I hope motivation2001 won't mind my chipping in with a few questions of my own about this interesting plugin, which I've never used yet.

1. Has anyone used it within MEP 2014? Clicking proDAD Heroglyph I get the following error message:

I assume it means 'Titler' and is telling me to update the program. I don't know why, as I already installed it, but I re-installed from the executable, which on my PC is:
C:\Docs\MAGIX downloads\Installationsmanager\Video_deluxe_2014_Premium_proDAD_Heroglyph_4_INT_130816_16-28_1_0_0_0.exe

and chose the Repair option, which reported success, but I still get that same error message. Anyone with any idea how to fix please?

2. Have others got the independent program?

3. If so, have you mastered how to use it? On startup I get this:

and naturally my first step was Help! But I note that Magix MEP is not on the list.

4. I then tried the documentation about the interface in the hope that would get me started quickly, and that does have entries for Magix - but it's in German:

http://www.prodad.com/home/products/videotiteling/heroglyph/300514306/interface,l-us.html

That's particularly frustrating for the 'workshop' on Travel Routes, because route/trail drawing is a feature I would like to use quite often.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Carl thanks that worked like a charm!! Great work!

Terry,

...and motivation2001, I was going to include some 'how to use' earlier but figured to wait and see if there were more questions. (And actually try the program some first!)

When I click on the Heroglyph entry on the MEP title menu tab (don't have the independent program) I get a startup window:

My installation file in the Installationsmanager folder is 'Video_deluxe_2014_Premium_proDAD_Heroglyph_4_INT_130816_16_28_1_0_0_0.exe'. The '1301816_16' part of the filename, which Terry doesn't show, is the same or similar to in all my installation files. As far as I can see I don't have a 'default.def' file anywhere.

When I made a test title I assumed, as in some other plugins, that I should simply close its window but got the following:

So [F12] gets me back to MEP with my Heroglyph title in place. Turns out there is also a tiny 'Apply title' icon up at the top left by the undo and redo buttons. Finally found the help file -- which doesn't seem to have a link from the program but now has a desktop shortcut: C:\Program Files (x86)\proDAD\Heroglyph-4.0\tl\english-default\Heroglyph-help.chm

Regards,

Carl

Hi Carl,

Thanks, that's helpful. Puzzled why I can't get it started in MEP here. (I did show the same installation file as you:
C:\Docs\MAGIX downloads\Installationsmanager\Video_deluxe_2014_Premium_proDAD_Heroglyph_4_INT_130816_16-28_1_0_0_0.exe")

What version is shown by Help > About? The independent is 2.6 Rapid, as you see here:

But it looks dauntingly complex and likley to need a major learning investment. I'll search for some well written tutorials (in English) stepping through basic examples but otherwse I doubt if I'll make any progress. Pity, because it's clearly a feature rich program.

If you get as far as drawing a track on a map image I'd appreciate a heads up please!

Edit: 1 hour later.  Made some progress and drawn and exported my first track on a map, using the Workshop section. I suspect it's one of those apps for which trial/error experimenting is the best way to learn.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Terry,

Unfortunately the installed version doesn't have the usual 'Help' menu option to get to the help file nor even show a program version number. Wait... this info is available on a further screen from little icons at the top right, rather than a 'File' top menu bar. My plugin is listed as Heroglyph 4.0.218 (29.07.2013).

I started a route and, like you say, experimenting, with the help file within view, is the order of the day!

Regards,

Carl

Thanks Carl.

Please try a simple text effect with animation. To get transparency (i.e. just the animated text) it seems you can only use the RAW (AVI) export option which creates gigantic files.

I found that that when I overwrite a filename I get an export error, but a new name is OK.

Edit With the other option (creating small files) I found that I could use the default grey background and then Colour in MEP's Chomakey dialog to succeed. And then found I could change background colour in Heroglyph to the more comfortable black etc.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Carl,

I uninstalled 2.6 and 4.0, reinstalled 4.0 and now have 4 accessible from MEP, like you.

But it's presently unusable here because:

1. When I drag the Heroglyph window to a new position it creates a copy! Repeatedly. And if I try to close one with 'x', the right hand part (beyond the MEP window edge) disappears in all instances. So I then have to close Heroglyph.

2. It prevents the sizing/restoring/minimising and closing of any other open applications!

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Terry,

I can get your problem if I pick 'Alternative' modes 1 or 2 from the program settings >> display options tab. The other two are OK but it seems if I've chosen an alternative mode I have to close and then reopen MEP to get back proper window behavior even if I have changed the tab setting.

