Hi -

Yes - easy as...

All you need to do is make your pointers (arrows & things) with transparent backgrounds & save them as .png files.

These can be inserted into a lower (PiP) track at the right spot - then size, placement & duration can be adjusted.

In these tutorials you'll see them all over the place...
http://www.youtube.com/user/PDtoots?feature=mhum#p/u/6/jXG2jDTHyKw
http://www.youtube.com/user/PDtoots?feature=mhum#p/u/12/msx6dp0oymk

I'm only posting the attached .png files to give Cranston a chuckle (or ammunition). Just a few examples...

Cheers - Tony
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Directorzone has a few arrows and highlite circles. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
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thank you , I had tried to do the PIP but had used .gifs instead of .png's the .gifs didn't have a transparent background for some reason so i will give the pngs a try

PD8 supports transparency in PNG only. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
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Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
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thank you that explains it

Thanks Tony, just what I was looking for. Sure saves making them myself.

Cheers

Robert2 S My youtube channel====> http://www.youtube.com/user/relate2?feature=mhsn

Thanks Tony Happing editing

Best Regards

Neil
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Thanks Tony. Click here PDtoots for a collection of PowerDirector Tutorials and Tips

HUGE HELP! I am making a "highlight video" for my son & as old as this thread is, that download was ON POINT! I tried making a PNG, but dont know how to make it transparent.

No name is gone. Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

To anyone who's interested, any type of image can be transparent, be it Bitmap, PNG, JPG or GIF, the secret is "Chroma-Key" If there's a white background on the image(or any colour, for that matter), drop your image onto a PiP(overlay) track, click on "modify", a PiP designer window will appear, adjust the size of your image(as and if required(a grid of up to ten "squares" is available, plus TV safe zone. Options will appear in "Properties" including Chroma-Key, click on Chroma-Key, a little arrow to the left of where you "tick" will, when clicked, point down to reveal settings. Click on the eye dropper(pippet) and, in the image area, click on the colour of the background you want to "vanish", and thus it will, leaving only the arrow, pointer or any other icon you want superimposed on your video. All quite easy, really!

Cheers!

Neil.

I've used "MicroSoft Digital Image Suite 2006" ( I know it's old!! ) to create a transparent background for *.gif's.

I select all of the image's background using one of the selection tools. I invert, then delete the selected background, and save the file as a gif.

The gif works for me in the Pwr.Dir. PIP method. I haven't tried a png file type yet.

BTW: I can insert a gif with a transparent background into most any image, or video using this method. Don't know if other editing software does this. Ageing Gracefully

Hi, Loren C!

One thing I have noted in PD14 Ultra, which sits in stark contrast to PD8 is: I've tried overlaying bitmap images on PiP tracks in PD8, only to see them get blurred, but doing same in PD14 reveals a nice, sharp, well-defined superimpose. I have created a set of alphabet letters in BMP image format, so that I can make my own animated titles. If I tried to superimpose in PD8, I'd get the blurry image, but superimposing the title I created in PD14 results in a much-improved, sharp and clear superimpose.... NICE ONE!

Cheers!

Neil.

Thanks ! That's good to know.
I've been considering PD14, but don't know if I'd make use of it's new features. I may give the trial version a spin, when all these #$*^&@$&^# leaves are gone, and I have more time to play with it. Ageing Gracefully

Hi, Loren C!

You don't seem to be getting very far on that little trike!(ha-ha). With PD14 it takes a little bit of fiddling with the tolerance values in the Chroma-Key settings, but because there are such settings, you're able to do more critical adjustment. With PD8(and PD7) you only had the intensity setting. I still have PD8 on my computer, I use it now to create my animated titles, using lettering I've created myself in Microsoft Paint. Though I'm restricted to words of a maximum 9 letters(9 PiP tracks), I can still make up a good animated title in PD8. If Irequire extra words for the title, I make them up and construct the complete title with PD14. It can be a drawn-out process but it gets me my wanted result.

Cheers!

Neil.

Thanks, good to know. Ageing Gracefully

I was hoping for an easier method to add transparent background arrows or circles on video to highlight items or areas needing attention ...