Copyright: Copyright (C) 1997 PictureWorks Technology Rev. 5.0
Citation: Copyright (C) 1997 PictureWorks Technology Rev. 5.0


Getting started

  Getting Started Concepts

Creating an object movie in Spin PhotoObject™ is a four step process. To learn about each step, click the associated graphic below, or click the Getting Started Concepts button in the title bar.

1. Get Photos
2. Align
3. Crop
4. Create	After you have acquired, aligned and cropped the photos to your satisfaction, you are ready to create the actual object movie. • To see concepts for creating an object movie, click here. • To see procedures for launching a QuickTime movie, click here . • To see procedures for playing a QuickTime movie, click here . • To see a procedure for saving the Spin PhotoObject project, click here .
Rev 5.0


Get Photos

  Get Photos procedures

  Getting Started concepts

Get Photos is the first tab sheet in the Spin PhotoObject user interface and the first step in creating an object movie. Getting photos means opening a collection of photographs that exist as a related set of frames for a potential object movie. These photographs may be downloaded and made available to Spin PhotoObject from any of the following sources:

•	a digital camera

•	a computer disk

•	scanned photographs

•	CD of image files captured with a non-digital camera

•	image files created in other imaging software

•	image files downloaded from the internet

Image file formats that are supported by Spin PhotoObject are:

For Windows	For Macintosh
• BMP	• PICT
• JPEG	• JPEG
• CAM	• CAM
• FPX	• FPX
Once images are downloaded to your computer, each set of related frames is stored in a separate directory on your hard drive. When you “get” photos in Spin PhotoObject, all of the photos in a single directory are displayed as thumbnails in the preview palette on the Get Photos tab sheet. These thumbnails represent candidates for inclusion in the final object movie. You select and insert the actual photos that will be included.


Selecting photos

  Select Photos procedure

  Getting Started concepts

After you get photos, you must decide whether all of the photos in the collection should be included in the object movie, or only certain ones. If you decide that only certain photos in the collection are needed, you can select only those photos from the thumbnails displayed on the Get Photos tab sheet. Once specific photos are selected, only those photos are inserted into the editing area for inclusion in the object movie.

Photos are selected by clicking the individual thumbnails. When a thumbnail is clicked, Spin PhotoObject highlights it in red.

Note

If you decide to include all of the photos in the collection, Spin PhotoObject requires no selection criteria. Simply click the Insert All button on the Get Photos tab sheet and all photos in the collection will be inserted.


Select from acquired images


Inserting photos

  Insert Photos procedures

  Getting Started concepts

Inserting photos means opening selected photos in the editing area . The editing area is where you intend to actively align, crop or otherwise modify the photos to create the object movie. There are three ways of inserting photos:

•	Inserting all photos in a collection

•	Inserting a selection of some photos in a collection

•	Dragging and dropping individual photos from the preview palette

Inserting all photos

Use this method when you are relatively certain you want to include the entire collection of photos in the object movie. If you decide later that some of the photos should not be included, you can always delete them from the editing area.

Inserting some photos

Use this method when you have selected some photos in a collection and these are the only photos you want to insert into the editing area. If you decide later that other photos should be added, you can always insert them later.

Dragging and dropping individual photos from the preview palette

Use this method to select an individual photo from the preview palette and move it to the editing area without clicking the Insert Selection button. This technique is useful if you want to insert a photo between two photos that have already been inserted into the editing area. You can drag and drop only one photo at a time.


Insert all photos

Insert photos using Insert Selection

Insert photos using drag and drop


Insert photos using Insert Selection

This procedure describes how to insert one or more photos from the preview palette into the object movie using the Insert Selection Button

To insert photos using the Insert Selection button:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject and get the photos you want to use.

2.	Click a photo in the preview palette to select it. If you want to insert multiple (but not all) photos:

3.	Hold down the Ctrl key (Command key on Macintosh™) and click the desired photos.

4.	Click the Insert Selection button.


Insert photos using Drag and Drop

This procedure describes how to singly insert photos from the preview palette into the editing area using the drag and drop method.

