New User Questions

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Solved by

Mar 28, 2015 10:40

Hello all. I've recently purchased Powerdirector 13 Ultimate and am having trouble either accessing or understanding where to find some of the "free features" that are supposed to come with the Ultimate package. The reason I sprung for the upgraded Ultimate package was so that I didn't miss out on any of the bells and whistles that were available.

So regarding the Prodad effects. Do I really only just get 1???? The website made it seems like there were a whole slew of effects from prodad but I can only find one. If this is the case, I think it may be the worst case of false or misleading advertising I've ever come accross. I did get around 20 Newblue effects but 19 of them are laughable/unuseable.

Adjust color or color filters? Am I just not finding them or???? All I can find is a link to purchase another software called colordirector? Is it really true that I purchased the ultimate edition of this software but I have to pay again if I want to adjust color? If I want to do any actual editing beyond split and trim and 1 fade effect I have to pay more money? After I already paid for what I thought was an upgraded "Ultimate" package??

I'll just leave it at that for now. Somebody please tell me I am missing something or just confused. BTW I tried the directorzone to get something I can use and either that website is barely working or my computer doesn work when I visit that site.

Can anyone explain any of this to a noob?

Thanks

BarryTheCrab

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 11:23

Nor'easter,
Welcome to our awesome volunteer forum.

"regarding the Prodad effects. Do I really only just get 1?"
Drag the Adorage icon to the timeline and hit MODIFY>STANDALONE EFFECT. Additional choices will become apparent.
"20 Newblue effects but 19 of them are laughable/unuseable."
It all depends on what you wish to accomplish, I find many of them useful, but only when I need them to convey a certain-something in a video.
"Adjust color or color filters? Am I just not finding them or????"
Drag a video or image into a timeline, be sure it is high-lighted, and you will see FIX/ENHANCE. Click on that button and the functions will become apparent.
"BTW I tried the directorzone to get something I can use and either that website is barely working or my computer doesn work when I visit that site."
THAT's kinda funny as I recently started a topic RAILING against the slow almost unusable D-Zone, it's not that way all the time, but it is often enough to be worthy of a rant!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 28. 2015 11:25

HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 11:50

Many thanks Barry. Good to know there is hope. Your reply made me feel a little more relaxed haha. I guess I was hoping for some easy filters to apply instead of manually spending hours fiddling with each clip. The marketing info that led me to the purchase certainly led me to believe there would be all sorts of these included, I was even hoping on the outside chance of there being camera specific filters and settings.

If I could ask in this same thread .... Is there a way of isolating certain areas of a video and changing color or exposure to just that one area? Or do I need to make extra purchases for that feature? For instance I have some sunset footage where the sun just completely washes out the video and I would like to adjust just the area around the sun. Or for instance, shooting snowy landscapes I find I lose the green of the forest (forest too dark and no detail).

Thanks again for your help

BarryTheCrab

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 11:52

For that you would probably need Colordirector, a very robust (if not perfect) color-grading tool. It's a great addition, particularly if you're going to be smitten with editing.

You might get some correction in the FX module, both PowerDirector and Newblue has a good selection, look through them carefully and see what each does.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 28. 2015 11:53

HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 12:39

Thanks again Barry. I guess I'm a little put off by having to buy ad-ons within 24 hrs of purchasing the "ultimate" package. Any way you look at it, there is some misleading advertising to say the least. Can't get my head around buying what I thought was a full version of a product, only to find it's only a bare bones application that needs many expensive upgrades in order to do anything beyond the basic edits. Very far from "ultimate" if you ask me.

Well, I will either spend the rest of the week digging in and trying to make this work - or in writing some real reviews for this product. Haven't decided yet.

Thanks again for your help.

1Nina

Senior Contributor Location: Norway, 50km southwest of Oslo Joined: Oct 08, 2008 04:12 Messages: 1070 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 12:57

Hi there,

for what it's worth; I find that "Fix/Enhance" + keyframing the adjustments I make actually often does a sufficient job.


