Cyberlink PhotoDirector - 10.0 User’s Guide

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User's Guide

PhotoDirector 10

CyberLink

International Headquarters

Mailing Address CyberLink Corporation

15F., No. 100, Minquan Rd., Xindian Dist. New Taipei City 231, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Web Site

https://www.cyberlink.com

Telephone 886-2-8667-1298 Fax 886-2-8667-1385

To the extent allowed by law, PhotoDirector IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY FOR INFORMATION, SERVICES, OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED THROUGH OR IN CONNECTION WITH PhotoDirector AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. BY USING THIS SOFTWARE, YOU AGREE THAT CYBERLINK WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE OR MATERIALS CONTAINED EITHER IN THIS PACKAGE.

The terms and conditions here under shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Taiwan.

PhotoDirector is a registered trademark along with other company and product names mentioned in this publication, used for identification purposes and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners.

Contents

..............................................................1

Introduction

................................................................................................1Welcome

.................................................................................................1Latest Features

.................................................................................................2DirectorZone and CyberLink Cloud

.................................................................................................3PhotoDirector Versions

................................................................................................4Minimum System Requirements

..............................................................5

Importing Photos

................................................................................................5Supported File Formats

................................................................................................5Importing Photos into the Library

.................................................................................................7Rename During Import

.................................................................................................8Apply During Import

.................................................................................................9Importing Animated GIFs

................................................................................................9Importing Photos From a Digital Camera

.................................................................................................9Importing Photos From Camera Storage

.................................................................................................11Tethered Shooting

................................................................................................12Importing Videos (Video-to-Photo)

.................................................................................................14Supported Video File Formats

.................................................................................................14Trimming a Video Clip

.................................................................................................15Applying TrueTheater Adjustments

.................................................................................................15Manually Capturing Video Frames as New Photos

.................................................................................................16Auto Capturing Video Frames as New Photos

.................................................................................................17Auto Create Panorama from Video

.................................................................................................18Advanced Capture Settings

..............................................................20

The PhotoDirector Workspace

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

................................................................................................20PhotoDirector Modules

.................................................................................................21Library

.................................................................................................21Adjustment

.................................................................................................22Edit

.................................................................................................22Layers

.................................................................................................22Create

.................................................................................................22Print

................................................................................................22Photo Library

.................................................................................................23Project Tab

.................................................................................................29Tagging Faces in Photos

.................................................................................................32Metadata Tab

................................................................................................37Adjustment Panel

................................................................................................38Photo Browser Panel

.................................................................................................40Entering 360º Photo Editor

.................................................................................................41Stacking Photos

.................................................................................................43Searching for Photos

.................................................................................................43Virtual Photos

................................................................................................44Photo Viewer Window

.................................................................................................44Selecting View Mode

.................................................................................................45Selecting Viewer Display Mode

.................................................................................................47Soft Proofing

.................................................................................................47History

.................................................................................................48Photo Viewer Toolbar

.................................................................................................49Viewer Zoom

..............................................................51

PhotoDirector Projects

................................................................................................51Exporting Projects

................................................................................................51CyberLink Cloud Projects

..............................................................53

Adjustments

................................................................................................53Histogram

.................................................................................................54Converting Photos to Black and White

.................................................................................................54Viewing Exposed Areas

iii

................................................................................................55Regional Adjustment Tools

.................................................................................................56Cropping and Straightening Photos

.................................................................................................59Removing Spots

.................................................................................................61Removing Red-Eye

.................................................................................................61Using the Adjustment Brush

.................................................................................................65Using Adjustment Selection

.................................................................................................68Using a Gradient Mask

.................................................................................................71Using a Radial Filter

.................................................................................................75Regional Adjustment Options

................................................................................................77Global Adjustment Tools

.................................................................................................77White Balance

.................................................................................................79Tone

.................................................................................................81HDR Effect

.................................................................................................82Level

.................................................................................................83Curve

.................................................................................................85HSL/Color

.................................................................................................88Black and White Mix

.................................................................................................89Split Toning

.................................................................................................90Detail

.................................................................................................92Keystone

.................................................................................................92Lens Correction

................................................................................................95Copying Adjustments

................................................................................................96Using Adjustment Presets

.................................................................................................96Downloading Presets from DirectorZone

.................................................................................................97Downloading Presets from CyberLink Cloud

.................................................................................................98Saving Custom Presets

.................................................................................................98Applying Presets on Photos

.................................................................................................99Sharing and Backing Up Presets

.................................................................................................100Exporting/Import Presets

................................................................................................100Viewing History

................................................................................................101Turning Adjustments On/Off

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

..............................................................102

Edits

................................................................................................102People Beautifier

.................................................................................................102Face Tools

.................................................................................................107Skin Tools

.................................................................................................110Body Shaper

................................................................................................112Photo Effects

.................................................................................................112AI Style Transfer

.................................................................................................113Color Effects

.................................................................................................117Blur Tools

.................................................................................................120Grain Effect

.................................................................................................121Overlay

................................................................................................123360º Photo Editor

.................................................................................................123Straightening 360º Photos

.................................................................................................125Removing Tripod From 360º Photos

.................................................................................................125Adjusting 360º Photos

.................................................................................................126Creating Little Planet Photos

.................................................................................................127Converting 360º Photos to Panoramas

................................................................................................127Object Removal

.................................................................................................127Smart Patch

.................................................................................................128Content Aware Removal

................................................................................................130Extract or Compose

.................................................................................................130Background Removal

.................................................................................................132Photo Composer

.................................................................................................133Content Aware Move

