Slideshow Background

[MajorJerk]

This seems like a simple thing, but I can't make it work.
I'm making a slideshow of images. Some of them don't fill the screen, so I want to have a permanent background image behind the transition of images. I've tried transparent png's, and gifs, but no success.

Anyone got a solution?

[Gorf]

Put your slideshow on V2 and your background image on V1

[MrA]

Also, when you import your background images, don't check "keep aspect ratio with moving path" a check box at the lower left of the diaglog, sometimes overlooked. This will stretch the background.

For your regular images, be sure and check that option off, so those won't stretch.[/b]

[heinz-oz]

This seems like a simple thing, but I can't make it work.
I'm making a slideshow of images. Some of them don't fill the screen, so I want to have a permanent background image behind the transition of images. I've tried transparent png's, and gifs, but no success.

Anyone got a solution?

How do you expect a transparent gif or png to serve as a background? You need a proper background. Just use a color clip and put it on V1. Place your image in V2 with a stationary "Moving Path" with the frame properties set to suit your image.

Which version of MSP do you use?

[MajorJerk]

How do you expect a transparent gif or png to serve as a background?

I don't think I explained myself very well. I meant that I'd tried making the slideshow images have a transparent background, when resized to 4:3
In other words, the images, then transparency at the sides, or edges.

V7, btw.

[heinz-oz]

That doesn't work because MSP considers only the image as image not a non existing (transparent) background, I think.

If you want to show the full image, place it in a moving path which is made stationary by setting the start and end key frames to the same value. The size of the frame in the moving path determines how big the image will show.

[MajorJerk]

Let me try this again, I know I didn't explain it well at all.
I have a slideshow made up of images of various sizes. The images have simple crossfades between Va and Vb. There is a single audio track.

Some of the images are not full screen, and that's fine, I don't want to stretch or enlarge them. The space around the smaller images is appearing as plain black, as that is set as the default background colour. What I was trying to do, is replace that black background with a background image, or even some looping footage. The slideshow would then merrily play on top of that, and the background would show through when the image wasn't full-screen.

In photoshop terms, the slideshow images would be on a layer above the background image/footage. If I put the background on V1, 2 or 3, it just replaces the slideshow and all you can see is the background.

Sorry for the confusion

[heinz-oz]

I'm not as confused as you think I am. What did you do to place the smaller images into your slide show and not show these full screen?

What you are trying to do can only be done the way I described, with a moving path where the image floats above the background track. Without the moving path, you will either see one track or the other. You can't have a transparent background in a video clip which will let the other track show through.

[MajorJerk]

What did you do to place the smaller images into your slide show and not show these full screen?

When I imported the image files, I checked 'Keep original size with moving path automatically' and kept the aspect ratio.

I pretty much used this tutorial http://www.ulead.com/learning/msp/msp7_01_1.htm

I even have some of the images on a moving path, slowly zooming in slightly between transitions.

[heinz-oz]

Can you post a screen shot of your time line? I haven't used MSP 7 for a long time and need to install it again since I haven't done so with my last rebuilt. I have also never done a slide show in MSP 7 either and MSP 8 is a totally different beast. I would need to try it out to be of further help but will be running out of time soon. Mid next week I'll go on a lengthy vacation and will not be back until mid August.

Hopefully some other user of MSP 7 will come along to your aid, sorry.

[heinz-oz]

Are you telling me that the smaller images do not have a background when in the media library? What frame size are these?

[Devil]

This is an example of the OP not giving the required info. The response assume he was working with MSP8, in which case the answer is simple. In fact, he was working in an earlier version, which makes it slightly more complicated.

The best way of doing it is to make up the slide show with transitions, as you want it, using a unique colour as a background (the colour you choose should be one that is absent from the slides).

You then render this to an avi file, using a reasonable codec (DV type 1 would be OK)

You now start a new project and put your background image in Va, stretching it to the same length as your avi, and your avi in Vb. You then use blue or green screen style keying to render the background colour in your avi transparent. As your background colour is "artificial", it is strictly uniform (no shadows or differences in illumination), so you can minimise the range to reduce undesirable effects in the stills. In some cases, you may have to make more than one avi, choosing different background colours, to prevent clashes with the picture content.

I agree, it is much simpler in MSP8, where you can apply transitions to any track.

This should be an object lesson to give ALL relevant data as per the "Read before you post" thread before asking a question.

[Gorf]

...The best way of doing it is to make up the slide show with transitions, as you want it, using a unique colour as a background (the colour you choose should be one that is absent from the slides).

You then render this to an avi file, using a reasonable codec (DV type 1 would be OK)

You now start a new project and put your background image in Va, stretching it to the same length as your avi, and your avi in Vb. You then use blue or green screen style keying to render the background colour in your avi transparent....

This wouldn't work for crossfades though (except if the images were all the same dimensions onscreen). A better result (but harder work) is as follows:

1. Set a default black background then render to AVI.
2. Save your project.
3. Then, for each image, use "Replace With" "Color Clip..." and accept the default. You can blitz through them quick quickly with {Left click} {Right click} W C {Enter}.
4. Then set the default background to white. Save this project under a different name, and render to an AVI.
5. Start a new project, put your background video on Va or Vb, the slideshow video on V1 or higher
6. Right click the slideshow video and set its overlay options to "gray key" using the video matte you just created.

You may need to invert overlay options - I can never remember whether it's white or black that's transparent with gray key.[/code]