I've asked Magix Support to clarify this. But meanwhile I've solved it satisfactorily by writing a macro to reduce the wizard's photo durations by a factor of my choosing. I'm using 0.75 at present. I could easily refine that to add conditional calculations but for now this gives me reasonable results.
Of course, if there are relatively few photos then the best aproach is to examine each individually and use Right click > Change photo length... but with many that's fairly tedious.
Here's the essence of the reply from MAGIX.
I'm afraid this one has to go into the category of questions where we can't really make a 100% definite statement on the inner workings of MEP with regard to that parameter. The value for the time definitely seems to be more of guideline (or minimum), which stands to reason, since the actual durations will obviously depend on the specific effects applied.
But I still don't see why images (unlike videos) cannot be constrained to 3 or 4 seconds.
Hi Terry
AFAICS the reason is in the last sentence of the answer from Magix you posted
. . . . since the actual durations will obviously depend on the specific effects applied . . . . .
If an effect is > 3 or 4 secs long then the image lengths have to be extended for the effect to play out in full.
I suspect that the movie templates are built in a similar way to the collages ie with placeholders of specific length.
MEP 2016 offers movie templates of different durations and some of the images are shorter than 1 second if you use all the placeholders.
HTH
John EB
Hi John,
I agree and I think that's what Ralf meant too. But my point is that if the user has specified transition times of 1 sec then there are no other parameters in the effects that should prevent an image being limited to say 3 seconds.
Hi Terry
Looking at the 2016 templates and the availability of different durations of movie and
. . . . specified transition times of 1 sec then there are no other parameters in the effects that should prevent an image being limited to say 3 seconds . . . .
Then I assume that in MEP 2014 the following is true:
The only paramater that is left to maintain a balanced presentation is for images to have a minimum length to fit in the prescribed time frame given 1 and 2 above. Thus limiting an image to 3 secs does not fit in with the above assumptions,
John EB
Hi John,
I'm not sure I really understand your last post. I don't use templates, I just set my own. Nor do I apply the slideshow wizard to movie clips.
Take the simple example of loading some JPGs, imported at 4s. Suppose I want a mixture of pans (normal) and zooms (max) applied to them, with transitions purely of straight cuts. I set those in Transitions and Effects respectively, disable music and video and specify what I have been interpreting as a maximum duration of 3s in Properties (because I want a brisk, snappy result).
Why should that not be an easy task for the wizard? And with say 100 photos a very helpful task too.
Hi Terry and John,
I did some more tests using MEP2014 on my wife's portable whilst watching the snow fall in Charlevoix. We skiied today,leaving tomorrow.
In Slideshow Maker, as soon as you add pan or zoom effects, the default automatically goes up to 5s to 7s. I had all images at 3 and the default in Slideshow Maker set at 3. This is probably because 3s would be too fast for zooms and pans so Magix automatically makes the adjustment. Like you, no videos, and no music for the test
No problem with only cuts and transitions; they were all 3s total.
The workaround is to change all of the images to the length that you want afterwards. Of course, the kf disappears at the right, but you can use the go to next or previous buttons and then move or resize the image. If you also have transitions, then it makes it harder to see what you are doing. Etc.
I redid my Christmas video using footage taken here in Charlevoix. I forgot to bring the other video with me and hadn't posted it in my album or sent it out. I think that I had more success with the new one, probably due to the practice run. Once again, I did it in SlideShow Maker and then made adjustments, including moving some of the effects around, changing the font, etc. Here is the new version in case anyone would like to see it.
Hi John,
Thanks a bunch, you've cracked it. Pans &/or zooms ==> duration setting doesn't work.
I'm using the workaround you suggest. As mentioned in my post 20th Dec, for a large number of photos I'm applying it to all simultaneously, 80% of original duration, using my macro. (Unfortunately I can't share that unless you have Macro Express Pro.) Some still need changing individually, of course, not necessarily due to any remaining problem with the duration but to the inappropriateness of the effect or transition. I prefer 4 and even 3s images to have pans or zooms, which IMO can look better than statics; just a matter of getting the KF settings right.
Nice video! Bernadette looked a bit envious during the kissing bit though!
Happy New Year to you and Nathalie and to all my friends here.