.................................................................................................134Content Aware Clone

................................................................................................135Photo Merge

.................................................................................................135Bracket HDR

.................................................................................................138Panorama

.................................................................................................138Face Swap

.................................................................................................139Multi Exposure

................................................................................................141Frames & Watermarks

.................................................................................................141Using Watermark Templates

.................................................................................................142Creating New Frames and Watermarks

..............................................................147

Layers

................................................................................................148Layers Overview

.................................................................................................155PhotoDirector Layers Projects

.................................................................................................156Using Express Templates

................................................................................................157Using the Layer Manager

.................................................................................................157Adding New Layers

.................................................................................................159Adding Adjustment Layer

.................................................................................................159Adjusting a Photo Layer

.................................................................................................161Adjusting Layer Opacity

.................................................................................................162Adding Shadows and Borders

.................................................................................................164Blending Layers

.................................................................................................169Managing Layers

................................................................................................170Creating Layer Masks

.................................................................................................171Adding a Layer Mask on a Layer

.................................................................................................174Applying a Clipping Mask

.................................................................................................175Creating Mask From File

.................................................................................................178Creating Mask From Other Layer

.................................................................................................179Creating Mask From Transparency

................................................................................................181Rotating and Flipping Layers

.................................................................................................182Rotate Tool

.................................................................................................182Flip Tool

................................................................................................182Using the Layer Tools

.................................................................................................183Pick and Move Tool

.................................................................................................187Select Area Tool

.................................................................................................190Pen Tool

.................................................................................................190Eraser Tool

.................................................................................................191Shape Tool

.................................................................................................194Text Tool

.................................................................................................196Fill Tool

.................................................................................................197Gradient Tool

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

.................................................................................................197Blur Tool

................................................................................................198Saving and Sharing Layers Projects

..............................................................200

Creating

................................................................................................200Creating Photo Slideshows

.................................................................................................201Producing Slideshows

.................................................................................................201Sharing Slideshow Videos on YouTube

................................................................................................203Creating Animated GIFs

.................................................................................................204Saving Animated GIFs

................................................................................................205Creating Motion Stills™

.................................................................................................207Saving Motion Stills™

..............................................................209

Exporting and Sharing Photos

................................................................................................209Exporting Photos

.................................................................................................210Basic Photo Export

.................................................................................................211Advanced Photo Export

................................................................................................214Sharing Photos

.................................................................................................214Uploading Photos to Flickr

.................................................................................................215Backing Up Photos on CyberLink Cloud

.................................................................................................216Uploading Photos to DirectorZone

.................................................................................................217E-mailing Photos

..............................................................218

Printing

................................................................................................218Printing Photos

.................................................................................................218Customizing the Layout

.................................................................................................220Customizing the Image Settings

.................................................................................................220Customizing the Print Settings

.................................................................................................221Adding Watermarks to Printed Photos

..............................................................222

PhotoDirector Preferences

................................................................................................222General Preferences

................................................................................................223Project Preferences

................................................................................................223DirectorZone Preferences

vii

................................................................................................224File Handling Preferences

................................................................................................225Improvement Program Preferences

................................................................................................225CyberLink Cloud Preferences

................................................................................................226Hardware Acceleration Preferences

..............................................................227

PhotoDirector Hotkeys

..............................................................234

Technical Support

................................................................................................234Before Contacting Technical Support

................................................................................................235Web Support

................................................................................................235Help Resources

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Introduction

Chapter 1:

This chapter introduces CyberLink PhotoDirector and provides an overview of all its features. It also outlines the system requirements for installing and using the program.

Note: this document is for reference and informational use only. Its content and the corresponding program are subject to change without notice. For more helpful tips on using the program, please visit our user forum, or see the video tutorials in the Learning Center at https://www.cyberlink.com/learning/photo.

Welcome

Welcome to the CyberLink family of digital media tools. CyberLink PhotoDirector is a photography program that lets you manage, adjust, and edit your digital photos, or create new ones using layers. You can then share your photos on Flickr, use them in slideshows, produce slideshow videos you can upload to YouTube, and much more.

Latest Features

This section outlines some of the latest features within the CyberLink PhotoDirector program.

Import photos as you capture them with tethered shooting*.

Adds support for photos in the HEIF (.HEIC)* format.

Import one or all frames from an animated GIF.

View photos in the library by date taken in calendar view.

Use soft proofing* to change the display color space to fit your printer's color setting.

Instantly correct the perspective of your photos with the auto keystone* feature.

Transform your photos into works of art using AI Style Transfer.

Duplicate objects in a photo with Content Aware Clone.

Introduction

Add a non destructive layer of adjustments on photos in your layers* projects.

Improved text fonts and layout in the Layers* module.

Use layer and clipping masks to create exquisite photos in the Layers* module.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

DirectorZone and CyberLink Cloud

You can upload/download color presets and lens profiles, and back up photos, preferences, projects, and more with the DirectorZone and CyberLink Cloud* features.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

DirectorZone

DirectorZone is a free web service that lets you search for and download color presets and lens profiles created by other users of CyberLink PhotoDirector.

To access the benefits of DirectorZone, you can sign in by:

clicking the Sign in to DirectorZone link in the top right corner of the CyberLink PhotoDirector window.

clicking the button at the top of the window to open the PhotoDirector preferences, and then on the DirectorZone tab. See DirectorZone Preferences for more information.