To insert photos using drag and drop:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject and get the photos you want to use in the object movie.

2.	Click a photo in the preview palette to select it.

3.	While holding down the mouse button (left mouse button on Windows™), drag the selected photo from the preview palette to the image editing area .

4.	Release the mouse button (left mouse button on Windows™).

5.	Repeat steps 2 through 4 for each desired photo in the preview palette.


Insert all photos

This procedure describes how to insert all photos currently in the preview palette into the image editing area .

To insert all photos:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject and get the photos you want to use in the object movie. The photos are displayed in the preview palette.

2.	Click the Insert All button.


Navigation Controls

Navigation controls are available in the Align, Crop and Create tab sheets. Use these controls to navigate between frames, play the object movie, or zoom the image in the editing area . Each control is described below:

Control	Description
	Rewinds to the first frame.
	Moves the displayed image backward one frame. Clicking and holding this button results in an automatic regression of frames backward for as long as the button is held down. This functionality is also available by using the Page Up key on your keyboard.
	Moves the displayed image forward one frame. Clicking and holding this button results in an automatic progression of frames forward for as long as the button is held down. This functionality is also available by using the Page Down key on your keyboard.
	The Frame counter tracks the current frame number. • The white box portion of the counter reflects the current frame number. This is an editable field which you may use as an alternative method of changing frames. Simply type the number of the frame you want to see (not to exceed the number of frames available) and press Enter (for Windows) or Return (for Macintosh). • The number after the slash is the total number of frames available in the object movie. This is a noneditable field.
	The Play/Stop button toggles between Play mode (green arrow) and Stop mode (red rectangle). • Clicking the button in Play mode initiates the playback of all frames. • Clicking the button in Stop mode stops the playback at the frame number currently displayed in the counter.
	The Zoom button is a toggle that allows you to scale your view of the image in the editing area. • If the magnifying glass icon in the zoom button is blue with a plus sign (+) , the image is sized to fit in the editing area. • If the magnifying glass icon in the zoom button is red with a minus sign (-), the image in the editing area is sized to 100% of its original size. Depending on the original size of the image, it may or may not fit in the editing area. If the original size of the image is larger than the editing area, vertical and/or horizontal scroll bars are provided. Note: The current zoom status is reflected as either "Fit" or "100%" in the display field to the right of the zoom button.


Align

  Align procedures

  Getting Started concepts

Align is the second Tab Sheet and the second step in creating object movies. The alignment process allows you to position frames within the editing window so as to create a smooth transition between the current frame and the next frame. This ensures smooth rotation and animation. The Align tab sheet contains the following controls used in aligning frames:

Control	Description
	Click the Jog Previous button to quickly see the previous frame.
	Click the Jog Next button to quickly see the next frame.
	When the Use Overlay check box in the Align tab sheet is enabled, a transparent overlay of the previous frame is shown directly on top of the current frame. The benefit of the Use Overlay feature is that it lets you see how the alignment was set for the previous frame as you edit the alignment for the current frame. In other words, you can change the alignment for the current frame while relative position of the overlay remains static. The initial default condition of the Use Overlay check box is "on". The last setting is remembered and used as the default during the next alignment session.
	Click any of the four directional Nudge Frame buttons to tweak the frame position by one pixel in the direction of the arrow. This functionality is also available from the arrow buttons on your keyboard as long as you are in the Align tab sheet. Tip If you hold down any of the Nudge buttons or arrow buttons, the frame position will continuously tweak by one pixel in the specified direction until released.
Navigation controls

	Standard navigation controls are available at the bottom of the Align tab sheet. To see a description of the navigation controls, click here .


Align using Transparent Overlay
Align using Overlay

There are two ways to align the current frame while using the Overlay feature:

•	Using the Nudge buttons - This method is most helpful when you want to change the alignment of the current frame by very small increments (pixel by pixel).

