Searching the forum for answers is a lot quicker than posting and waiting for an answer. For example, your exact question was recently asked and answered here.

YouTube/optodata

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Hi,
noted ...but...
I have issues that dont get resolved there.
footage that is 3840 x 2160 sees a capture of only 1920x1080.
I try the trick in that link of placing another footage clip of same res 3840x2160 in track 2 but the frame capture of either T1 or T2 is only 1920.

With the "keep resolution" option checked in preferences, all snapshots of videos from the Media Library or Track 1 alone retain the resolution of the video.

I dont see that setting at all in prefs, what page is it on ?

I try for capturing the still image from Library preview. To find out how to view it in Library Preview, I see a video on you tube about how to show your clip in Library Preview, either right click on it and choose show in Library preview, or go to view menu and turn on Library Preview.
Both those methods simply dont exist, I have no Library Preview option under view and a right click on the thumbnail of my clip sees no 'show in library preview' its simply not in the list that appears.

How do I get same size resolution stills from my 3840x2160 4K footage ?

I have bought PD17 ultra as I need to be able to play a video and as it plays , hit a key and capture stills, as it continues to play.

Other video editors throw a save dialog interface up wrecking the viewing of the video, as if one is after just one still image.

Video players I have either dont interupt the play but have no frame by frame if I need it, or have frame by frame but only fwd, and throw up a save panel each time.

Steve01

The link posted by optodata leads to the post that you use the freeze frame effect to get that 3840 x 2160 resolution. Screen capture is only 1920 x 1080 as stated. Do a search for freeze frame to read more posts on how to do it if needed.

Quote The link posted by optodata leads to the post that you use the freeze frame effect to get that 3840 x 2160 resolution. Screen capture is only 1920 x 1080 as stated. Do a search for freeze frame to read more posts on how to do it if needed.

Hi, OMG, if thats what I need to do its completely impractical,
It completely stops my viewing flow, I need to watch the movie and make stills 'on the fly' adding in a right click choose video then freeze frame then play again, it then plays across the frame before resuming the video playback.
My video clip is going to be full of sliced bits of footage. What a mess.

I have a 100 or more stills to make, to have to right click choose video then choose freeze frame for every one is going to take forever. instead of 1 sec its going to be 13secs per frame capture, having just timed it ! and I have hundreds and hundreds to do, about 100 per clip and many clips.

Why cant PD make a same size frame capture whilst movie plays like Jaksta, a free player manages ?
Is there some reason this has been denied us ? Who wants to split up their clips into loads of bits like that ?

I need the ability to go fwd and backward frame by frame to navigate to the frame I need, players dont do that, but video editors are incapable of creating lots of frame captures it seems.

DaVinci also has one split out a frame so it can capture it as a jpg or bmp.

Gutted

Also why havent I got those Library Preview options available ?


Steve01

Just an FYI that this is a user forum and Cyberlink generally doesn't monitor the posts here, so you're unlikely to get any answers to your "why can't" questions.

If you want to make full res screen captures on the fly, you may have better luck using the VLCplayer. Using the Advanced Controls will allow you to access individual frames like an editor and quickly take full res screen shots.

YouTube/optodata

DS365 | Win11 Pro | Ryzen 9 3950X | RTX 4070 Ti | 32GB RAM | 10TB SSDs | 5K+4K HDR monitors

Canon Vixia GX10 (4K 60p) | HF G30 (HD 60p) | Yi Action+ 4K | 360Fly 4K 360°

Quote Also why havent I got those Library Preview options available ?

I'm not sure what video you saw, but it may have been for a much older version of PD.

In PD17 and all recent versions, whenever you click on a clip in the Media Library, you automatically see its content in the preview window. There are no additional steps, and the clicking the camera icon will give you a snapshot of the current frame.

YouTube/optodata

DS365 | Win11 Pro | Ryzen 9 3950X | RTX 4070 Ti | 32GB RAM | 10TB SSDs | 5K+4K HDR monitors

Canon Vixia GX10 (4K 60p) | HF G30 (HD 60p) | Yi Action+ 4K | 360Fly 4K 360°

Quote I'm not sure what video you saw, but it may have been for a much older version of PD.

