Photo wall file size Q

[momoffduty]

Struggling with the appropriate file size for a wall of pics (scrapbook look). Saw a tut at Wrigley that said to use a psd 4,000x3560. Well the system choked. Tried reducing the size to 2,000x1500 and works, but long time to render each change or added effects even with my new processor.

What is a good file size to get good clarity of say 6 pics on a page? What I have done in the past is lay another version of the pic on top of the scrapbook page pic, but that is an extra step and won't work if you have some pics over lapping.

Here is the tut on Wrigley: http://www.wrigleyvideo.com/videotutori ... towall.htm


Another related Q: Does PSE5 have lighting effects?

[Chuck Engels]

Cheryl, Are you doing this in Premiere Pro or in Premiere Elements?

[Steve Grisetti]

Do you literally mean a "wall", Cheryl?

What size of an area are you really trying to fill?

For most printed material, 200 dots per inch is fine. (High-quality offset printing uses 300 -- but, if you're just coming off an inkjet, you won't see much of a boost using that resolution.)

[momoffduty]

The wall of photos is made on a psd and then brought into Pro (or PrEl) to pan & zoom from one pic to another. It could be on a background or a transparent background. The tut used 4,000x3560 with 72 dpi and was made in Pro, think version2. This file chokes in Pro CS3 and have a quad core.

I am trying to find a good file size that won't choke in Pro, yet is large enough to zoom into the pics that are set up as a collage. I could make this in Pro and nest the seq., either way the problem remains the same when you zoom into the pics there is lost resolution. I would prefer to make the collage in PSE5.

[Chuck Engels]

What project preset are you using? I would think that the file wouldn't be a problem in a HDV preset but that you are probably using a SD preset.
I assume you are trying to avoid all of the tracks and work required to do this without the single image. You might want to consider using a grid (like the Brady Bunch Intro) and just put all of the images on the timeline and position them all on the grid. You can probably get away with quite a few images that way, lots more work though.

[Chuck Engels]

Now that I think about it, I don't know why you are having problems if you are following the tutorial instructions.
I can't get to Wrigley right now, their site must be down, but if they did it you should be able to also.
Especially with that machine you have now

Could just be a page file setting, but whatever the problem is maybe we can figure it out.

I will test this over the weekend in Pro CS3 and see what happens on my machine.
Can you explain how you created the PSD, what color is the background, and how many images did you put on it?
Anything you can tell me will help, or you can upload the image you were trying to use and I can see if it reacts the same here.

[munickster]

Cheryl, I've used a 9 picture grid that was 3600 x 2700 at 300 ppi. Premiere Elements didn't have any trouble with it, and I can zoom to almost 300% with decent resolution. That's nearly full frame for the individual photos. The resolution was not as good as what was in the Wrigley tutorial, but if you're only spending a few seconds on each individual photo it seems to be OK.

Dick

[Bill Hunt]

Cheryl,

Let me get some of my assumptions out of the way first.

1.) you wish to create a “photowall,” as Curt did
2.) you are using a 2x2 matrix, as Curt did
3.) you want to do the pans & zooms on this photowall, as Curt did

Now, stop me if any of these are wrong.

The first thing that I see is that Curt was not specific regarding the image size. The 4000x3xxx size is for the entire image in PS, and not for the individual images in the matrix. PrP can handle 4000x4000 still images. Anything larger in either dimension will choke PrP.

What size is your composited image in PS?

Personally, I’d start with a 4000x3000 (assuming NTSC 4:3) and also set my PAR to 0.9 to start with. Then, when you Import your individual images, as Layers, you will be working in NTSC Video dimensions for 4:3. You *may* have to work with your individual images a bit (Ctrl-t for Free Transform) works very well. Watch your images, as they will have come in with square pixels. You may need to alter them a bit, relative to height/width to get them to look correct with the 0.9 PAR.

In PrP, you have a choice, when Importing a .PSD. You can choose Sequence, which will bring in all Layers of the .PSD as individual Clips, or as Footage, which will flatten your Layers, but will still preserve the Transparency, as Curt did. The reason that you *might* want to choose Sequence would be to “swap” images out in your matrix. Either way will work, but I like the additional latitude with Sequence. It just occupies more Video Tracks, when you get it all setup on the Timeline.

This total file size of 4000x3000 should not be a problem for CS3. The playback might be a bit lethargic, but that depends on your processing power.

Since CS2, PrP also offers more Bezier Curve adjustments, than did PrP 1.5, which Curt used. I’d look at both the Continuous Bezier (can be applied at once to all selected Keyframes), as well as the Ease In/Ease Out, which needs to be applied in an alternation fashion to Keyframes at the same point on the Timeline. You CAN select both a Motion and a Scale Keyframe, by dragging your cursor vertically, and then apply a Ease Out to all at that point. Same for the next set of Keyframes, and apply an Ease In.

Otherwise, I think it’s pretty straight forward, and think that Curt did a good job.

There might be a touch of translation, as I am referring to CS2, but it’s so very close to CS3, that I think none of this will likely have changed.

If I missed something important, just yell at me.

Good luck,

Hunt

[Edit] I omitted to uncheck Scale to Frame. Not sure if that was available in PrP 1.5, or if Curt also failed to mention that, as you WANT your image to be larger than the 720x480, and NOT scaled down.