•	Clicking and dragging the current image - This method is most helpful when you want to quickly make larger changes to the alignment of the current frame.

To align the current frame in Overlay mode using Nudge buttons:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Get and insert photos.

3.	Click the Align tab sheet and enable the Use Overlay check box.

4.	Use the navigation controls to view the desired frame.

5.	Click the appropriate Nudge button to move the current frame one pixel in the direction you want. Notice how the current image moves underneath the overlay.

6.	Repeat as often as necessary to correctly align the current frame.

To align the current frame in Overlay mode by clicking and dragging:

1.	Follow steps 1 through 3 as outlined above.

2.	Pass the cursor over the image in the editing area. Notice how it changes to a "hand".

3.	Click anywhere in the frame and move the mouse while holding down the left mouse button (Windows) or mouse button (Macintosh).

4.	Drag the current image to its new alignment position and release the mouse button.

5.	If you wish to return the current image to its original alignment, choose Edit [image] Undo from the File menu.

Note:

The Undo option undoes the last alignment change only.

See Also

Nudge buttons

Use Overlay check box


Crop

  Cropping procedure

  Getting Started concepts

Crop allows you to trim the height and/or width dimensions of the object movie. When you click the Crop tab sheet, the last frame that was viewed in the Align mode is shown with a green border surrounding the image. This green border is the crop setting. Spin PhotoObject determines the default (minimal) crop setting based upon vertical and horizontal offsets which are initially calculated for each image in the object movie. You change the default crop setting by clicking and dragging any of the eight blue crop handles along the green border. Navigation controls are available at the bottom of the Crop tab sheet.

Listed below are four major points about cropping in Spin PhotoObject:

•	Changing the crop setting in any frame changes it universally for all frames in the object movie.

•	You can never crop less than the area specified by the default settings.

•	The image is automatically updated when the crop is changed.

•	Clicking the Restore button on the Crop tab sheet returns the image to the default crop setting.

See Also

Navigation controls


Acquire images

To acquire an image from your hard disk:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Click the Browse button on the Get Photos tab sheet.

3.	Navigate to the directory that contains image you want to use in the object movie.

4.	Click the Open button.


Select from acquired images

You can select one, some or all of the acquired images as part of the object movie.

To select one of the acquired images:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Acquire the images you want to use in the object movie. For procedures, click here .

3.	Click one image in the preview palette.

4.	Click Insert Selection.

To select some of the acquired images:

1.	Perform steps 1 and 2 as described above.

2.	Click the first picture in the preview palette that you want to use in the object movie.

3.	Select desired images:

To select one image at a time:

•	Press and hold down the Ctrl key (Command key on Macintosh™).

•	While holding down the Ctrl key (Command key on Macintosh™), click the next picture that you want to use in the object movie.

To select a range of images:

•	Press and hold down the Shift key.

•	Click the last image in the range that you want selected.

4.	When all desired images have been selected, click Insert Selection.

To select all of the acquired images:

1.	Click the Insert All button.

Spin PhotoObject creates a object movie using all of the acquired images.


Acquire images


Align photos

To align photos:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Get the individual images to be used as frames in the object movie.

3.	Select some or all of the images to be included in the object movie.

4.	Click the Align tab sheet.

5.	Use the various align controls to test and position each frame as desired the object movie.

See Also

Align controls


Create

  Create procedure

  Getting Started concepts

The Create tab sheet lets you convert the image currently in the editing area into a noneditable movie file format (*.mov) file format. This format allows the image to be played as an object movie in the QuickTime movie player. Controls in the tab sheet allow you to specify the output size for the object movie and whether the movie will be launched immediately after creating. All Create tab sheet controls are described below:

Note

Creating an object movie is not the same as saving the Spin PhotoObject project. Although a noneditable .mov file is produced when you create an object movie, this does nothing to preserve the editable workspace in the project.