Filename	fix_enhance.PNG	Download
Description
Filesize	107 Kbytes
Downloaded:	388 time(s)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 28. 2015 12:58

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

BarryTheCrab

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 13:19

Nina is correct in pointing out the key-frame functions, the fact is that before you buy Colordirector, or get the impression you have been bamboozled, you really need to poke around the PowerDirector interface and see how powerful and functional it really is. There is a lot to find, and learn, and once you get familiar with PD, you should be quite pleased with it's ability. On top of that, this forum is superb.
I'd like to add that to fix only a portion of a video, using masking technology, that is somewhat advanced, not everyone needs it, that is why it is an additional program.
Give it some time, and take a look at PDTooTs tutorials on Youtube, they are made by users, for users, and there is a vast selection covering just about any part of PowerDirector and other Cyberlink programs, too. Got a question? Ask us! HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 13:26

Thanks 1nina. I did play around with that but I am new so perhaps haven't given it a chance yet. Still trying to figure it all out. I will say that so far it has run well on my machine which is far from high end, (win7, i5, dual core 2.4 GHz, 6 GB ram, 1 GB nvidia GPU) I realized this diring the trial version. Seemed to run the fastest and smoothest of all the editors I tried which is one of the reasons I got it. I won't give up hope yet.

Here is a link to a video I just made using powerdirector 13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRGs5iN_yHU

The sun is my biggest problem here and looking for way to tone it down. Cheers

The Shadowman

Senior Contributor Location: UK Joined: Dec 15, 2014 13:06 Messages: 1831 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 13:32

Hi Nor'easter

What you really needed is PD13 Ultimate SUITE. The Ultimate Suite has ColourDirector included.

Have a look here, this may help you with your post colour correction https://www.google.co.uk/#q=free+colour+correction+software

Click on "Magic Bullet Colorista Free Youtube"

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 28. 2015 13:34

Panny TM10, GH2, GH4,

BarryTheCrab

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 13:40

Very nice.
Perhaps a UV or neutral density filter on your lens would help even out the video. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 13:42

Oh I see it's the "Suite" that I need. Not just the plain old "Ultimate" version lol. Is there anything else above the "suite" version that I should be aware of? Is there a Platinum edition or perhaps a God version? I just want to make sure before I drop any more coin.

The Shadowman

Senior Contributor Location: UK Joined: Dec 15, 2014 13:06 Messages: 1831 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 13:48

No, I think Ultimate Suite is the "God" version. I know when I bought mine I nearly got caught by the Ultimate word. To me, Ultimate means...... well, ultimate Panny TM10, GH2, GH4,

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 13:49

Quote: Very nice.
Perhaps a UV or neutral density filter on your lens would help even out the video.

At this time I do not have the ability to use actual physical filters or change lenses on my rig. Hopefully some day in the future. For now though I will really give this a solid going over during the upcoming weeks, and with any luck get some help from you guys along the way. If I can correct some of the issues in that video without purchasing any more ad-ons then I would be very impressed.

And you are right, this is an excellent forum with some excellent active members in it. Very grateful for all your help not only to me but to the community in general. It's what makes a great forum!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 28. 2015 13:52

ynotfish

Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 15:56

Hi Nor'easter -

Man that quadcopter's smooth - or the camera stabilisation - or both! Great flight shots

You may not have had much of a chance to explore many of the things possible in PDR, but there are some things (right under your nose) that may help you with overcoming your "sun" issue. Personally, I love it just the way it is! Arguably, you shouldn't mess with it. Also, you'll probably find that your i5 was happier before you started applying effects & enhancements!!!

In Fix/Enhance > Color Adjustment you'll find Highlight Healing which may help - worth playing with to see.

In Effects > NewBlue Essentials 2 you'll find NB Shadows and Highlights... whoops - you have PDR Ultimate which comes with NB Essentials 1, 5 & 7, which makes this sentence a waste of space.

I took a few parts of your video & applied settings at various levels, not as an exemplar - just an example.

https://youtu.be/xmyae2uyfIE (the second half is hypothetical, I now realise). It's unlisted.