Also, be sure to periodically click the button to check out the latest

DirectorZone Bulletin, and view Templates and Tutorials on DirectorZone or the Photo Gallery on DirectorZone. Just click in one of these sections in the

Notifications window to view the bulletin or download these templates. Or go to https://directorzone.cyberlink.com to find out more information on the features and benefits of the DirectorZone web service.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

CyberLink Cloud

CyberLink Cloud is a cloud storage service from CyberLink where users can upload and download their presets, PhotoDirector projects, exported photos, and more. CyberLink Cloud allows users to back up media, preferences, projects, etc., and ensure their working environment is the same on multiple computers.

Note: CyberLink Cloud is a sub scription cloud storage service that is included with some CyberLink products, and is available for purchase through our web site. For more detailed information, see https://www.cyberlink.com/products/cyberlink-cloud/.

PhotoDirector Versions

The features that are available in CyberLink PhotoDirector are completely dependent on the version you have installed on your computer.

To view the PhotoDirector version table, please go to our web site: https://www.cyberlink.com/products/photodirector-ultra/compare_en_US.html

Click the CyberLink PhotoDirector logo in the top right, or select Help > About CyberLink PhotoDirector from the menu, to determine the version and build number for your copy of CyberLink PhotoDirector.

PhotoDirector 365

PhotoDirector 365 is a subscription based version of CyberLink PhotoDirector that provides all the photo adjustment features you expect, and adds the CyberLink Cloud storage service and more.

With a PhotoDirector 365 subscription, you get:

All the advanced photo adjustment and editing features of the Ultra version of CyberLink PhotoDirector.

The ability to back up program preferences, projects, and presets on the cloud storage space CyberLink Cloud.

Guaranteed updates to the latest versions of CyberLink PhotoDirector Ultra.

PhotoDirector 365 is the must-have solution for on-the-go photo editors who want easy access to their media and the latest up-to-date photo editing technologies.

Introduction

Updating PhotoDirector

Software upgrades and updates (patches) are periodically available from CyberLink. CyberLink PhotoDirector automatically prompts you when either is available.

Note: you can prevent CyberLink PhotoDirector from auto checking for updates/upgrades in General Preferences.

To update your software, do this:

1. Click the button to open the Notifications window.

2. Check the New Updates and Upgrade Info sections.

3. Select an item in these sections to open your web browser, where you can purchase product upgrades or download the latest patch update.

Note: you must connect to the Internet to use this feature.

Minimum System Requirements

The system requirements listed below are recommended as minimums for using the CyberLink PhotoDirector program.

System Requirements

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 10, 8/8.1, 7 (64 bit OS recommended)

Processor (CPU)

Intel Core™ i-series or AMD Phenom® II and above

Graphics Processor (VGA)

128 MB VGA VRAM or higher

Memory

2 GB required

Screen Resolution

1024 x 768, 16-bit color or above

Hard Disk Space

2 GB required

Internet Connection

Internet connection also required for initial software & file formats activation

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Importing Photos

Chapter 2:

The first step when using CyberLink PhotoDirector is to import your photos into the program. CyberLink PhotoDirector supports a variety of different photo file types, including most camera RAW file formats.

Supported File Formats

CyberLink PhotoDirector supports the following photo file formats for importing:

Photos: BMP, GIF, HEIF (.HEIC)*, JPEG, PNG, TIFF.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

RAW photo formats: CyberLink PhotoDirector also supports the import of most camera RAW photo formats. See the PhotoDirector spec page on the CyberLink web site for an up-to-date list of all the supported RAW photo formats: https://www.cyberlink.com/products/photodirector-ultra/spec_en_US.html

Note: you can also import PHI files into CyberLink PhotoDirector, which are PhotoDirector layers project files. See Layers for more information.

Importing Photos into the Library

You can import photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector from your computer's hard drive, and also from removable devices, such as memory cards and portable hard drives.

Note: if you want to import photos from a connected digital camera, see Importing Photos From a Digital Camera.

To import photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector, do this:

1. Click on Library, and then on the Import button at the bottom of the library panel.

2. Select one of the following import options:

Importing Photos

Photos: select to import individual photo files. Once selected, browse to and then select all of the photos on your computer/removable device that you want to import, and then click Open. Thumbnails of all the photos display in the Photo Import window.

Note: if the photo files you want to import are not displayed in the current folder, ensure that the correct file type is selected in the bottom right corner of the Select Some Photos dialog.

Folder: select to import a folder that contains your photos. Once selected, browse to and then select the folder on your computer/removable device that you want to import photos from, and then click Select Folder. Thumbnails of all the photos in the selected folder display in the Photo Import window.

From Cloud*: if you have a subscription to CyberLink Cloud, select this option to download photos that are in your CyberLink Cloud storage. Once selected, find all the photos you want to download, select them, and then click the Download button.

Note: you can use in the bottom right of the preview window to resize the photo thumbnails. * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

3. Select Include subfolders, if you are importing photos from a folder, device, or digital camera, to display and import photos that are in any subfolders.

4. Manually select the thumbnails of the photos you want to import, or click Select All or Deselect All buttons if necessary.

5. Click Import. CyberLink PhotoDirector imports the photos into your project library.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Advanced Import Options

Before clicking the Import button, you can click the Advanced button at the top of the import window to use these advanced import options.

Make Extra Copy: click this option and then select Copy to below path if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to make a copy of the imported photos in

another folder. Click to select the folder and then how you want to

Organize them by selecting one of the following:

Put in Single Folder: puts all of the photos in one folder.

By Original Folder Structure: duplicates the original folder structure from

the source location.

By Capture Date: puts the photos in a series of folders, labeled by the date

they were captured. Click to set the date format for the folder

naming, and to edit the name of the folder that will be created in this location.