Control	Description
Width field	Initially displays the default width of the image in pixels. You can change the default by highlighting it and typing in a new value. If you elect to change the default width, the height size will automatically change to preserve the image's proportions.
Height field	Initially displays the default height of the image in pixels. You can change the default by highlighting it and typing in a new value. If you elect to change the default height, the height size will automatically change to preserve the image's proportions.
Restore button	Clicking the Restore button returns the height and width output sizes to their default values.
Reverse Order	Enable the Reverse order check box if you want the photo object to display in reverse order (the first frame displays last and the last frame displays in the sequence).
Play Movie After Creation check box	Enable this check box to immediately launch the object movie in a QuickTime players after it is created. If the checkbox not enabled, the object movie is saved to the specified directory without launching.
Create button	Creates the object movie. Click this button after all editing is complete and desired settings for output size and launch options have been specified.
Navigation controls	The standard navigation controls are available and allow you to play the object movie in its entirety or advance/regress individual frames before you create the actual movie. To see more information about the navigation controls, click here .
See Also

Saving the Spin PhotoObject Project

Saving the Photo Object as an Animated GIF file


Saving the Photo Object as an Animated GIF file

This procedure saves the photo object in the GIF89a file format.

To save the photo object as an animated GIF file:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject and perform procedures to get photos, align frames and, if necessary, crop frames.

2.	Click the Create tab sheet.

•	If you want the animated GIF file to play as soon as it is created, enable the Play Movie After Creation check box.

•	If you want the animated GIF file to play in reverse order, enable the Reverse order check box.

3.	Click the Create button.

4.	Specify the location where you want the GIF file to be saved and provide a name for the GIF file.

5.	Select the "Animated GIF file" as the file type.

6.	Click the Save button to save the file. The GIF89a dialog displays.

7.	Specify the animation speed (frames per second).

8.	Specify the number of loops.

9.	Disable/enable the Dithering check box.

10.	Click OK.

See Also

GIF89a Options dialog


GIF89a Options dialog

The GIF89a Options dialog allows you to specify the animation speed, number of loops, and whether you want dithering applied to a newly created GIF animation. The controls in the dialog are described below:

Control	Description
Animation Speed (frames per second)	You may specify the that animated GIF file play up to 15 frames per second.
Number of loops	A loop is a single playback of the GIF file from the first frame through the last frame. Technically, you can specify 99,999,999 loops in this field. For practical purposes, the "Infinite" option is provided in the drop-down list and allows the GIF file to loop indefinitely (as long as the page is open).
Dithering	GIF images are 8-bit (reduced from 24-bit). When the Dithering option is enabled, a custom color palette is built to show the best representation of colors for an 8-bit image. If the option is not enabled, the system color palette is used to approximate the colors.


Options dialog

The Options dialog is available from the Edit menu.

Option	Description
Guide Lines	This option allows you to apply guide lines in the Align mode. Guide lines can be used to help measure alignment. The default condition of the check box is enabled.
Transparent Overlay	This option provides an alternative way of applying the transparent overlay feature. The default condition of the check box is "off". If enabled, a check mark appears in the Use Overlay option on the Align tab sheet.
Conserve Disk Space (reduces image quality)	This option controls the compression setting that is used when saving files in the Editing Area. Images The default condition of this check box is "off". • When this option is off, images are compressed normally and quality remains high, but images are larger. • When the option is enabled, images are compressed less (and so quality is reduced), but the image is smaller.


Launch a QuickTime movie

There are two ways to launch a QuickTime™ movie:

•	For an object movie that is currently displayed in the editing area (but not necessarily saved as a project), Spin PhotoObject automatically launches the object movie in a QuickTime movie player when you click the Create button, if the Play Movie After Creation check box is enabled on the Create tab sheet. This method is useful if you have not already saved the image as a Spin PhotoObject project.

