Inserting Images in MSP6.5

[AndrewDV]

Hi,

I have a simple question. I inserted a series of images (from a digital camera) onto my timeline in MSP6.5. When I create the final file, the images get stretched to full screen. This distorts the subject quite a bit. Is there any way to keep the original ratio of the pictures?

Thank you

[jeff b]

I've found that the best stills start off at double (or more) the size of the video frame, then either cropped to the correct aspect ratio or pasted onto a black background, or other suitable color... then imported.

Jeff B

[wkulecz]

Images cropped to 640x480 will display correctly when put in to an NTSC timeline in MSP.

IMHO bigger is a waste of time because programs like photoshop are likely to do a better job of resizing a larger image from a digital camera to the smaller size than MSP.

The exception is if you plan to use a moving path to pan or zoom the image then size the image so your biggest zoom or pan still ends up at 640x480 (I don't know the numbers for PAL).

Portrait mode images should be X by 480 where X depends on the camera's aspect ratio i.e 360x480 for a 3:4 "portrait" mode image with a black border of 140 pixels on each side so the image imported is 640x480 (or sized to a larger multiple of this).

Hope this helps.

--wally.

[IM_Riktar]

Moving path is your best bet. If you are not going to "move" the image you can set the same values for starting and ending in the options box. Sizing is quite easy since you can lock the ratio and then just set the size you want on either width or height and the image will be properly sized when you render out.

This feature is something I have yet to see any other software platform utilize that is as easy as MSPro.

[Dr Mordrid]

A full workup of how to format/scale images in MSPro is in the Ulead Learning Center;

http://www.ulead.com/learning/msp.htm

Look at the "Still images and moving paths" tutorial.

Dr. Mordrid

[AndrewDV]

Thanks to everyone for the help!

I knew there had to be a way in MSP

Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year!

[Brian Ellis]

I agree with Jeff, but I go farther. I resize to 720 x 576 (or 480) if it's going to be a still image, before importing into MSP. If I zoom or pan, I might go as far as 1440 x 1152, depending on how far I wish to zoom in, although this is something very rare. I use moving paths for that alone.

Kala Christogennia apo Kypros

[jeff b]

I tend to operate on the proposition that the better the source material for desktop video, the better the end product. But it can turn out that the re-sizing of a large pic by MSP can not be as good as pre-sizing in a good graphics pgm. It will many times depend on what the final product is going to be, however.

Jeff B

[Dr Mordrid]

For the record: MSPro can accept still images up to 4096x4096, so if you're going to zoom way in or pan/tilt significantly you can size them as required up to this point.

Dr. Mordrid