Not User Friendly

Tony-Limas wrote on 11/24/2019, 5:31 PM

I have been trying to make a simple photo slide show for about 40 hrs. This product is not user friendly. I can't even create a title with the word "Title" popping up on the title screen page in various locations. Some photos are cut off and other go out of view with live photo effects on. I can't figure out how to adjust the photos to get the entire original photo on the screen let alone l keep them from floating off the screen I am going to try and return this product. It seems a computer coder wrote it for themselves for themselves.

Comments

browj2 wrote on 11/24/2019, 6:39 PM

Hi,

No, it's not the program, it's you. This program is about as simple as it gets. Did you look at the Quick Start chapter in the manual?

Are you trying to make a slide show using the SlideShow Maker or by importing photos onto the timeline?

When you import or drag a photo onto the timeline, it adjusts to the project settings and will either be full-screen height or full-screen width, depending on the proportions of the original file and the project settings.

Did you look at any of the tutorials on the Magix.com site?

John CB

emmrecs wrote on 11/25/2019, 3:22 AM

@Tony-Limas

Just to add to what @browj2 has written: this program is indeed essentially very simple to use! BUT, it does require the user to "understand", even in a basic way, how to use it, especially if that user wishes to include e.g. any "effects" (you mention pictures "floating off the screen" and "live photo effects"). I wonder if I might suggest you are trying to "run" with this program before you have learned to "walk"? IOW, you are attempting to prepare quite a sophisticated presentation before you have even tried to mock-up a very simple one.

My suggestions for you:

First, follow John's advice to study the tutorials on Magix site. You can click the Tutorials button at the head of every forum page to go directly to them.
Then, using the Timeline view in PS, select a series of images, between 5 and 10 in total, and place them on Track 1, in any order.
Watch the playback. See how PS shows each image for 7 seconds (if you have not changed the default) and then instantly moves to the next one.
Select any adjacent pair of your images. Experiment with the available Transitions, one at a time, to see how their inclusion "changes" how the switch from one image to the next can be adjusted.
Only when you are confident with this simple procedure should you begin to "experiment" with more sophisticated techniques, like zooming in and out or panning across an image, etc., etc..

If you really don't want to do this and do want a refund you will need to approach the seller directly to request this.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

Tony-Limas wrote on 11/26/2019, 9:55 AM

Once you have mastered the program I guess you it becomes "simple" for everyone else.

browj2 wrote on 12/5/2019, 1:39 PM

@Tony-Limas

I have done up a couple of tutorials, not addressing your concerns, but you may find them of interest.

How have you been making out?

John CB

David-Robinson5527 wrote on 12/15/2019, 12:32 PM

I have to say that this program isnt simple for a first time user, the trick is as said before watch a few tutorials on Youtube there are hundreds out there, the two videos above are excellent probably once you've mastered the basics. Dont try anything too complicated to start with and experiment with a few buttons and controls at a time. I've been using Photostory Easy and Photostory deluxe for about 2 years and I'm still discovering things. Its actually as copmplex or a simple as you want to make it. Perhaps you should use the Wizard Slideshow Maker and let the program create most of the slide show for you, save it as a Project and then reload and rename it with a slightly different name EG ********ver 2 then try changing some of the settings. You will see that music tracks which have been added will show below the images and text boxes appear below them. Yes its very easy to accidently add several text boxes but dont worry we all do it and they can be highlighted and deleted easily.

A few simple tricks it took me ages to find but now save me loads of time.

* Only use timeline view its the easiest to master.

* To delete a photo and close the gap left behind highlight it hold down "control key" and then hit "delete key" this will delete photo and close up the gap where the photo was.

* Right click in and empty area under the photos in time line and select "Find and close gaps" will as it says close any gaps between photos.

* A quick way of lengthening a photo or text box play time is to hover the mouse cursor about 1/3 rd way up the side of the photo or text box, left click and drag the box bigger or smaller to increase or decrease play time.

I hope you are not put off, yes it is a bit daunting at first but believe me its an amazing bit of software. Enjoy