•	If an image has already been converted to the QuickTime movie file format (*.MOV), you can double-click the file and Spin PhotoObject will launch the image in a QuickTime movie player. This method can be used:

•	if the image has been previously saved to your hard disk as a movie file, or

•	if you have saved the image as a movie file with the Play Movie After Creation check box disabled.

Launching a QuickTime movie by enabling the Play Movie After Creation check box option:

1.	Start Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Click the Browse button in the Get Photos tab sheet.

3.	Navigate to the folder where the saved images reside on your hard disk.

4.	Click the Open button. All of the images in the folder open as thumbnails in the preview palette, including saved image files.

5.	Select and insert the images you want to use for the object movie into the editing area.

6.	Click the Create tab sheet.

7.	Enable the Play Movie After Creation check box option.

8.	Provide a name for the movie in the Save As dialog and click the Save button. The image is opened as an object movie in the QuickTime movie player.

Launching a QuickTime movie by double-clicking the *.MOV file

1.	Locate the saved *.MOV file on your hard disk.

2.	Double-click on the file. The image is opened as a movie in the QuickTime movie player.

See Also

Playing a QuickTime VR movie

Zoom functionality for a QuickTime VR movie


Playing a QuickTime VR movie

1.	Launch an object movie in one of the following ways:

•	Open movie images in the Spin PhotoObject editing area . From the Create tab sheet, click the Create button.

•	Navigate to a location on your hard drive where a *.mov file has been saved. Double-click on the file.

2.	Click anywhere on the image in the movie player.

3.	While holding down the mouse, drag the cursor across the image. The image animates in the direction the cursor is moved.

Note

You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to animate the image.


Zoom functionality for a QuickTime VR movie

You can make the image in an active QuickTime Movie Player larger (zoom in) or smaller (zoom out) by using keyboard commands for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh platforms:

Zoom functionality for Microsoft Windows

•	To zoom in, press the Shift key

•	To zoom out, press the Ctrl key

Zoom functionality for Macintosh

•	To zoom in, press the Control key

•	To zoom out, press the Option key


Get all photos

This procedure gets all images in a specified directory and opens them in the Spin PhotoObject preview palette .

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Click the Browse button in the Get Photos tab sheet.

3.	Navigate to the directory that contains the photos you want to include in the object movie.

4.	Click the Open button.


Get photos using Drag and Drop

This procedure gets selected images from anywhere on your computer’s hard disk and opens them in Spin PhotoObject using the drag and drop Method.

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Navigate to the directory on your hard disk that contains the photos you want to use in the object movie.

3.	Drag the desired image files from the directory and drop them into Spin PhotoObject’s editing area .


Changing the order of photos in the editing area

This procedure allows you to change the order of images in the editing area using the drag and drop method.

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject.

2.	Get the photos you want to use in the object movie. For procedures, click here .

3.	Click an image in the editing area and drag it to the desired location within the editing area.


1. Get Photos

2. Align

3. Crop

4. Create


Get all photos

Get photos using drag and drop


Align photos


Main menu

  Getting Started concepts

The main menu provides the options described below.

