Some general X2 questions - zooming & DVD menu backgroun

[Bytheseaside]

I'm running X2 Trial (2 weeks to go). It is likely I will buy my copy of X2 from a local shop (Shop Local - Use it or Lose it) rather than pay Corel on-line. Should I un-install my trial version before loading my bought version, or can I just load the bought one & let it sort itself out?

I was running VS8 & there are a couple of things I still like about it:
Pan & Zoom - in VS8, Pan & Zoom had a zoom slider & a pause slider. You should never mix in the middle of a zoom, so I always allow some static image either end of a zoom action. X2 has no pause slider. The only way I can see to hold the zoom is to set up a second zoom point with the same zoom % & the same position as the first zoom point. This does the job, but is much more fiddly to do than just slide a slider. Is there another way to do it, or do I have to use my bodge?

I hate all the DVD menu backgrounds in X2 - all very naff. VS8 had one which suited us very well - the brown background with a nice globe, though the layout was rather restricted. I have explored the custom option in X2 so I assume I can make my own menu page. However, I would like to use the VS8 background. Is the image that is used in VS8 stored as a gif image or similar somewhere in a VS8 directory? I've done a quick hunt, but without success so far. Can anyone suggest where I might look?

Thank you.

[Ron P.]

1. You should always uninstall the trial version before installing a full version. I think the program will prompt you to remove the version you have installed before installing. Over-installing is not allowed in most cases. Once you have the program installed, there is the option of repair install, presented should you need to do so.
2. Sorry, but I strongly disagree, and yes I have used VS8 and 9, where they have the Middle option. Once you really learn how to use Keyframes, you too will look back and wonder why they had that silly middle key function.
   
   To setup a static "middle" of your pan/zoom, all you need to do once you have inserted the middle keyframe, is to right-click on it, select copy. Then move to the next position you want to insert the keyframe. Here you can either press the + button to add a keyframe, OR, just right-click on the keyframe timeline and select.....PASTE. There, your done with it. Not very fiddly if you ask me.. Also notice in the right-click menu for adding keyframes, there are other, much quicker things, such as Copy-Paste to all, Copy-paste to all-right. Then instead of using the mouse, how about the keyboard shortcuts of [CTL] + C , [CTL] + V, [Insert]. So using the static example, all you would need to do is position your playhead, press the [Insert] key on your keyboard. Adjust the position of zoom or pan. Once that's done, press [CTL] + C to copy it. Now move to where you want to add your next keyframe, placing your cursor at that postion, press [CTL] + V, ...done!! Static zoom set up.
3. I'm not at my desktop currently where I have VS8 installed to look for that menu background. You can look in the Samples folder to see if it is located there to start with. Once it's located just copy it over to someplace on your PC. You don't really need to do that, if you leave VS8 installed. There's no reason to uninstall it. In VS Pro, when you want to change the background image of your DVD menu, just navigate to the one you want to use, select it, and it is used.
   My desktop is located in our guest room, and right now someone is asleep in there. So in an hour or so, I'll be able to have a look...

[Bytheseaside]

Thank you Ron for that info. Thank you as well for all the help solving the image quality problem in X2.

As I'm running the downloaded X2 trial version, I don't have an instruction book as I did with VS8. I like something I can sit & study. I will now investigate copy & paste in Keyframes - sounds very straightforward.

I've looked in all the folders I can find in VS8 including Samples, but without success. Lots of other images, but no sign of the DVD menus. Surely it's in there somewhere?

[Ron P.]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. Yesterday was granddaughters birthday, and had to rush out of town for her birthday party..

Just had a look through all the content that came with VS8, and below are the only 2 images that come close to the description you provided..


File name in folder is B030.jpg


File name in folder is B021.jpg

Those were found in the DVD Content>Background folder. Since Corel will not allow us to upload anything to their servers, Those images were uploaded to ImageShack in the original format and size. If they are what you're looking for, just right-click on each of them and select Save Image, or whatever your browser uses, to download and save them.

If those are not what you're looking for, then you must have an image from some other program, or got it somewhere else.

I've also uploaded a copy of the User Guide for VS Pro. Click on the link to download it.. VS Pro X2 User Guide In the webpage that opens, click on the Download link above it..

[Bytheseaside]

Ron,

Thank you. Happy birthday to your granddaughter.

I've downloaded the user guide - thank you for that too.

Alas, neither of those pictures was the one I wanted. However, they are both quite pleasing so I've downloaded them anyway. Perhaps VS8 UK is not the same as VS8 US. I can't find any folders called DVD Content or Background anywhere in my copy of Ulead VideoStudeo 8 (as it is listed in the program files directory of my Drive C). I did a seach for a file called Background. It gave a good list, but none were anything to do with VS8. Searching for DVD Content produced even less.

Thank you for your help anyway. I'll have to try a see if I can extract the image from the program some other way.

[Black Lab]

I no longer have v8 installed, but it is probably under:

C:\Program Files\Ulead\Videostudio\Content or \Samples.

There was also extra content on the install disc that didn't automatically install.

[Bytheseaside]

Ron

I've had a look on the original VS8 CDs & found your DVD Content>Background file & others. I still can't find my background with the globe, but I have a good selection now & I'll keep looking.

Thank you.

[Ron P.]

I neglected to specify those images came from the extra/bonus whatever they called it back then, content. In my VS8 version, I have all the Samples (video, images, audio) linked into the Libraries. The Extra content stuff is on my external harddrive.

Ulead might have packed things differently, however I purchased the ESD (download) version with the backup CD. So they probably included more with the boxed version..