Rename During Import: select this option to rename the photos during the

import process.

Apply During Import: select this option to apply photo presets and more

during the import process.

Rename During Import

When importing photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector, if you chose to make an extra copy in another photo, you can rename them as they are being imported.

To rename photos during import, do this:

1. In the Photo Import window, click Advanced button at the top of the window.

2. Select the Make Extra Copy option on the right and then Copy to below path. See Advanced Import Options for more details.

3. Click the Rename During Import option and then select Rename.

4. Once selected, choose the naming Format from the drop-down. The Original filename options use the name of the photo file, but will add a numbering

Importing Photos

sequence or the capture date to the end. Select a Custom filename option to enter in your own Custom name for the photo files in the field provided. You can also specify the photo file numbering format (sequence number or X of Y), and the starting number used.

Note: see the Example field for a preview of the new photo file names.

Apply During Import

CyberLink PhotoDirector can apply adjustment presets and auto fixes to photos during the import process. You can also begin organizing your photos by adding copyright information, keyword tags, and IPTC profiles as they are imported.

To apply presets, auto fixes, and more during import, do this:

1. In the Photo Import window, click Advanced button at the top of the window.

2. Click the Apply During Import option on the right of the window.

3. Select one or more of the following options:

Apply preset: select to apply the adjustment preset you select from the dropdown to all of the photos during import. See Using Adjustment Presets for more detailed information about adjustment presets.

Apply auto fix: select this option and then Auto tone if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to auto adjust the color tone in the photos as they are imported. You can also select Auto denoise if you want to automatically remove image noise during the import process.

Note: you can either apply a preset or auto fix during import. You cannot apply both at the same time.

IPTC profile: select a created IPTC profile from the drop-down to add its IPTC metadata during import. See Creating IPTC Profiles for more information.

Copyright: in the field provided, enter in the copyright text you would like to embed in each photo. The copyright information can be viewed and edited later on the Metadata tab in the library panel.

Tags: in the field provided, enter in the keyword tags you want to apply to each photo, separated by a semi colon. Use " > " between them if you want to create hierarchical tags.

Note: you can add existing tags by typing in the tag name and then selecting them. To add new tags, just enter the new tag name in the field provided, and they will be added to the library during import.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Importing Animated GIFs

You can now import animated GIF files into CyberLink PhotoDirector. When one is detected during import, a message will display asking you whether you want to:

Import Single Frame: select this option if you only want to import the first frame of the animated GIF into the PhotoDirector library.

Import All Frames: select this option to extract and import all frames in the animated GIF as individual photos. In the Photo Import window you can deselect some of the photos if required before proceeding.

Importing Photos From a Digital Camera

You can import photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector from a connected digital

camera's storage, or immediately when taking photos through tethered shooting.

Importing Photos From Camera Storage

You can import photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector from a connected digital camera.

To import photos from a connected digital camera, do this:

1. Click on Library, and then on the Import button at the bottom of the library panel.

2. Select the From Camera > Camera Storage option to import photos directly from the digital camera or a card reader. Ensure that your camera is connected to your computer (and turned on) and then select From Camera > Camera Storage to import photos from it. Once selected, the Photo Import window displays. Select your camera (or card reader) from the Source dropdown to display thumbnails of all the photos in the Photo Import window.

Note: you can use in the bottom right of the preview window to resize the photo thumbnails.

3. Select Include subfolders, if you are importing photos from a folder, device, or digital camera, to display and import photos that are in any subfolders.

4. Manually select the thumbnails of the photos you want to import, or click Select All or Deselect All buttons if necessary.

Importing Photos

5. Click Import. CyberLink PhotoDirector imports the photos into your project library.

Advanced Import Options

Before clicking the Import button, you can click the Advanced button at the top of the import window to use these advanced import options.

Make Extra Copy: click this option and then select Copy to below path if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to make a copy of the imported photos in

another folder. Click to select the folder and then how you want to

Organize them by selecting one of the following:

Put in Single Folder: puts all of the photos in one folder.

By Original Folder Structure: duplicates the original folder structure from

the source location.

By Capture Date: puts the photos in a series of folders, labeled by the date

they were captured. Click to set the date format for the folder

naming, and to edit the name of the folder that will be created in this location.

Rename During Import: select this option to rename the photos during the

import process.

Apply During Import: select this option to apply photo presets and more

during the import process.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Tethered Shooting

You can import photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector's photo library automatically as you capture them from a connected digital camera using the tethered shooting* feature.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To import photos using tethered shooting, do this:

1. Click on Library, and then on the Import button at the bottom of the library panel.

2. Select Tethered Shooting and then the connected camera you want to use.

3. In the Tethered Shooting Settings window, specify the following preferences:

Destination: click on to set the folder on your computer where the captured photos are imported to. Select the Put in subfolder option to create a new folder in the selected destination folder. Enter a name for the subfolder in the field provided.

Naming: set the naming scheme for all the captured photos, as required. Check the Example to preview how the captured photos will be named.

IPTC: select the IPTC metadata profile you want applied to each captured photo. You can select New to create a new IPTC profile.

Click OK to save your settings. You can click at anytime to reenter the Tethered Shooting Settings window.

4. The tethered shooting bar displays at the bottom of the PhotoDirector window. If required you can adjust your camera's shutter speed, aperture value, ISO setting, and color temperature while you shoot.

5. When ready, begin capturing photos and importing them into the PhotoDirector library by pressing the shutter button on your camera, or clicking the capture button on the tethered shooting bar.

