Live Show

Having problems? Have a solution? Let us know what your dilemma is with ProShow Producer. Please limit the topics to software problems, not "How To's"
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Live Show

Postby AndrewB » Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:18 am

Please help! I have a big festival coming up this weekend and I am using Proshow 5 to run a Big Screen. I am using a photograher to roam the the grounds and take pictures. Once every 30 minutes he is loading the files from his camera onto my laptop (wifi is not an option as the files are 10MB each). The slide show will run once the files have been loaded into the "Proshow Live" folder.

I am accessing this folder with my slideshow and using it as a "live" slideshow for each layer. However, I am having problems in that the "live show' is repeating pictures when it is running. It seems to be in a random fashion. I have clicked the "add newest first" option and only files added in the last xxx seconds" but the system does not seem to be recognising these options.

I am sure i am not doing someting that is an easy fix, but I am at a loss as to what the problem is. The solution is easy I am sure.

Can someone pelase help? I am using Proshow Producer 5

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Re: Live Show

Postby VernonRobinson » Tue Aug 21, 2012 5:59 pm

I have not used the Live Show feature myself, but the operation is described in the ProShow manual if you have not have the opportunity to try it.

The reason for my post is the following:

1). Most DSLR cameras have the opportunity to record save the "RAW" image as captured by the camera. This is your digital negative. What I am suggesting is that you ask the photographer if they can have the JPEGs created at a lower resolution so that you can use the WiFi option, and then you can use the "RAW" file to create a larger high resolution JPeg for you to keep. This has the benefit of making your show more extemporaneous while allowing the photographer to work without having to take the time to download the file. Plus ProShow will work better without having to digest 10 MB files.

2). You could create a batch file that copies/or delete the files out of the live folder after a certain period of time or after you have above a certain number in the folder. This will keep the old files from hanging around. I realize most people don't know what a batch file is, but if you need some help with that, please post. We got a lot of OLD heads around here that could help you create a batch file that you could then get Windows to run at a particular interval.

Regards,
-Vernon

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Re: Live Show

Postby Tonel » Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:36 am

I'm making preparations for my first 'live show' and have had a test run that worked fine. The following may be of help:

- I wanted to avoid bulk uploads as it takes time and distracts you from taking pictures.

- I opted for wi-fi using an Eye-Fi card (I chose a Connect X2 4GB + Wi-Fi card) and set it up to use Direct Mode (connects directly to my laptop). http://www.eye.fi/

- To reduce wifi transfer time instead of my dslr I used my compact to take 5MB jpgs. Of course I could have changed the settings of my dslr but the quality of these images is perfectly acceptable for the impact/interest I want to achieve.

- I followed the instructions here http://kb.photodex.com/2154/how-to-make ... -producer/
and created a 'starter' show using available images and a music track. This show is then set to run.

- With the Eye-Fi card in my camera and the Eye-Fi card's receiver plugged into my powered on laptop as I take each photo it's immediately sent to my live show folder on my laptop (it's also saved on the card). The images transfer quickly and unobtrusively. You just carry on taking pictures and not give it a thought whilst it quietly gets on with transmitting them. There needs to be a slight delay between taking pictures but I don't plan to be rapidly taking shots.

- I could see the images as they appeared in the live folder but as you have found, they didn't appear in the show. However, when the show is restarted they do appear in whatever order chosen. Have you tried restarting your show?

So the trick is to use a command/batch file to re-run the show until you stop it. Of course, the longer the show the longer the wait to see new images.

Tony
Self build Xeon W3690, 12GB RAM, C=250GB 850EVO SSD, Asus 2GB GTX960, Win10H 64bit, PSP9
iMac 27" Retina 5K i5, 24GB RAM, Radeon M295X 4GB, Bootcamp Win10H 64bit

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Re: Live Show

Postby AndrewB » Wed Aug 22, 2012 6:44 am

I restarted the program and checked the "load only images added in last 1800 secs" and "in order added". Still, the new images do not show up and files a being repeated after a few slides. Also, when I do not add a live shot all of the layers for the slide seem to run as i want, but when i use the live image feature I have to check every single layer.