File	Description
New	Clears the image editing area . If an image is currently in the editing area, a prompt inquires if you would like to save the current object movie file. • If you choose Yes, an additional dialog allows you to specify a directory and save the image as an *.SPO file. • If you choose No, Spin PhotoObject closes the image without saving it. • If you choose Cancel, the image is not cleared from the editing area.
Open	Opens a previously saved editing area (*.SPO file).
Close	Closes the current editing area and allows you to save the image as an *.SPO file.
Save	Saves the current editing area and the alignment and crop settings as an *.SPO file. If the editing area has not been previously saved, you are prompted to provide a name for the file.
Save As	Saves the current editing area as an *.SPO file. You are promoted to provide a name for the file.
View Movie	Launches a saved *.MOV file with an internal QuickTime viewer.
Exit	Closes the current editing area (allowing you to save first) and exits the Spin PhotoObject application.
Edit
Undo	If you move or rotate an image in the editing area, or change the crop settings, Undo reverses the most recent move or crop. If you select undo a second time, the move or crop is redone. Undo will not reverse the deletion of an image.
Options (on Windows™) Preferences (on Macintosh™)	Check boxes available in the Options dialog allow you to enable/disable guide lines or overlay features, or conserve disk space. To see detailed information about the Options dialog, click here .
Image
Rotate	Rotates all images in the editing area right or left (clockwise or counterclockwise) by 90º degrees. Once the rotate orientation is set, this setting is also applied to new images which are inserted at a later time.
Zoom	Toggles the zoom feature between "100%" and "Fit". For more information about zoom capability, see navigation controls .
Alignment	Reset Current - Resets just the currently displayed image to the center of the grid lines. Reset All - Resets all images in the editing area to the center of the grid lines.
Help	(For Windows, help options are available from the Help menu. For Macintosh™ Help options, are available from the "?" symbol in the upper left corner of your desktop.)
Help Topics (on Windows™) Spin PhotoObject Help (on Macintosh™)	Summons the Spin PhotoObject Help contents.
About	Opens the About Spin PhotoObject dialog(s). On Windows™ computers, use this dialog to register this version of Spin PhotoObject or to visit the PictureWorks World Wide Web page. On Macintosh™ computers, this menu item is located under the Apple menu.
Go to PictureWorks Web Page	Opens an internet browser and activates the PictureWorks World Wide Web page.
Register (Macintosh only)


Crop the object movie

Cropping allows you to trim the height and/or width of a frame.

To crop the object movie:

1.	Open Spin PhotoObject and get the images you want for the object movie. For procedures, click here .

2.	Select and insert the images to be included in the object movie. For concepts, click here.

3.	Click the Crop tab sheet. If necessary, click the zoom button to make the entire frame fit in the editing window.

4.	Click and drag one of the blue crop handles to crop the image.

•	Use the crop handles in the four corners to crop length and width simultaneously.

•	Use the other crop handles to crop a single dimension (length or width).

•	To restore the crop lines to their original positions, click the Restore button.


Crop the object movie


Create an Object Movie

Creating an object movie converts the image currently in the editing area to a noneditable movie file format (*.mov). This format allows the image to be played as an object movie in the QuickTime movie player.

Note:

Creating an object movie is not the same as saving a Spin PhotoObject project. Saving the project preserves the current workspace (Editing Area) as an editable file that you can revisit and change at any time. Creating an object movie does not.

To create an object movie:

1.	After the images in the editing area have been aligned and cropped to your satisfaction, click the Create tab sheet.

2.	If you want to change the default output size:

•	Position the cursor in one of the Output Size editable fields.

•	Highlight the number currently displayed in the field.

•	Type the number of pixels you want for the output resolution. (The output resolution for the remaining field automatically changes to retain output proportionality.)

Note

If you wish to return the Output Size parameters to the default setting, click the Restore button before clicking the Create button.

3.	If you want the object movie to be launched automatically launched in a QuickTime movie player after creation, enable the Play movie after creation check box.

4.	Click the Create button.

See Also

Saving the Spin PhotoObject Project


Saving the Spin PhotoObject Project

Saving the project preserves the current workspace (the editing area ) as an editable file (*.SPO) that you can revisit, change, and generate object movies from at any time. You can save your project at any point in the editing process.

Note

Saving the Spin PhotoObject project does not create or launch the object movie.

To save the Spin PhotoObject project:

1.	From the File menu. Choose Save. The Save As dialog appears.

2.	Supply a name for the project file. (You do not have to supply the "*.SPO" file extension as part of the name. Spin PhotoObject does that automatically.)

