Still Images
This category includes digital photographs, scanned images, and computer generated 2D and 3D graphics. You'll
find the ones that come with Vlog It! in the Pictures Library.
Vlog It! supports the following
graphic file formats:
- .BMP (Bitmap) - an uncompressed format that yields
the highest image quality but also the largest file sizes.
- .PNG (Portable Network Graphics) - a lossless compression
format. In English, this means images are compressed to a smaller file size than .bmp without losing any image
quality. One advantage of using .PNG files is that they can support images with millions of colors.
- .TGA (Targa) - a particularly good format for preserving
color. Specifically designed for use on Truevision video boards.
- .JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) - a compressed
file format that can result in considerably smaller files without any obvious perceived loss in quality. This is the format
most commonly used for photographs on the Internet. Some graphics programs allow you to set the degree of compressed.
When highly compressed, JPG images become soft or blocky.
- .GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) - A highly compressed
format that supports only 256 colors. It is typically used for relatively small images.
- .PG - This is the file type that is used for title graphics.
Adjusting the Color of a Video Clip
To tweak the appearance of the currently selected video clip, click the Adjust Color
button at the bottom of the Actions Tab. This opens a dialog with standard image editing controls such as brightness,
hue, contrast, and color levels. The RGB offset sliders add or subtract the associated
colors across the board whereas the basic RGB sliders affect only pixels that contain some of the given color.
Tips for Creating Your Own Graphics
When you're creating your own graphics for use in a vlog,
there are only a few rules to keep in mind:
Better to Scale Up than Down:
Make the resolution at least as large 320 pixels x 240 pixels, which is the size of the published output.
Avoid Stretching. Use 4:3 Aspect Ratio:
For we humans, stretching can be a very good thing. For images, it rarely is. If the aspect ratio
of image used in Vlog It! is not 4:3, the program will stretch it to that aspect ratio, thereby distorting
the image. To avoid this, you have two options:
- Crop the image in a graphics program.
- If the image is wider than 4:3, then you'll need to crop from one or both ends. Multiply
the height by 1.333 to determine the correct width.
- If it's taller, then crop the top and bottom. Multiply the width by 0.75 to determine the
correct height.
- If cropping is not a viable option, then you can insert the image into a background that's
the right size.
- If the original image is wider than 4:3, then the background "frame" would have
to be add space along the top and bottom.
- If it's narrower than 4:3 (like the example on the right), then the frame would add space
on the sides.
32-bit Images are Treated as Titles:
If you use a 32-bit .png or .tga image, Vlog It! will preserve the transparency and automatically treat
the image like a transparent title slate. To learn what exactly that means, please consult the section about
titles, lower thirds, and other text.
Using PowerPoint Slides in Your Vlog: You can include PowerPoint Slides
in a show by saving them out of PowerPoint as .bmp or .jpg files and then adding them as you would any image.
If you later revise a PowerPoint slide, simply save it out again by the same name and to the same folder; Vlog
It! will use the new file without requiring you to re-drop it.