Hi Don -

Did you check under Tools > Power Tools > Crop & Zoom? That's where it is.

Cheers - Tony
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Yes, but there is no button to unlock the aspect ratio so I can do custom cropping. In the help section it mentions all these wonderful options, but they don't appear in the power tools under Crop and Zoom.

My Help file doesn't describe many "wonderful options" - just the basics.

When you use video crop, it's constrained to the aspect ration of the project - so the crop will always be 16:9 or 4:3.

Also, when I right click on a clip in the timeline there's no greyed out crop video option. There is Edit Video/Image > Power Tools.

With images (not videos) there are different options, but you're not referring to images, are you?

What is is you'd like to do?

Cheers - Tony
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Hi, idylldon !

If you've just installed PD14, the question is: Have you activated it by typing in the CDKey(Product Key) and followed the processes thereafter to activate your software? If not, then you'll have only a trial version, set to expire 30 days after installation, and a number of features will not be available until such time as the activation process is completed. Trial version behave in a way similar to the knock-down bare-bones versions you get with those VHS-to-DVD kits. No product key is needed there but, to keep costs down, several of the "bells & whistles" features will not operate. That's why it's best to get the full version, and activate as soon as you've installed it.

Cheers!

Neil.

Yes, I activated it. I solved the problem by using the mask function then scrolling down to the "object properties," unchecking "maintain aspect ratio," and then adjusting the boundaries.

Cheers,
--
Don

Hi, idylldon!

Glad you've sorted your cropping problem. I said what I said about activation as a precaution as some who may be very new to the world of video editing may not be fully aware of what is involved in the installation of software for such purpose, probably because they're also new to computers and are "feeling their way" along, learning as they go, so-to-speak. And, with new software, the learning starts again when you familiarise yourself with all the new "tricks" you can do on the new software. Like me, for instance, so used to doing things a certain way with PD8, only to have to learn to do those same things differently in PD14. It's a learning curve that's thankfully not too steep!

Cheers!

Neil.

Can I ask, where does it state that the program needs to be activated to either keep or resume functionality?

I also wanted to crop but found the 'crop image' greyed out an not crop tool on the tool bar. I haven't registered, because I wanted to wait until I re-installed it on a new computer.

Matt .
PDR14; Win10-x64; i7-6700; 3.4GHz; 16GB RAM; plenty of HDD space; AMD Radeon R5 330.

Hi, MattC!

The programme, PD14(or any earlier version) needs to be activated within a 30-day period, or it will cease to function upon opening. The activation process itself is different in PD14(and back to PD9) in that it needs internet access in order to be completed. Some will want to argue that point, but that has been my experience, and I dare say it will have been so for many other Power Director users from version 9 through to version 14. It's different in that with PD8 and earlier, you only needed to type in the CDKey when prompted(after installation and intitial opening of the programme) and this action rendered Power Director fully activated and permanent on your computer. Registration was really only optional, this was handy when you weren't connected to the Internet(I was using earlier versions of Power Director on Windows XP prior to February, 2012 when I finally "bit the bullet" and put my computer "on the net"). The cropping tool might well be "greyed out" probably because your installation is still behaving like a "trial" version, as it will before it's fully activated. That's my guess at least.

Cheers!

Neil.

I have had my copy working for two months and it is NOT activated! It hasn't requested activation. Nowhere can I find any reference to the need for activation or reference to a reduction in usabilities. However, there are functions that are obviously deactivated, but I don't know if they were active at the start.

Matt .
PDR14; Win10-x64; i7-6700; 3.4GHz; 16GB RAM; plenty of HDD space; AMD Radeon R5 330.