3.	Click the Save button.

See Also

Create an object movie


Saving the Spin PhotoObject project


Create an object movie


Glossary
A

acquisition

Align

Alignment option (Image menu)

Animated GIF (GIF 89a)

animation speed

B

browse

C

Create

Crop

D

drag and drop

E

editing area

F

frames

G

Get Photos

guide lines

H

I

J

Jog Previous/Next

K

keyboard shortcuts

L

loop

M

N

navigation controls

Nudge Frame

O

object movie

Output Size

Overlay

P

preview palette

Q

QuickTime

R

Rotate To

S

T

tab sheets

thumbnail

TWAIN

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Zoom


acquisition

The process of importing one or more images from a hard disk, a digital device (camera or scanner) or magnetic media (floppy).


Align

The second Tab Sheet and the second step in creating Object Movies. You align individual frames of the Object Movie to the previous/next frames. This ensures smooth rotation and animation. The process is similar to how professional animators create frames of  animation by comparing the next frame to the previous.


Alignment option (Image Menu)

Allows you to reset the alignment of the current frame or all frames in the Object Movie. By default, all frames are positioned to align to the center of each image.


Animated GIF (GIF 89a)

A file format used predominately on the World Wide Web (WWW) to display small animated objects. Animated GIFs are typically a compilation of frames created in drawing, paint, or illustration programs. These frames are displayed one after the other to create an animation (much like a flip book). Animated GIFs cannot be controlled by the user. They play much like a movie, with speed of playback and number of times the animation is looped set by the creator of the GIF. GIFs are popular on the WWW chiefly because of their typically small size.


browse

The Browse Button allows you to select a directory of images that will be imported into the Preview Palette.


Create (definition)
Create

The fourth Tab Sheet and fourth step in creating Object Movies. Options on the Create tab sheet allow you to create a QuickTime VR movie or a GIF89a animation and save it to disk. This is useful for previewing results for any needed changes. If the option to play the movie after creation is enabled, the movie is saved to disk and immediately played in the QuickTime VR player inside the Spin PhotoObject application.


Crop

The third tab sheet and third step in creating Object Movies. Crop lines are automatically calculated and set to crop out any part of the object Movie that does not contain part of an image. You can alter the crop lines by dragging any of the 8 green rectangular handles. To help keep file sizes small, we recommend that you crop tightly to the object movie.

Tip:

Press Play prior to setting your crop lines. This will allow you to see all the frames in the Object Movie and make cropping easier, preventing accidental clipping of images in other frames.

Use the Restore button to restore the crop lines to their calculated positions, if desired.


Drag and drop

A common method for copying or moving files on a computer. It involves selecting (or multi-selecting) files, and then using the mouse to drag the files to another location where they are subsequently released or "dropped".  In Spin PhotoObject, you can drag and drop image files directly into the editing area from the preview palette or from any location on your hard disk.


editing area

The main Spin PhotoObject window into which you insert images and modify the orientation and sequence of images. This area allows editing capabilities that change based on the operational mode you are currently in (Get Photos, Align, Crop or Create). When you save the project, all of the edits specified in the editing area (for example, cropping and alignment settings) are preserved in an *.SPO project file.


frames

A single picture used as a part of an Object Movie or Animation. There can be up to 72 frames in an Spin PhotoObject file.


Get Photos

The first tab sheet in the Spin PhotoObject user interface, and the first step in creating an Object Movie. The process of acquiring or importing an image or group of images from disk.


guide lines

The stationary horizontal and vertical dashed lines that appear across the center of the editing area in the Align mode. Guide lines assist on aligning frames and can be turned on or off using the Options setting in the Edit menu. The default setting for the guide lines is "on".


Jog Previous/Next

Clicking the Jog buttons in the Align Tab quickly toggles the view from the current frame to the previous frame (or the next frame) and back to the current frame. This is useful to test the alignment of images between frames.


keyboard shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts provide basic navigation of the Object Movie and alignment control:

Keyboard shortcut	Description
Page Down button	Advances object movie to next frame.
Page Down button	Regresses object movie to the previous frame.
Home key	Returns object movie to the first frame
Space bar	Repeat last keyboard command
Arrow keys	Nudge object movie one pixel in direction of the arrow (Align mode)


navigation controls

Controls available in the bottom portion of the Align, Crop, and Create Tab Sheets to help you navigate between frames.