Cheers - Tony
Visit PDtoots. PowerDirector Tutorials, tips, free resources & more. Subscribe!
Full linked Tutorial Catalog PDtoots happily supports fellow PowerDirector users!

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 16:31

Quote: Hi Nor'easter -

Man that quadcopter's smooth - or the camera stabilisation - or both! Great flight shots

You may not have had much of a chance to explore many of the things possible in PDR, but there are some things (right under your nose) that may help you with overcoming your "sun" issue. Personally, I love it just the way it is! Arguably, you shouldn't mess with it. Also, you'll probably find that your i5 was happier before you started applying effects & enhancements!!!

In Fix/Enhance > Color Adjustment you'll find Highlight Healing which may help - worth playing with to see.

In Effects > NewBlue Essentials 2 you'll find NB Shadows and Highlights... whoops - you have PDR Ultimate which comes with NB Essentials 1, 5 & 7, which makes this sentence a waste of space.

I took a few parts of your video & applied settings at various levels, not as an exemplar - just an example.

https://youtu.be/xmyae2uyfIE (the second half is hypothetical, I now realise). It's unlisted.

Cheers - Tony

Man that was really cool of you. Awesome to see the side by side. Thanks very much.

The platform is a Q500 Typhoon with CGO2 camera and gimbal. Extremely stable quad along with extremely effective 3 axis gimbal. The camera itself is the weakest link in the system, although they are already working on a better version.

I am quickly learning a couple things as I poke around PD some more.

Yes, the program/my computer strains a little more as i add fixes and effects. (my specs noted above)

Be subtle with the sliders. Sometimes the tiniest adjustment gives you what you want.

It is intuitive at times, other times not so much. I am finding hidden features as I explore.

The effects and how you apply them is not obvious at first, but once you poke around a bit it all starts makin sense.

I look forward to learning more and creating some very polished videos. Just hope the old Dell lappy can keep up!

SoNic67

Senior Contributor Joined: Sep 27, 2014 14:14 Messages: 1308 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 18:36

So... you paid $1500 on the copter toy thingie and you are using an old Dell laptop for video editing?

Also, don't expect the software to magically repair what is in fact bad footage. If the information is not present, there is nothing you can do. Because on some CSI/action movies you see that level of adjustments, it doesn't mean is real.

Use your camera settings better - for example any photographer knows that, on snow covered landscapes, they need to compensate the automatic exposure +1 step:

http://www.geofflawrence.com/snow.html

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at Mar 28. 2015 18:44

Nor'easter

Newbie Joined: Mar 28, 2015 10:22 Messages: 20 Offline

Mar 28, 2015 19:23

Quote: So... you paid $1500 on the copter toy thingie and you are using an old Dell laptop for video editing?

Also, don't expect the software to magically repair what is in fact bad footage. If the information is not present, there is nothing you can do. Because on some CSI/action movies you see that level of adjustments, it doesn't mean is real.

Use your camera settings better - for example any photographer knows that, on snow covered landscapes, they need to compensate the automatic exposure +1 step:

[url=http://www.geofflawrence.com/snow.html

]http://www.geofflawrence.com/snow.html

[/url]

Thanks for the jack&ss response buddy. I'm sorry if me having a "copter toy thingie" is a hastle for you. Or that my laptop is not meeting your approval? You must be one of those snobby photogs that turn their noses up when your friends show you a nice shot they took with their iPhone. Perhaps you should actually learn about what it is that I'm using and what it's capable of, before you denounce my gear and make comments on what "any photographer" should know. My "bad footage" is only because it was my second time with that machine in the air, and my first time discovering what the camera is capable or not capable of during a sunset. I didn't thinking asking about reducing the glare of the sun was "expecting the software to magically reapair' anything. (I figured it was all done with 1s and 0s and that magic had nothing to do with it.)

I am surprised people like yourself aren't politely moderated out of an otherwise well run forum. Thanks for the tips but keep your snarky comments to yourself Lar.