Another Newbie here

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ngutman

Another Newbie here

Postby ngutman » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:09 am

I have PSG 2.5 but am completely new to this program. I see all those wonderful shows posted but I have no clue what software was used to make them and how. I find the options in PSG 2.5 overwhelming and often difficult to understand what they mean.
Is it possible to download a posted show and analyze how the different effects were achieved?
Looks like PSG has a steep learning curve. What is a good way to get my arms around it?
I would be only making, at most, three or four shows a year so it might be difficult to remember, from one to another, how I did it.
Thanks for any help.
Nathan

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Postby nannybear » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:29 am

Welcome Nathan,

It is like riding a bicycle, once you get the hang of it you won't forget. It is also like playing bass guitar. Most everyone could do it but to be a master it takes alot of practice. Vid Queen has tutorials on her site at Photodex. You can't actually download a show to use in the program, just start by asking questions on specific things that you are having a problem with and go from there. Everyone will help you get where you need to be!! Cheers Jan
http://www.janstephens.com or http://www.oilswithjananddonna.com/
Graphic Design, Essential Oils, Click and Grow gardening, Cooking and Merge Dragons - PSP latest - Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
You can find me on Facebook, come visit!!

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Postby DickK » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:37 pm

Nathan,

First, welcome aboard, I think you'll enjoy the ride!

Building a really basic slide show is not hard at all -- just drop the images on the timeline and that's it. Now, of course, you might not be satisfied with something that basic but at that point you tackle the various options and elements one step at a time. I suspect you'll be surprised at how easy it is to get very satisfying results--the fancy stuff is nice but it's all icing on the cake and not essential. In the end all that matters is whether you got the results you wanted.

The fundamental learning tool is to just try stuff and see what happens. Oh, and combine that with "ask lots of specific questions." And, yes, at first it will take some investment of time and energy to get comfortable with the program. PSG isn't trivial to learn but it is, I think, well worth a little effort. And the support group here is really remarkable. In fact, this group is the reason I bought the software, seeing the enthusiasm and the help here convinced me.

Watching other people's shows is good, it will show you what's possible. But never let what you see discourage you -- we all started at newbies (some of us not that long ago!). Instead, take it as proof that others can get there and so can you. :)

Dick
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle ((PSG, PSE & Fuji HS20 user)) Presentation Impact Blog

alaskaninexile

Postby alaskaninexile » Sat Jul 28, 2007 6:19 am

Hi Nathan,
To begin with, I agree with everything Dick and Jan said - this reply is basically just to reinforce their thoughts.
First am hoping you can clear something up for me - you say you have PSG 2.5, but are completely new to the program. Does that mean you purchased it a year or two ago, but are only starting to use it now? If so, some of the 'effects' you see in more recent shows on this site, such as layers (i.e. 2 or more photos on 1 slide) you will be unable to achieve unless you update to the current version of PSG (i.e. 3.0).
However for the most part PSG is pretty intuitive to get started with and lay down a basic show and does not have a steep learning curve at all - one of the most straightforward software applications I've ever used.
The fun comes when you have an idea in your head that you then want to achieve on the show - people here can help you out if it's something you've seen in another show. For example, they may have done a screen capture as they were developing the show, done something with it somewhere else (e.g. Powerpoint), saved the slide as a JPEG, and then brought it back into the show - you never know unless you ask.
The one thing I've found to be true in using this software is that when you get an idea in your head, determination and stubbornness if not the mother of invention, are certainly it's father and stepmom. Never give up.
Alaskan in Exile

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Postby jeanc » Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:23 pm

Hi Nathan, welcome to our family!

I understand exactly how you feel. For about a year I felt like I had gotten in over my head. I wanted more control in doing my shows, but when I would open up PSG I felt totally LOST. Finally, I decided to just get in and start playing around. I still have A LOT to learn, but it is amazing how fast things start coming together and you wonder what all the fuss was about in the beginning. I found this "family" after I bought a new computer and was having problems burning to a DVD. Since finding this group of knowledgeable friends who are so willing to share and help, I feel I have grown by leaps and bounds. Go for it -- just start doing things. Try different things. Ask questions and read as many of these posts as you can. It will start to come together before you know it.

Stay with it and enjoy the ride. Sure is a lot of fun with all these great people!

Smiles,
Jean

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