How can this be rectified. I am runing out of time and patience.

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Re: Live Show

Postby gpsmikey » Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:04 am

If you are interested in checking out the Eye-fi card, be sure and check out the site Tony listed. I looked at it for my camera (Nikon D300s) and while it works, the range is very limited - their info indicated:
Known Issues
Eye-Fi has determined that the metal body and frame of the Nikon D300s affects the range of an Eye-Fi card's Direct Mode network. The effective usable range of a Direct Mode network is typically less than 6 feet (2 m). It is best to keep the camera and iOS or Android device as close as possible when using a Nikon D300s with Direct Mode for best possible results.
I still may get one of those cards for my camera (unfortunately, leaving the card access door open is not an option because it is right under your hand when holding the camera).

mikey
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mikey (PSP6, Photoshop CS6, Vegas Pro 14, Acid 7, BluffTitler, Nikon D300s, D810)
Lots of PIC and Arduino microprocessor stuff too !!

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Re: Live Show

Postby Tonel » Thu Aug 23, 2012 3:40 am

Like you I'm a novice at doing a 'Live Show' so it may help to try something simple to see if we get the same outcome then build from there. (Forgive me for teaching you to suck eggs.) If you're up for it then:

First go to 'My Pictures' and add a new folder 'PSP Live Show'.

Now run PSP, open a 'New Show', in the 'Folder List' select a folder containing images (any images), drag a different image to each of the first few slides.

Select the first slide and open the 'Slide Options' dialog. In the 'Layer Settings' tab under 'Layer Type,' ensure 'Replaceable layer' and 'Load live image' are ticked.

Click 'Configure Folder' and under 'Folders to pull live images from' browse to and select the folder '*:\Pictures\PSP Live Show' for both 'Preview' and 'Executable'. Under 'Playback settings' select your preferred order. OK out (but not out of 'Slide Options').

Right click on 'Layer 1' and select 'Copy > Copy Settings' and with 'Source Layer, Slide 1, Layer 1' selected, under 'Settings to Copy, General' tick 'Replaceable image' and 'Live image'. In ' Destination Layers' tick each of the other slides. Then click 'Copy & Close'. Then OK out of 'Slide Options'.

Press the Spacebar to play the slides and the Preview window should be blank. (This is because you chose '*:\Pictures\PSP Live Show' as the 'Preview' folder above and the folder is empty.)

Now switch to 'Publish' mode, select 'Executable' and click 'Create'.

Under the 'Menu' select 'No Menu'. Under 'Options' 'Loop Show' should be ticked. Click 'Create', name the exe file and click 'Save'.

When asked, choose 'Yes' to watch the file. The show will of course be blank (because you chose '*:\Pictures\PSP Live Show' for the 'Executable' and the folder is empty).

Leave the show running, switch to Windows Explorer and copy any image into '*:\Pictures\PSP Live Show'

That image should shortly be displayed in your show. Add other images to the folder and these will appear.

You now have a 'Live Show'. It works for me. Does it work for you?

If it does you now build on it. You can have multiple layers per slide and apply Styles to them and it works. Just remember what it says on http://kb.photodex.com/2154/how-to-make ... -producer/

'All you need to do is choose your style, then pick which layers in that slide will be live images. It’s often easiest to pick just those images which actually appear in the style. Be aware that some styles will use duplicates of the same image. If you make all versions into live images, you might get different live images on each of the layers.'

I'm able to have multiple layers with styles and as I add images to the folder they appear when the show loops.

Tony
Self build Xeon W3690, 12GB RAM, C=250GB 850EVO SSD, Asus 2GB GTX960, Win10H 64bit, PSP9
iMac 27" Retina 5K i5, 24GB RAM, Radeon M295X 4GB, Bootcamp Win10H 64bit

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