Probably not a older version, Library Preview is a new feature for 365 subscribers, it was released in March with CyberLinkChannel video overview and discussed here when released to the 365 group https://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/78878.page#post_box_323912 No GM5 did not include the capability for perpetual license holders as was suggested.

Jeff

Quote Probably not a older version, Library Preview is a new feature for 365 subscribers, it was released in March with CyberLinkChannel video overview and discussed here when released to the 365 group https://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/78878.page#post_box_323912 No GM5 did not include the capability for perpetual license holders as was suggested.

Yes, you're correct. I've had no need to even look at that new feature, nevermind actually use it, but it's clearly only available in the subscription version of PD:



YouTube/optodata

DS365 | Win11 Pro | Ryzen 9 3950X | RTX 4070 Ti | 32GB RAM | 10TB SSDs | 5K+4K HDR monitors

Canon Vixia GX10 (4K 60p) | HF G30 (HD 60p) | Yi Action+ 4K | 360Fly 4K 360°

Hi Steve01 -

I, and others here, probably agree that snapshots in the timeline would be WAY better taken at the full resolution of the video.

Given that you want bulk numbers of snaps, can I suggest that you try:

1. taking your snapshots from the video played back from the Media Library (not the timeline)


2. using PhotoDirector's Video-to-Photo feature (if you have it), or


3. using VLC Player to play the video, taking snaps along the way.

Each of those options will yield full resolution snapshots in the format of your choice.

Cheers - Tony
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Hi

I, and others here, probably agree that snapshots in the timeline would be WAY better taken at the full resolution of the video.

Given that you want bulk numbers of snaps, can I suggest that you try:

taking your snapshots from the video played back from the Media Library (not the timeline)

when I launch PD17ultra (purchased one off licence not the 365 subs) I have to pick from timeline or storyboard or slide show mode. So I try for storyboard this time as you say not timeline, drag drop 4k video clip it occupies first square, play it, make a still, and its only HD again. How do I get to play it back from the MEDIA LIBRARY ? Is this the thing I saw in the youtube where the guy right clicks the clip and chooses library, I dont have that option in this 'buy an outright licence' PD17ultra. Cyberlink never said the licence purchase was lacking options. If its not that which I need, then what are the steps to get the video clip into Media Library ? If I do need 365 to have a 'media library' thats not fair, I paid money for this and was not told it would lack basic things.
I have tried for timeline mode and drag drop clip to the pane top left, then it appears in the viewing windows top right, play it and hit ctrl P and get a still image appear top left, open that in photoshop AND YIPPEE its 4k size. prefs set to .bmp 32mb !
So thats playing it from media library !
now how do I get that as a no compression jpg as I use jpg max qlty yet PD has jpg as less than frame quality.

using PhotoDirector's Video-to-Photo feature (if you have it), or

googling this in youtube it says...First, simply drag-and-drop a video file into PhotoDirector’s Library interface. When a video has been detected, PhotoDirector will launch the Video-to-Photo interface
but I dont have a library interface. I have to select timeline when PD launches, and there is a panel with thumbnails of supplied images, at foot of screen a timeline and one viewing window top right for the video. I go View in top menu but see no Library thing at all mentioned. There are 8 different 'rooms' mentioned but not Library, dont see library . Where is it ?

using VLC Player to play the video, taking snaps along the way.

if it enables me to go slo mo fwd AND BACKWARD, and players cant go backwards normally, and if it makes same size, same quality and same proportion (circle in video is cicle when still is viewed in photoshop or MS paint or photogrammetry prog etc, it might have to be VLC, but I so wanted a video editor to do editing and stills, rather than mess about with a different prog, why cant they manage a simple stills capture regime ?

Each of those options will yield full resolution snapshots in the format of your choice. Cheers - Tony

Cheers Steve01
(this forum interface has no 'quote' option to select text and then hit the quote button. I have had to type the coding in )

Re: 1. Media Library Snapshots...

Move the playhead as you would in the timeline, using buttons or > & < keys.

Seee this screen cap:



Cheers - Tony
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Quote Re: 1. Media Library Snapshots...