Importing Photos

Importing Videos (Video-to-Photo)

You can import videos files into CyberLink PhotoDirector, and then capture selected video frames. These video frames are imported as new photos into the library, where they can be adjusted, edited, and much more.

A - Preview Window, B - Captured Frames/New Photos Panel, C - TrueTheater Adjustments, D Captured Frame Indicators, E - Playback Controls, F - Auto Capture, G - Capture Frame, H - Trim Video, I - Go to Library/Import New Photos

To import videos into CyberLink PhotoDirector, do this:

1. Click on Library, the Import button at the bottom of the library panel, and then select Video-to-Photo.

2. Browse to and select the video file you want to import, and then click Open.

3. Select one of the following Video-to-Photo import options:

Capture Video Frames as New Photos: select this option to just capture frames of your video file and import them into the library. Once in the library you can make adjustments to them, or use them with any of the other features available in CyberLink PhotoDirector.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Create a Panorama Photo: use this option to capture frames of your video file and use them to create a panorama image. See Panorama for information on creating a panorama image once imported, or Auto Create Panorama from

Video if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to create it for you automatically.

Note: for the best results, use a video file where the camera steadily pans left or right.

Make a Perfect Group Shot: select this option to capture frames of your video file and then use them to incorporate the best faces in a new photo. See Face

Swap for information once imported.

Note: for the best results, make sure there is minimal camera, background, and head movement of the subjects in the video you are using for this feature.

Compose a Multi Exposure Photo: use this option to capture frames of your video file to create a multi exposure photo. See Multi Exposure for information once imported.

Note: for the best results, make sure there is minimal camera or b ackground movement in the video you are using for this feature.

Create Animated GIF File: select this option to capture video frames and then use them to create an animated GIF. See Creating Animated GIFs for information once imported.

Create Motion Stills™ Image: use this option to capture video frames to create Motion Stills™. See Creating Motion Stills™ for information once imported.

Note: for the best results, make sure there is minimal camera or b ackground movement in the video you are using for this feature.

4. In the Video-to-Photo window, before capturing any frames, you can:

Trim the imported video clip.

Apply TrueTheater adjustments.

5. You can import photos from your video by:

Manually Capturing Video Frames as New Photos.

Auto Capturing Video Frames as New Photos

6. After capturing photos, click the Go to Library button.

7. Set the Capture Settings as follows:

Folder: indicates the folder on your computer where the photos will be saved.

To change the folder, click and then browse to and select the new folder.

Importing Photos

Put in subfolder: select this option if you want to place the imported photos in a new subfolder. Input the name of the new folder in the field provided.

Note: you can click Advanced for more capture settings. See Advanced Capture Settings for more information.

8. Click Import to import the new photos into the library, and use them in the selected feature.

Supported Video File Formats

CyberLink PhotoDirector supports the following video file formats for importing:

3G2, 3GP, 3GPP, ASF, AVI, DAT, FLV, M2T, M2TS, M2V, M4V, MKV, MOD, MOV, MP4, MPE, MPG, MPEG, MTS, TOD, TPD, TRP, TS, VOB, VRO, WMV

Trimming a Video Clip

Before importing a video and capturing its frames, you can trim the imported video clip. To trim the video clip, do this:

1. Click the button to open the Trim window.

2. Use the player controls to find where you want the trimmed clip to begin, and then drag the mark in position slider to this position.

3. Use the player controls to find where you want the trimmed clip to end, and then drag the mark out position slider to this position.

4. If required, you can preview what the trimmed clip will look like by clicking Output and then clicking the play button on the player controls. Click Original if you want to play the original video.

5. Click OK to set your changes and trim the clip.

Note: you can reenter the trim window to refine the trimmed clip at any time.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Applying TrueTheater Adjustments

Before importing a video and capturing its frames, you can apply TrueTheater Adjustments to enhance your video and the resulting photos.

To apply TrueTheater Adjustments, do this:

1. Select the TrueTheater Adjustments check box in the bottom left corner to enable them.

2. Click and then adjust the TrueTheater Adjustments options as follows:

Sharpness: select this option to up scale the original video to a higher resolution version, which is sharper and artifact-free. Use the slider to adjust the sharpness to the best output that suits your configuration.

Lighting: is a video enhancement technology developed by CyberLink that detects video content and dynamically adjusts the brightness/contrast ratios. Use the level slider to adjust the TrueTheater Lighting effect the desired amount.

Color: select this option to dynamically adjust the color saturation ratio in the video. Use the level slider to make the colors in the video more vivid, without affecting skin tones.

Note: you can click and hold while applying the TrueTheater Adjustments to view the original video and compare how the adjustments have enhanced your video.

Manually Capturing Video Frames as New Photos

After importing a video into CyberLink PhotoDirector, to manually capture its frames, do this:

1. Use the playback controls to find a moment in your video where you want to capture the video and then pause the video.

Note: if you find that the video preview is not smooth during playback, you can click

and then select Non Real -ti me Preview. This mutes the audio and displays the

preview at a reduced speed to help make the preview go more smoothly.

2. If required, use the and buttons to find the exact video frame you want to capture.

Importing Photos

3. When ready, click to capture the frame of video and add it to the captured frames panel.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 to capture as many frames as required.

5. If required, hover your mouse over a photo in the captured frames panel and

then click for a larger view. Click X to remove any captured photos from the panel.

6. When you are done, click the Go to Library button.

7. Set the Capture Settings as follows:

Folder: indicates the folder on your computer where the photos will be saved.

To change the folder, click and then browse to and select the new folder.

Put in subfolder: select this option if you want to place the imported photos in a new subfolder. Input the name of the new folder in the field provided.