Couple of little irritations:

Some combinations of Heroglyph fonts & styles are missing quite a few punctuation symbols eg < > " ' + = ^ @ #. Certainly some might be infrequently used but that's no excuse. Curiously this example has the '@' and '#' OK in the animated background, but not in the full text line.

Secondly I sometimes get a Heroglyph set of animated text lines added on a separate track:

Easy enough to mute the track or delete but if I try out several ideas I'm likely to end up with a stack of them!

Re: Your earlier question about transparency:

Perhps no export needed. Right click on items you don't want eg decore and frame and delete them (or use select and [Del] key). Amazingly, even after saving MEP project and closing and restarting MEP, Heroglyph remembers the earlier deletions and restores them with [Ctrl + Z]!

Not yet tried saving -- do you mean as a Heroglyph 'project'?

Regards,

Carl

Thanks Carl. You've clearly made good progress. I'll try again later, but I'm not enthusiastic. Spent an hour or so reading the first part of the PDF manual last night, covering various exercises, albeit handicapped by not using the program simultaneously. Must say I couldn't follow much of it and the parts that I could seemed sprinkled with careless errors and strange terminology ('register', etc) I suppose some of this is down to language problems, as with MAGIX. The manual also suffers from screenshots often on a different page to the associated instructions. And so far the UI hasn't 'clicked' with me.

I'd be interested in the practical applications you envisage with Heroglyph. I use BluffTitler occasionally (that was quite a learning effort too) but in general I seem able to get the results I want from MEP itself. The major exception is the one I mentioned earlier, drawing complex routes. I have managed this a few times with two different methods, one using MEP and the other my image editor, PaintShop Pro, but from my first tests it looks as if  Heroglyph will do it more easily. (Version 4 seems significantly different to 2.6.)

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Terry asks "...practical applications..." ??? You mean it's not a just mind toy? Like when the guy at the shop said if I liked puzzles I'd love Windows? :-)

Heroglyph came with 2014 Premium and I've only been 'playing' with it in response to the questions raised here. I'll probably actually use it when I figure out how to do something that the developers never intended! I agree the UI has its odd moments. Seems there are several different window and I'm never sure which one is going to pop up next -- probably depending on whether I'm starting with a wizard or editing something already on the timeline.

Where did you find the PDF manual? I've only located the .chm help file. Have you been to the proDAD site for updates aka 'service packs'. Not yet checked if there is any change to the version numbers (I've also got their ReSpeedr).

For now,

Carl

Carl,

Yes, my dislike of unsolved puzzles is 99% of my motivation too so far!

I found the PDF Manual here:

http://www.prodad.com/home/products/videotiteling/heroglyph/300514306/documentation,l-us.html

How did you pick 'Alternative' modes 1 or 2 from the program settings >> display options tab ? This is what I have on startup:

Nor does choosing say Templates give me any settings.

And right now, with MEP plus Heroglyph > Demo plus Heroglyph > Help open (the latter only accessible from '?' top right in the Demo), I cannot return to any of those three windows, all hidden by my Firefox browser as I compose this. Curiosiy aside, I'm beginning to wonder how long I can risk having this program on my system.

See also my reply to your PM.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Hi

. . . . Terry asks "...practical applications..." ??? You mean it's not a just mind toy? . . . 

Of course it is not a mind toy    .  Just drives you round the bend sometimes

Practical applications - like this intro for a DVD I made mid 2012 - this plays before the movie menu appears

I have also done something similar in MEP with fewer images (6) as shown in this example I posted back in Sept 2012

John

Terry,

The alt mode settings are under the 'Display options' tab of MEP's 'File' >> 'Settings' >> 'Program...' [Y] key shortcut, not in Heroglyph. Sorry I didn't earlier use the correct terms from memory.

Carl

Hi

V2.6 was a version that installed as an additional program with an earlier version of MEP....... 17 I think.

I got that update message when I installed MEP2014 but I think it updated automatically when I clicked OK, or I did as Terry did and ran the .exe.

As Carl mentioned, it is worth checking the Prodad site for Service Updates for all their programs and Plugins.

Like Prodad Adorage and Vitascene, Heroglyph is a very customisable powerful package but there is a big learning curve and I agree that the interface is not that intuitive. I think V4 is supposed to be "easier" than earlier versions

V4 has some nice looking Liquid Scripts in the demo and I have used the Videowall option in V2.6 to good effect.

Peter

John, Peter:

Are either of you getting the serious display problems I described please? Even with alternative MEP display options, like Carl reports?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Like Prodad Adorage and Vitascene...

Peter,

I've given up on Heroglyph for now and I'm looking at Adorage. Do you or any others use it? If so I'll start a new thread.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK