fact that the show aspect will distort the circle).

Beyond that, it's just playing around with things until I get something I like. Many of the things I do are zoom or pan or rotation following stuff. This stuff only gets complicated when I'm trying to do something that's not exactly straightforward (and I'm trying to finesse something). Normally, when using waveforms, I don't need to have an exact path for things to follow. Sometimes I just need a portion of an arc for smooth motion vs using a straight line (mulitple keyframes could be used but they're a pain most of the time and you need to play with the smoothing too). Then, it's just a matter of playing around until I get something I like. Of course, it helps to know what changing the phase of a waveform does and it helps to know what the control points of the wave form in the window do (when you select the modifier for a specific set of keyframes). But, that comes with tinkering and time.

I'd say just play with the darned things and then, when you want to get more finesse and control over what you're trying to do, then get into the math. Otherwise, improvise!

Dale

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Or ask Dale.

Barbara