Note: you can click Advanced for more capture settings. See Advanced Capture Settings for more information.

8. Click Import to import the new photos into the library.

Auto Capturing Video Frames as New Photos

After importing a video into CyberLink PhotoDirector, if you selected the Import Video Frames as New Photos option, you can use this feature to capture a large

number of photos quickly. To auto* capture frames as new photos, do this:

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

1. Click on Library, the Import button at the bottom of the library panel, and then select Video-to-Photo.

2. Browse to and select the video file you want to import, and then click Open.

3. Select the Import Video Frames as New Photos option.

4. In the Video-to-Photo window, click on the Auto button.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

5. In the Frames field, input how many photos (frames of video) you want captured from the video.

6. Click the Start button. CyberLink PhotoDirector will capture the specified number of frames and import them into the captured frames panel.

7. If required, hover your mouse over a photo in the captured frames panel and

then click for a larger view. Click X to remove any captured photos from the panel.

8. When you are done, click the Go to Library button.

9. Set the Capture Settings as follows:

Folder: indicates the folder on your computer where the photos will be saved.

To change the folder, click and then browse to and select the new folder.

Put in subfolder: select this option if you want to place the imported photos in a new subfolder. Input the name of the new folder in the field provided.

Note: you can click Advanced for more capture settings. See Advanced Capture Settings for more information.

10. Click Import to import the new photos into the library.

Auto Create Panorama from Video

After importing a video, if you selected the Create a Panorama Photo* option, CyberLink PhotoDirector can create a panorama for you automatically. To auto create a panorama from a video, do this:

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

1. Click on Library, the Import button at the bottom of the library panel, and then select Video-to-Photo.

2. Browse to and select the video file you want to import, and then click Open.

3. Select the Create a Panorama Photo option.

4. In the Video-to-Photo window, click on the Auto button. CyberLink PhotoDirector will auto capture video frames and then merge the photos to create the panorama.

Importing Photos

Note: if you are not satisfied with the results, click Retry to try again.

5. When the merge is complete, adjust the position and size of the crop area to create the panorama image you want.

Note: by default, CyberLink PhotoDirector does not include any of the black areas in the crop area. However, if you expand/move the crop area and it includes some black areas, select the Auto fill bounda ry option. CyberLink PhotoDirector will fill in the black area using nearby pixels to create a complete image.

6. When you are done, click on the Save button to save the panorama to your computer's hard drive.

7. Enter in a file name for the panorama, select the save location on your computer, and then click Save.

Advanced Capture Settings

During the video import and capture process, you can set the following advanced capture settings:

1. In the Destination section of the Import Settings window, specify the import location as follows:

Folder: specify the folder that photos are imported to as follows:

Click on to specify a specific folder on your computer where the photos are imported to.

Put in subfolder: select this option if you want to place the imported photos in a new subfolder. Input the name of the new folder in the field provided.

2. In the File Settings section of the Import Settings window, if required, you can specify the file format and color space as follows.

Format: specify whether you want the captured photos to be in the JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file format.

Color space: select the type of color space you want used on the imported photos.

3. In the Image Size section of the Import Settings window is where you can set the size of the imported photos, as follows:

Keep original resolution as video frame: select this option if you don't want the photos resized during the import process.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Resize to fit: select this option if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to resize the photos during the import process. In the fields provided, specify the new size as follows:

Width/Height: specify the width or height of each photo in the fields provided. CyberLink PhotoDirector will resize photos to the specified size, and ensure the photos maintain their current aspect ratio.

Resolution: enter the desired resolution of the photos in the field provided.

4. In the Naming format section of the Import Settings window, specify the naming convention used on the imported photo files as follows:

Note: see the Example field at the bottom of Naming for mat section to view an example of the naming that will be used on the imported photos.

Prefix: in the field provided, enter the prefix used in each photo file name.

Start number: if you want the file name to contain a number sequence,

specify the starting number in the field provided.

5. In the Apply during import section of the Import Settings window, you can add copyright information and keyword tags as follows:

Copyright: in the field provided, enter in the copyright text you would like to embed in each photo. The copyright information can be viewed and edited later on the Metadata tab in the library panel.

Tags: in the field provided, enter in the keyword tags you want to apply to each photo, separated by a semi colon.

6. Click Import. CyberLink PhotoDirector will capture and import the photos as specified.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Chapter 3:

This chapter outlines the CyberLink PhotoDirector workspace, and all of its features. Getting familiar with the workspace is helpful, because it is where you spend all of your time when using CyberLink PhotoDirector.

A - PhotoDirector Modules, B - Adjustment Panel, C - Photo Browser Panel, D - Photo Viewer Window

PhotoDirector Modules

CyberLink PhotoDirector is comprised of six main modules: Library, Adjustment, Edit, Layers, Create, and Print.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Hiding PhotoDirector Modules

If required you can customize which modules are displayed/available in CyberLink PhotoDirector. To hide any of the modules, just right click at the top of CyberLink PhotoDirector window and then deselect it from the list.

Note: the Library module cannot be hidden.

You can also click at the bottom of the photo viewer to hide any of the PhotoDirector modules. If you'd like to make the module available again, just right click and then reselect it in the list.

Note: before you can hide a module, you must exit that module/enter a different module.

Library

Click the Library button to open the photo library of CyberLink PhotoDirector. When you import photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector, they are stored in the photo library. Once in the library you can organize them in a smart collection, folder, album, and by keyword tags. See Photo Library for more information.

