Hi Barry,

no idea how PD responds to the following, so maybe I should just hold my tongue....
but, have you tried holding down "Shift" while drawing?
(That usually works with other software).

Nina
Just something.
https://www.petitpoisvideo.com

No, Nina,
that did not work any better, no change. It's seems the Drawing feature is just a tool that is for children's playtime, so much potential, but utterly incomplete. It needs interpolation. If it worked better, wow, what a great way to add pizzazz to a video. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
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I agree with you Barry.

I was hoping for simple tools such as the straight line tool- like my Picture editor and a vector drawing type feature would be great.
That way we can zoom in and move the points around to our hearts content.

Anyone using CL Photo Director ?
Can you add such lines and precise circles etc by calling Photo Director from inside Power Director and then flip back and forth til you get what you want? Is this even possible?

Just curious....

Rob
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How is the Draw tool on a touch-pad? If it's better, I'll buy one just for that. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
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Hi Barry, Nina & Rob -

Agree with you all about the tool. Without using a drawing tablet (I haven't), it's nearly impossible to get anything resembling straight or fluent lines. I've read here that it works better with a tablet, but I haven't seen any result yet.

Cranston's workaround might do it for you Barry - http://youtu.be/akUsQvOpbso - at least it's one way of cleaning up the line.

Rob - PhotoDirector & other graphics software can add the line/box/circle BUT what Paint Designer does is animate the drawing of the object.

Cheers - Tony
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Have you tried running the mouse along a straight edge. __________________________________
CORNBLOSSOM

It's not so much straight lines that are killing me, it's the bumpy ride on everything, friggin' pulse is enough to throw it off. I was just using RouteGenerator, a freeware that makes lines FAR better than PD. Still not quite right, because I have to key out the background, but the quality is superior. I'll most likely just stick with a non-animated graphic, sigh.
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Barry -

In your medical video, what is it you'd like to draw? What shape do you want animated? There may be another way around it... but I agree, it'd be better if the tool provided for the purpose did a decent job.

Cheers - Tony
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Nice circles, reasonably straight lines or swooshes without the irritating wiggles. I'm just trying to outline anatomical parts, tongue, tonsils, wind-pipe, soft palate, etc. I have actually isolated various segments of the illustration and I can treat them as PIP's, that is also presenting it's own set of tedious editing, oy. I'm out of control...!!! Mayday Mayday!!! HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
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Quote: Cranston's workaround might do it for you Barry - http://youtu.be/akUsQvOpbso - at least it's one way of cleaning up the line.

OK, I'm missing some basics here...
In the latter part of the demo three screens are saved: map, map with line, map with transparent line.

In PD, the map in the media room is added to the timeline.
In PIP creator, the second graphic that was saved now shows only the line ... how did you get rid of the map?
And in PIP there's the final saved still with the transparent line. Again, how was the map removed?

Finally, how were the lines animated or masked so that they reveal per the trajectory initially drawn?

Borgus1,

- "Original" map in track 1.
- Motion path drawing (created and saved via Paint Designer) in track 2.
- Modified map “mask” with clean transparent straight lines (created in a photo editor), in track 3.

Actually you don’t even really need to put or leave the "Original" map in track 1, after you have completed creating your drawing overlay in Paint Designer.
I just included and showed all elements in the tutorial, to give it all some “context” as to the steps involved, for those who may be new to PowerDirector and creating a custom mask with transparency, in a photo editor.


________________________________________________________________________________
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Barry Said

friggin' pulse is enough to throw it off

You have a detectable pulse when using PD????

And here's me thinking video editing was the creative man's/ woman's yoga - all peace and tranquillity, letting the mind wander whilst the software brings your vision to life at the touch of a button.

CL says

...........enhances the entire footage for the fastest and most effortless video editing experience.

I take it you don't find it so?

Adrian

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. (see below)
Confucius
AMD Phenom IIX6 1055T, win10, 5 internal drives, 7 usb drives, struggling power supply.

Quote: And here's me thinking video editing was the creative man's/ woman's yoga -

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Barry -

Here's an alternative you might consider - you prompted this thought by saying you already had isolated the body parts as separate illustrations.

Rough example attached. Just a thought.

Cheers - Tony
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Hi Barry,
Are you using a drawing tablet or a mouse?
For single monitor set ups (switch off dual monitor) a drawing tablet offers a little more dexterity when using a "pen" rather than a mouse. Drawing tablets are widely available and don't cost a lot if you avoid the big brand names. You might find the tool useful with an image editor as well. Just trying to make you avoid the other type of tablet.
Dafydd

Seems I've poked a crab's nest with this topic!
Krankston's method is brilliant, but too roundabout, especially when CL should tweak the function.
If I ever managed to draw a few decent shapes I'd upload them to DZone.
Tony's idea is a thought, but rather than change color, I've animated the parts to move and enlarge them.
My method may not be suitable either, as a giant un-attached tongue floating in the air next to the Dr's noggin' is a bit off-putting.
I won't even mention the heinous results of an image search for "uvula". Yuck.
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Quote:
I just included and showed all elements in the tutorial, to give it all some “context” as to the steps involved, for those who may be new to PowerDirector and creating a custom mask with transparency, in a photo editor.

It's apparent that others following this thread embrace the concept shown in part 2 of the TOOT.
Forgive my ignorance, and humor me here. Getting down to basics...

A: A map with a path drawn over it - straight lines - is created in a paint program and saved as a PNG.

B: the lined path alone (no map) is shown in PD's PIP room. And it is animated.

How, precisely, did it morph from form A to B?

I do comprehend part 1 of the tutorial, using Paint Designer (somewhat wavy line). Thanks Cranston. ^

borgus1,

Answer to your question B.

PD 11 tutorial on using the Draw tool.
Animated Map Mask Tip - PowerDirector11 Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akUsQvOpbso

The original Powerdirector 10 Draw tool tutorial.
PowerDirector 10 - How to use the new Drawing Tool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5h2BtKhbT8 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.

Hi borgus1 -

All the technique shown in the tutorial does is hide the rough edges of the animated line created in Paint Designer... but allows the animation to be displayed. It's just a way of overcoming the weakness in Paint Designer that Barry & others have pointed out.

How, precisely, did it morph from form A to B?

Very precisely, since it's the same animated line with a little disguise. Have you tried it out?

Example attached.

Cheers - Tony
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