Tutorials

Those tutorials with the asterisk (*) require the Photodex browser plugin to to view. (You can get it here. After downloading it, exit the browser, run the plugin executable, then open the browser and click on one of the links below.)

Slideshow Creation Tips  (PDF)
Slideshow Creation Examples (Video, Use with the Tips above)
Note that the video file is a large file (~400MB), so, it could take some time to download, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

• Comprehensive Mask Intro
  A comprehensive introduction to masking in ProShow Producer (updated for PSPv5). Included in this are the following (the links below are for the Video version found on YouTube). Over 28 minutes of video instructionare provided:
  • Masking Basics
  • Removing Part of an Image/Video
  • Working with Portrait Images (Note: same concepts apply to landscape images…)
  • Working with Transparency masks and various image
  • Text Masks
  • Conclusions

• Mask Demo Tutorial* (1:30)
  A simple masking demo tutorial.

• Double Alpha-Channel Transition* (11:53)
  Simulating the Digital Juice Double Alpha Transitions (where you see both slides – incoming and outgoing – as the same time during the transition.

• Masks at Work*
  This is a set of tutorials that cover various masks in practical uses. Over 18 min of instructionis provided. It includes:
  • Introduction 27s;
  • Alpha Masks 1 2:49
  • Alpha Masks 2 5:11
  • Alpha Masks 3 3:34s
  • Example 1:14
  • Grayscale Masks 3:34
  • Text Mask: 1:40

OUTLINES/SHADOWS
The outline and shadow features provided by ProShow work in a pinch. However, they are far from flexible. These tutorials show how to create your own outlines and shadows, from very thin to very wide. The shadows can also be very diffuse or very sharp and distinct. The following tutorials provide over 43 minutes of instruction.

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• Advanced Outlines and Shadows in Producer. Combine simple techniques to create great frames for your images.
• Creating Layer Outlines in ProShow. Basic Introduction to creating outlines in ProShow: Outline Feature, Vignette Feature, Creating Your Own Outlines
• Shadows in ProShow. Basic Introduction to creating shadows using the ProShow shadow feature and creating your own shadows

 

PAN FOLLOWING
One commonly used effect is to follow the pan (position) of another layer or caption. Pan Following is a simple application of modifiers and can simplify the creation of numerous effects. The following tutorials provide over an hours worth of instruction.

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• Pan Following, Part 1. Basic Introduction to Pan Following. In Pan Following, one layer reads the pan information of another layer to adjust its own position.
• Pan Following, Part 2. This is a continuation of the part 1 tutorial and adds additional details to layers pan following layers.
• Pan Following, Part 3. In this Pan Following tutorial, I deal with captions pan following captions or layers. I also deal with layers following captions. The unique characteristics associated with captions are discussed because they have the potential to affect the act of pan following.
• Pan Following, Part 4a. “Follow Me.”  In this Pan Following tutorial, I work with a kind of horizontal carousel where the Images follow the images across the screen. A manual method and a modifier-based method are provided. Static background is used.
• Pan Following, Part 4b. “Follow Me.” In this Pan Following tutorial, I provide an additional modifier-based method for images to follow others across the screen. In this example, however, the images move with the background image.

SLIDING PANELS
This Tutorial teaches the use of tilt and rotation center. The tilted Layer’s position (pan) is changed while maintaining the perspective it obtained from the applied tilt. The layers, as they move, therefore appear to become larger or smaller due to that perspective. The following tutorials provide over 41 minutes of instruction.

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• Sliding Panels, Part 1 (The Basics). This tutorial shows how to tilt a number of layers as one unit and then move them. As they move they maintain the perspective derived from the tilt, getting larger or smaller (perspective-wise) as the move away from or toward the point at which they are rotated.
• Sliding Panels, Part 2 (Images). This tutorial extends Part 1 by adding images the mix. The panels created in Part 1 become image masks. This creates the impression of image panels that maintain the tilt perspective as they move toward or away from the point on which they are rotated. As the image panels move, they fade from the initial image to reveal the next image.
• Sliding Panels, Part 3 (Text Layers). This tutorial builds on Part 1. The panels in part 1 are used as a backdrop for the Text Layer’s content. The tutorial shows how to use rotation center, tilt, and pan settings with the caption controls to manage the text layer Content. Text layers are unique among layers in that not only may a layer move around via the pan, tilt, and rotation center settings but to effectively use the caption control settings as well. Both types of settings may be used together or separately.