Adjustment

The Adjustment module is where you touch up and make adjustments to the photos in your library. Click the Adjustment button to apply presets, crop and rotate photos, apply gradients, remove spots, red-eye, and make other corrections. You can also adjust white balance, sharpness, color, and much, much more. See

Adjustments for more information.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Edit

Click the Edit button to touch up the faces in your photos, apply effects, remove objects and backgrounds, create panoramas and multi exposure photos, apply watermarks and frames on your photos, and much more. See Edits for more information.

Layers

Click the Layers button to perform advanced photo composing to create stunning images using multiple images, text, and mask layers. See Layers for detailed information.

Create

In this module you can use your photos to create slideshows with background music, animated GIFs, and Motion Stills™. Click the Create button to access the Create module. See Creating for more information on all the features in this window.

Once you have finished adjusting and editing your images, click the Print button to print them. You can print off your photos one at time, print multiple photos on a single sheet of paper, and also add watermarks to your printed photos. For more information see Printing Photos.

Photo Library

All of the photos that you import into CyberLink PhotoDirector can be found by clicking on the Library button at the top of the window. The photo library has two tabs: Project and Metadata. To access either tab, simply click on it to view its contents.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Project Tab

Click the Library button and then the Project tab to access all of the photos in the library. When photos are imported into the library, a CyberLink PhotoDirector project database keeps track of photo location, and associated photo information, including adjustments you make to each photo. If required you can add new projects, open existing projects, or export smart collections, albums, folders, and tags as new projects.

On the Project tab you can also organize imported photos by album, folder, capture date, keyword tags, and more.

Smart Collection

CyberLink PhotoDirector automatically organizes your photos in a smart collection for easy browsing. Every time you import, rate, or reject photos, CyberLink PhotoDirector updates the smart collection.

All Photos: select to view all the photos you have imported into the current project database.

Latest Imports: select to view the photos that were most recently imported into the library.

1 Star or Better: select to view photos you have rated 1 or more stars.

5 Stars: select to view all the photos you have rated 5 stars.

Rejected: select to view all the rejected photos.

Right click on a smart collection folder to export the photos, or create a new project that contains just the photos in the selected collection. You can also Rename, Edit or Delete some folders out of the smart collection.

You can also create a custom smart collection based on rules you specify. To create a custom smart collection, do this:

1. Select the Project tab, and then click in the Smart Collection section.

2. Select Create Smart Collection.

3. Enter the information in the fields as follows:

Name: enter a name for the new collection of photos.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Match: select whether to match at least one (Any) of the rules, All of the rules, or None of them.

4. Use the drop-down boxes to set the rules for the type of photos that you want to include in the smart collection.

5. Click on Create to finish. CyberLink PhotoDirector creates the collection based on your selected rules.

Folders

When photos are imported into the library, CyberLink PhotoDirector organizes them into folders based on the structure of the import source location.

Right click on a folder to:

Synchronize Folder: select to ensure the folder is up-to-date. Use this feature if the photos were added, deleted, or moved out of the folder. Synchronize folders as follows:

Synchronizing folder options

If CyberLink PhotoDirector detects any changes, the following related options become enabled.

Import new photos: if photos were added to the folder, this option becomes enabled. Select it to import the specified number of photos into the folder.

Show import dialog before importing: select if you want to display the Photo Import window before importing. If you do not select this option, CyberLink PhotoDirector performs a background import of the photos.

Remove missing photos: if there are missing photos in the folder, this option becomes enabled. Select it to remove the specified number of photos from the folder. Click the Show Missing Photos button to see which photos are missing.

Click the Synchronize button to begin the process.

Find Missing Folder: select to locate the selected folder if it was moved to a

different location. Click the button to specify the New location of the missing folder.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Export Photos: select to export the photos, with any changes applied to them, in the selected folder. See Exporting and Sharing Photos for more information.

Export Folder as New Project: select to create a new project database that only includes the photos in the selected folder.

Tag Faces: select this option if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to analyze all the photos in the selected folder and tag any faces it detects in them. See

Tagging Faces for more information.

Remove from Library: select to remove the selected folder, and all of the photos it contains, from the library.

Locate on Disk: select to view the selected folder, and all of its contents, in Windows Explorer.

Rename Folder: select to give the selected folder a different name.

Calendar View

When photos are imported into the library, CyberLink PhotoDirector organizes them by capture date and lets you view them in Calendar View.

Note: for the best viewing results, it's recommended that you switch to Browser Only Mode when viewing photos in Calendar View.

Right click on a date to:

Export Photos: select to export the photos, with any changes applied to them, from the selected date. See Exporting and Sharing Photos for more information.

Export Folder as New Project: select to create a new project database that only includes the photos from the selected date.

Tag Faces: select this option if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to analyze all the photos on the selected date and tag any faces it detects in them. See

Tagging Faces for more information.

Albums

You can organize your photos in custom albums. To create a new album, do this:

The PhotoDirector Workspace

1. Select the Project tab, and then click in the Albums section.

2. In the pop-up menu that displays:

select Create Album with Selected Photos to create a new album that contains all the current photos you have selected.

select Create Empty Album to create an album that does not have any photos in it.

select Create Empty Album Set to create a new album set. Album sets are comprised of a number of albums that you can group together. You cannot add photos directly into an album set, but it can contain multiple albums comprised of a number of photos.

3. Enter an Album name in the dialog that displays, and then click Create to add it to the library.

To add photos into albums in the library, just drag them from the photo browser panel to the album in the library.

Right click on an album to:

Export Album as New Project: select to create a new project database that only includes the photos in the selected album.

Export Photos: select to export the photos, with any changes applied to them, in the selected album. See Exporting and Sharing Photos for more information.