[Barb O]

Another related Q: Does PSE5 have lighting effects?

Cheryl,

While others help you with your other questions, I will try to help with this question that is specific to PSE 5.

However, since I have not really done much in this area I may need to ask some other people. Therefore it would help if I knew more about what your objective is.

Barb O

[momoffduty]

Lots of good questions, hopefully I can clear a few things up.

1. A group of 6 pics with a photo frame applied to each.

2. Tried 2 different ways...one had a background and the other was transparent.

3. Tried 2 different file sizes, entire photo wall not individual pics....4,000x3000 and 2000x1500, both with dpi72. Scale to frame size 'unchecked', SD project setting.

4. Applied motion keyframes & scale keyframes. Applied swivel & tilt keyframes. Going for the floating over effect. Applied lighting effect keyframes to give some shadow & highlight and add more definition.

5. Would prefer to bring in as one file and not a sequence....less to handle since I wasn't planning on moving the individual pics. (On another note: when placing a photo frame on a pic in PSE5 that layer comes in as 2 layers as a sequence. Guess you need to merge the layer and put that on a new psd before bringing it into Pro as a sequence. EX: 6 pics with photo frames looks like 6 layers in PSE, but when brought into Pro as a sequence it is 12 layers.)

6. Would prefer to add the lighting effects in PSE5 to cut down on render time in Pro. Think of a group of pics laying on a table and hovering over there would be natural shadows & highlights as you move.

The first file of 4,000x3000 choked when adding the effects. The second file of 2000x1500 handled the effects, but the render time was very long. Not sure why the tutorial had no problem with the large file size, but mine did. Maybe too many effects & keyframes?

The bottom line:
1. What would a good file size be for the photo wall?
2. How or if it is possible to add lighting effects in PSE5?

Thanks for everyone's help.

[Bill Hunt]

Cheryl,

Got it. Thanks for the step-by-step.

My guess was that Curt really didn't add any Effects to his photowall, just the Keyframes on Motion & Scale.

I wonder if it's a resource issue. I do not have CS3, but will try to duplicate your Project on my workstation on PrP2. Will let you know how that goes.

I assume (there's that word again), that you wish to tilt both the "frame" and the image contained there-in. If that's the case, then Merging the two Layers would simplify the image.

I do not have PSE, so will have to do the image work in PS. Not sure how it will differ, but should be able to kludge something together that is representative. So your matrix is 3x2 = 6 images on the matrix, right?

I may be back this weekend with other questions, like what settings you used for some of the Effects, but let me get setup and then I'll ask, as is needed. Will not be until tomorrow, that I get an opportunity to set this up and start testing. Probably will be Sunday, before I need any input, and we'll just see how it goes.

Sorry that I do not have CS3 and PSE, so I could do a full test, but this should get us close.

Hunt

[Barb O]

Think of a group of pics laying on a table and hovering over there would be natural shadows & highlights as you move.

For info on Lighting Effects in PSE 5, I suggest that you look at -
http://examples.oreilly.com/photoshope5 ... ffects.pdf
It is part of the additional material for the Photoshop Elements 5 Missing Manual Book, but you do not need to own the book to read this pdf file.

I think that these effects may be what you wanted.
However, I am puzzled - I would think that you would need some motion with those lighting effects.
So I am curious - is there a way that you can add the lighting effect in PSE 5 and then give it motion in Premiere Pro?

[momoffduty]

Bill, the psd has 2 rows of 3 pics and I left room around the edges to tilt in Pro. I made a new layer that was the stated above dimensions and then dragged pics onto the new layer. From what I understand is that the pics will now have the same dpi etc as the layer it was placed on.

Barb, I do have the missing manual and didn't know there is additional material to the book. Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for! If I apply the lighting on the psd then there will be no need to add it in Pro. The keyframes that I did in pro for the lighting was adjusting the diameter and the intensity, but can try that with the filter now in PSE5.

A note about adding the photo frame, looks like the layer is 'pass thru' instead of normal. Must be why there are double the layers when bringing it into pro? PSE is still a big learning curve for me.

[Barb O]

Cheryl,

Whether you can achieve a natural transition from one photo to another still seems questionable. I think that you won't know until you try. One suggestion is that you might be able to make it look like the light turning off on one photo and on for the next one simultaneously

The Missing Manual author, Barbara Brundage, frequents the Photoshop Elements forums at the Adobe site on a regular basis. So if you have questions on the Photoshop Elements part of your current task with the Lighting Effects of Photoshop Elements, I suggest that you post those questions at
http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3bbb01bc/

The interaction between Photoshop Elements and Premiere is really a different analysis and I consider these forums the best for that type of question.

A note about adding the photo frame, looks like the layer is 'pass thru' instead of normal. Must be why there are double the layers when bringing it into pro? PSE is still a big learning curve for me.

Frames do have some different characteristics and I think it is so that they can be sized to fit the photo. That might be a factor in why you see the frame on a separate layer in Premiere Pro - but I don't really know.

[Maxine370]

Quick Question as I go back and read all the prvious posts. Have you tried the scale to frame option. SOmetimes this makes the differnece btween a normal render and a slow, get up and make the bed, lunch and pick up my kid at school render.