Editing a transition

[just4fun]

I am trying to create a transition and have a time on it of 3 sec. I want to edit it because it is not right yet and get the message that it cannot have time. I cannot figure out how to edit out the time.

[BarbaraC]

...get the message that it cannot have time.

Assuming you're editing the slide from which the transition was made, is it possible you're trying to take time away from a keyframe that's more than the timing the keyframe currently has? For instance, if the amount of time between keyframes 2 and 3 is 1.5 seconds, you can't subtract 1.8 seconds from it because the result is a negative amount. If this isn't what's going on, try to describe precisely what you're doing when you see the message.

Barbara

[just4fun]

I made a transition and named it Butterfly. I used the "create transition" and it saved to "my transitions". Now I would like to tweak it.
I went to the transition menu, clicked on "Butterfly" and the gear at the top left to find "edit" at the bottom of the screen. Clicked it and it gave me an "Edit transition" pop up, hit Ok and the "wait" wheel spins...the screen flickers then nothing.

I figured out that the files are now in a "hidden folder" so I can get to it that way, but it seems I should not have to use the file manager. I admit, I am getting a little frustrated, crashed and burnt the old hard drive... had to upgrade to Windows 8, decided to upgrade on Producer since I had to download anyway and then the same for PSP, so I am trying to sort files and learn the "new stuff". All too much for an old lady. But I think I am going to like the new Producer.

[BarbaraC]

You can't edit a transition; you can only edit the slide from which the transition is made. From this point forward, make sure you save the slide so you don't have to go digging for file deep inside the guts of your hard drive. It's like going around the world to get to your next door neighbor.

Barbara

[im42n8]

Well, there is a way to edit a transition ... but it's not exactly straight forward. You can't directly edit the applied transition like you can with slide styles.

If you create your own transitions, make sure you keep the original PSH file that created them. Saves lots of work and time.

But, if you no longer have the original file, just the transition saved by ProShow, then you need to look here:

Transitions are located in ProgramData/ProShow/Transitions/Cache

You find the transition you're looking for by its name. Double click on the folder that has that name and when it's open you should find a file called style.psh (if I remember right ... not on my own computer). If you open this file in ProShow, save it to a DIFFERENT FOLDER immediately to avoid corrupting the original file (in case you make changes you didn't really want to make... you know, the Murphy's Law syndrome).

You may need to populate the layers with images to see what's going on (the existing layers may be "blank" placeholder layers).

EDIT or make CHANGES only have you have made sure you have no way of overwriting the original file . . .

Once you've made the necessary changes, save it as a transition under a new name (or overwrite the original after you've determined that what you've done is what you wanted done).

Dale

[just4fun]

Barb, I don't get what you mean by saving the slide.

[just4fun]

Dale, I am definitely a digger. LOL I found it and took it from pastel butterflies to vivid butterflies. I posted both versions to YouTube. Now I need to learn how to change the direction. Swoop in from either corner would be nice

Not sure if I remember how to post correctly so let me know if this is wrong.
Don't blink, it is 15 seconds long at best.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/j7aVIvlKt5U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[just4fun]

That did not work.

I am persistent....

http://youtu.be/j7aVIvlKt5U

[im42n8]

Nice. There's a lot to learn ... and there are multiple ways of doing the same thing. I like having options.

Dale

[BarbaraC]

Barb, I don't get what you mean by saving the slide.

When you said you were trying to "create a transition," I took you quite literally, thinking you'd built the transition yourself. Now I realize you meant you wanted to change a transition already in your collection. Dale has given you exactly what you needed, and it appears you've taken the information and run with it!

If you'd built the transition yourself, it would have been by incorporating the effects you wanted inside a slide, saving it as a transition. It was the original slide I was referring to when I said it should be saved.

Barbara

[just4fun]

We are almost on the same page. I know see what you mean by slide. I did start with slides, I put in a green one and made it the source (in my mind that is go and then put in red and made it destination (for stop). I then added my butterfly mask that I made in PSP and and put it over a pastel gradient layer. So I started with 4 layers. set it to move from top to bottom. I created the transition and it went into the "my transition" category. I then wanted to edit it and I could not get the "edit" on the bottom to open it.

I was a software tester, so I knew it was in a file somewhere. After two hours, I realized I had not set my new computer to allow me to see "hidden folders" and it is "hidden" in this version of Producer. Good idea or people like me could mess up the original transitions.

My creative process is more about modification. I can't do a painting from start to finish in one setting, it takes me months. I put stuff in, take it out etc which is why I stick with oils. Watercolors dry and that is it.

I did not save the show with the original slides because I thought I could open it from the transition list screen. I did make about 5 copies of it once I found the file and saved it with Butterfly.01 etc and then deleted them in the transition screen but that is extra work also. I think I will try your way today and save it as a show. I am thinking it will allow me to save it as a transition and still keep the show and add another layer and save it again. I will still have to delete all the old versions.

My thought is that I could build different "actions" that I like for one library and then just change the graphics to suit my show. I like to divide a show with theme transitions and use the others to move through the pictures, like setting chapters for a book.

Ultimately, I would love to make those little butterfly wings fluttering down from the corners...dream on.

[BarbaraC]

Yes, that's exactly what you should do--save the show where you've constructed the transitions. It's a whole lot easier than searching them out in the underworld of Windows. I have one show that contains at least 30 variations of a transition, which means that if I had to edit each of those transitions and if I didn't have the original show, I'd give up, throw out my computer, and go live in a mountain cave.

Barbara

[just4fun]

That is exactly how I was feeling when I came to the forum to be rescued. You guys are priceless. You always come thru for me which is not easy because I have a little difficulty explaining myself in the beginning.

[im42n8]

Once you figure out the ProShow way that things are done, it becomes easier. Sometimes it seems like a mountain ... when it's not, simply a molehill. But, perception has a lot of power to make things harder than it needs to be ... and once your perception adjusts appropriately, it can drastically change the way things are. Then, you will wonder why you didn't see it earlier. Been there, done that (and it's still happening!). Learning masks or keyframing can be like that too. What was difficult suddenly becomes easy.

It's a tough thing for some to find you can't edit transitions like you can an applied style. That kept the ability to edit transitions to a knowledgeable and intrepid few. Same thing goes for editing a PSH directly. But, necessity (even if it's contrived) is the mother of invention. When you're not told something is impossible, any thing is possible. Sometimes the impossible just takes a little longer than the difficult stuff ... simply because you didn't know!

Have fun exploring! Been there, done that (and still doing it).

Dale