Nudge Frame

The Nudge buttons in the Align Tab allow you to move the current frame one pixel right, left, up, or down. Clicking and holding any of the four arrow buttons will continue to move the current frame until the button is released.


object movie

An interactive movie that displays a changeable view of an object. The Object Movie is comprised of multiple pictures taken of a single object and combined into a dimensional object movie that can be rotated to view various angles of the object. Spin PhotoObject allows creation of horizontal scrolling objects/animation only (not full spherical or vertical scrolling). The viewing window provides you with an ability to “rotate” the object by clicking and dragging the mouse left or right. (The cursor for manually rotating an object generally appears as a hand.) The viewing window also allows you to “playback” the object movie by clicking in the far right or left margins of the movie and holding. The cursor for playback generally appears as an arrow when positioned to ‘playback’ a movie. While playing back an Object Movie, you can speed up or slow down the playback by moving the mouse right or left.


Output Size

The user specified size for the Object Movie created when the Create button is clicked.  The size represents the X/Y dimensions of the movie measure in pixels (as displayed on a monitor).  Clicking the Restore button returns the width and height to the settings determined by the cropping of frames in the Object Movie.  Note that changing the Output size does not change the crop settings or the size of the Original frames, it only scales the Object movie during the creation process.


preview palette

The portion of the Get Photos tab sheet that displays thumbnails (miniature versions) of images in a single directory. The thumbnails may be inserted into the Editing Area by dragging them or clicking on one of the ‘Insert’ buttons on the Get Photos tab sheet. Within the Preview Palette, users may select individual, multiple, or all images to be inserted into the Editing Area.


QuickTime

Apple Computer's method of storing sound, graphics and movie files.


Rotate To

A menu option that sets the rotation of all images inserted into the Editing area. There are three settings:  90 degrees left, 90 degrees right, and none.


tab sheets

The four groupings of tasks (Get Photos, Align, Crop, and Create) in the Spin PhotoObject user interface that guide you through the process of creating Object Movies.


TWAIN

Acronym for Technology Without An Interesting Name, TWAIN is the de facto interface standard for scanners and digital cameras that makes these devices compatible with any TWAIN-supporting software.


thumbnail

A miniaturized version of an image. Images are presented as thumbnails in the Preview Palette of the Get Photos tab sheet.


Overlay
Use Overlay

When enabled, the Use Overlay check box in the Align Tab places a translucent overlay of the previous image over the current image. This feature is helpful when you wish to align the current image and see the alignment for the previous image at the same time. The default setting for Use Overlay is "on". The option can also be turned on or off using the Options setting in the Edit menu.


VR movie

An image file that can be viewed as a "virtual reality" picture in the Apple QuickTime VR™ viewer or movie player. VR movies are saved in the *.MOV (QuickTime movie) file format and are transportable between the Macintosh™ and Windows™ platforms.


Zoom

Spin PhotoObject uses two zoom settings in the Align, Crop, and Create Modes:  100% and Zoom to Fit.

The magnifying glass with a (+) in it changes the view to 100% of the actual size of the Frame.

The magnifying glass with the (-) in it shrinks the frame to fit inside the editing area.

If the image is at 100% and fits inside the edit area, the button is disabled and turned gray. The current zoom mode is displayed to the right as ‘fit’ or ‘100%’. The zoom mode can also be changed using the Zoom option in the Image menu.


animation speed

The rate of frames per second at which an animated file moves. As a general rule, the higher the animation speed, the smoother the animation. Also, the higher the animation speed, the larger the animation file size. In Spin PhotoObject, you may create animation with speeds up to 15 frames per second.


loop

The complete cycle of play for an animated GIF file from the first image through the last image. In Spin PhotoObject, you can specify any number of loops or specify that the animation cycle continuously (an infinite number of loops).