Move the playhead as you would in the timeline, using buttons or > & < keys.

Seee this screen cap:



Cheers - Tony

Hi, you posted that clip whilst I was posting my little bit of success ! I manged to get #1 working.
that as a visual is something everyone needs to look at, as THATS IT !!..however
to get it truly user friendly, 2 things needed:-
1) jpg not to be poor quality but same as frame, so remove the compression setting or give us options we can choose max quality, we expect max quality option anyway.
2) dont stop the play, causing us to have to set it playing at each and every still made, video players dont cease, so PD should be able to manage that as well.

so how is #2 done in your three methods ?

and has VLC slo mo back and fwd ?

wish ...PD could have a key frame fwd and backward jump to buttons, as keyframes are often best quality.

Steve01

Glad you've had some success!

so how is #2 done in your three methods?

Do you have PhotoDirector? If not, instruction would be irrelevant. If so, I'm happy to show you the steps. In PhD, you can manually capture frames (similar to PDR) or you can set it to Auto & capture any number of frames over the duration of the video. You can step through the video frame by frame or jump to a specific time point (just like PDR).

and has VLC slo mo back and fwd?

VLC Player does allow you to playback at a slower speed, but you can't step through frame-by-frame (I don't think). It also allows you to jump to a specific time in the video.

With all these options, it's not really grabbing snapshots "on the fly". In each case the video is paused at that point.

Cheers - Tony
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Quote VLC Player does allow you to playback at a slower speed, but you can't step through frame-by-frame (I don't think). It also allows you to jump to a specific time in the video.

VLC indeed does have a single Frame by frame advance button (green) when Advanced Controls are enabled, but you would need to manually move the scrubber back, or use the Step backward button (orange) if you overshoot the desired frame:



YouTube/optodata

DS365 | Win11 Pro | Ryzen 9 3950X | RTX 4070 Ti | 32GB RAM | 10TB SSDs | 5K+4K HDR monitors

Canon Vixia GX10 (4K 60p) | HF G30 (HD 60p) | Yi Action+ 4K | 360Fly 4K 360°

One can use the keyboard shortcut key E to advance a frame forward in VLC if desired.

Wow! Thanks optodata & tomasc. That's two things I've learnt today. Good information.

Duh! I didn't even realise VLC had a record function

Cheers - Tony
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Just found something that will be of interest to any snapshotters...

I used a UHD clip to capture the exact same frames in PhotoDirector 10, PowerDirector 17 (in Media Library as described above) and VLC Player. I took the snashots both in .JPG & .PNG format for quality comparison. As expected, all the snapshots are 3840x2160.

These are 100% crops from the .png snapshots (i.e. no resizing):



If you'd like to look at the full sized snapshots in both formats, they're zipped here.

Hmmmm...

Cheers - Tony
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Aside from the file sizes the png images have a higher contrast like darker browns when compared to the jpg counterpart viewed in the windows 7 image gallery last night.

In windows 10 the default photo app does not allow toggling the images when they are magnified and therefore harder to see the difference today. A 1 MB image is probably just as good as the 11 MB one visually if someone does not stare at the images.

Hi,
I have also done a test now and basically Power Director is incapable of making a still image capture from video retaining the quality of that video....period ! Unlike other editors and free video players that places PD at the bottom of the league for anyone with that requirement.
This is soul destroying for me as it was the only prog (costing money as well ) I found that could do what the free players can do., in that one can hit a simple hot key (or combo in PD's case Ctrl P) and be able to capture multiple stills without some pesky pop up menu asking for location and name each time, which makes the act of making 100 stills or more as I need, into something very long winded and protracted and in fact impractical. So I was so glad to find PD with its ability to go backwards and fwds frame by frame with this stills ability, something that free players cannot do. (I will however be exploring VLC further on this but I did want an alla in one package for editing and stills for what I need to do)

Attached is my finding both on your images and also my footage.

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what is wrong with this insert image control one clicks ok and it still sists ther with ok or cancel !

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and as you point out VLC has more saturation as well as recreates the true original quality detail etc of the frame.

In my clips the difference is very discernible with the images larger on screen, for some reason when they display in this forum they are reduced in size a bit.

DBenz