Layered slideshow in Photostory 2014 Deluxe, is it possible?

Icy1 wrote on 12/30/2013, 7:11 PM

Hi! I am sorry to say it, but this is the first program which I have used with totally useless help section and lacking tutorials, so I hope that somebody has solved this mystery and can explain me some basic things.

I'm trying to create a slideshow with layered effect, i.e. the "main" slideshow is on the upper layer, images a bit smaller than the canvas and at the same time there is a second slideshow with the same, but blurry images on the background. These two slideshows don't have to be synchronized, the idea is that the blurry one has more transitions to make the overall impression more dynamic.

Is it possible?

I have been experimenting in Timeline mode with two slideshows on the different "tracks" or "layers" (or how do you call them), but only the slideshow on the lower "layer" is visible.

I have wasted a lot of time on this strange program and feel disappointed and cheated, because it is far from being easy and there is no written help!!!

Thanks in advance!

Comments

browj2 wrote on 12/30/2013, 10:40 PM

Hello Icy1,

It's easy to criticize a program when you don't know how it works. I have the 2013 version of PhotoStory and it has a 232 page manual with a lot of explanation as to how everything works. I suggest that you read it. The help file is useful for specific help topics.

I'm not sure what you mean about the transitions making the overall effect more dynamic by overlying a clear slideshow over a blurry one, but maybe I should try it. However, there are plenty of transition possibilities in PhotoStory that are quite dynamic.

To overlay one slideshow or object over the other, you started correctly, but you have the sequence inversed. The lower track always overlays anything that is above it. Move the blurry object to track one and the clear slideshow to track 2 or 3. If you have trouble dragging the objects around, make sure that you are in mouse mode for single objects and not the mode for moving all objects that are to the right of the mouse.

Next you have reduce the size of your clear slideshow. Click on it. Click on the Effects tab at the upper right. Select "View & Animation" then "Size & Position." This will create a box around the selected object. Grab a handle and reduce the size of the image to what you want, and drag it to where you want. You will immediately see the blurry slideshow underneath.

There are many wonderful things that you can do with this program, if only you take the time to read the manual and try out everything.

Please let me know how it works out.

Icy1 wrote on 1/2/2014, 5:39 PM

Hi and thank you very much for your quick answer! Of course, Photostory has a manual, 227 pages. But apparently, you get what you pay for and I expected too much of this affordable software. Solution to my problem was Proshow Producer. Thank you and bye!