Tag Faces: select this option if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to analyze all the photos in the selected album and tag any faces it detects in them. See

Tagging Faces for more information.

Rename: select to give the selected album a different name.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Delete: select to delete the selected album from the library. Any photos it contains are not removed from the project library.

Tags

Click on the Tags tab to view all the keyword tags for the selected photos. If required, you can create new tags for all the selected photos by entering them in

the field provided (separated by a ;) and then clicking .

To create hierarchy tags, separate the tags with " > ".

The PhotoDirector Workspace

You can also add existing tags to the selected photos by typing in the tag name in

the field provided and then clicking .

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Hover your mouse over a tag and then click to remove it from a photo.

Adjustment Panel

The adjustment panel displays when in the Adjustment module and contains all of the tools you use to touch up and adjust your photos. See Adjustments for a detailed description of the all the tools available on the adjustment panel.

Note: you can set the position of the adjustment panel (lib rary panel, edit options, layers manager, etc.) in General preferences.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Photo Browser Panel

The photo browser panel is where you can browse through all the photos in your project library. When you select a collection, folder, album, tag, etc. in the library panel, all the photos it contains display in the photo browser panel.

A - Thumbnail View, B - List View, C - Filter Photos, D - Sort Photos, E - Stack Photos, F - Resize Panel, G

- Search, H - Export Photos, I - Share Photos

Select a photo in the panel to display it in the photo viewer window.

Note: the time it takes for CyberLink PhotoDirector to load a preview of the photo is dependent on the preview quality selected in File Handing Preferences. See Preview cache in File Handling Preferences for more information.

While browsing through photos in the panel, you can:

select to browse through photos in a thumbnail view that includes large photo thumbnails.

select to view more detailed information about photos, including date captured, aperture, and shutter speed. In list view you can also sort the photos in the panel by clicking on a column header.

Note: for best results when sorting photos in list view, try the Browser Onl y mode. See Selecting View Mode for more information.

when in thumbnail view, select a photo and then rate it by selecting the desired star rating.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

when in thumbnail view, select a photo and then click to flag a photo that you like and may want to use later.

when in thumbnail view, select a photo and then click to reject a photo you do not like or want to use.

click and then select an option in the list to filter the photos in the panel by their flagged or rejected status.

click and then select an item in the list to filter the photos in the panel by their label.

click and then select an option in the list to filter the photos in the panel by whether they have been adjusted or not.

click and then select an option in the list to filter the photos in the panel by camera model or lens.

click and then how you want to sort the photos in the panel by. You can also select whether they are sorted in ascending or descending order.

click to stack* the photos in the browser panel. See Stacking Photos for more information.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

right click on a photo and select Create Virtual Photo to create another copy you can use for editing. See Virtual Photos for more information.

click and drag the top edge of the photo browser panel to resize it and the size of the photo thumbnails (when in thumbnail view).

type text in the Search field when looking for specific photos in the browser panel. See Searching for Photos for more information.

click Export to export, with the adjustments applied to them, the selected photos. See Exporting and Sharing Photos for more information.

click Share to upload the selected photos to Flickr. See Sharing Photos for more information.

double-click in the photo viewer window area (outside the photo) to hide the photo browser panel from view and get a larger view of the current photo

The PhotoDirector Workspace

(viewer only mode). Double-click on it again to redisplay the browser panel (viewer & browser mode).

Entering 360º Photo Editor

In the photo browser panel you can right click on a 360º photo and then select View/Edit 360º Photo to enter the 360º Photo Editor. In the 360º Photo Editor you can fix and align your photos, and also create new creative 360º photos. See 360º

Photo Editor for detailed information on the available features.

360 Controls

When viewing a 360° photo, you can click and drag on the preview window to pan

around the 360° environment or use the controls to pan left, right, up, or down.

Note that you can click the in the middle of the controls at any time to reset to the default viewing position.

Note: you can also use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom in and out within the 360° view. To exit the 360° photo editor, click the Done button or the X in the top right corner of the window.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Stacking Photos

Use the stack* photo feature for easy grouping of photos in the photo browser panel. You can manually stack the photos, or have CyberLink PhotoDirector assist you using the Auto Stack feature.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

Auto Stacking of Photos

The Auto Stack feature stacks photos based on the date and time the photos were taken.

To automatically stack photos in the photo browser panel, do this:

1. Select all of the photos in the photo browser panel that you want to stack.

2. Click and then select Auto Stack.

3. In the dialog that displays, use the slider to set the amount of time (up to one hour) between the photos in the stacks. Dragging the slider left creates more stacks, while dragging it right creates fewer.

Note: the number of stacks that will be created is displayed at the bottom of the dialog.

4. Click OK. CyberLink PhotoDirector stacks the photos based on your settings.

Manual Stacking of Photos

The Manual Stack feature lets you select which photos you want in each stack.

To manually stack some photos in the photo browser panel, do this:

1. Select all of the photos in the photo browser panel that you want to put in a single stack.

2. Click and then select Manual Stack.

3. CyberLink PhotoDirector puts the photos you selected in a stack.

Note: you can repeat these steps as many times as required to stack the photos in the photo browser panel.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Viewing the Photos in Stacks

Once the photos in the photo browser panel are in stacks, you can more easily view your photos, especially if browsing through a large number of them. Stacks are indicated by a number in the top left corner of a photo thumbnail. The number is placed on the first photo in each stack.

Note: you can change which photo is on top of the stack by dragging it to the first photo position in the stack.

To view the photos in a stack, just click on the number to expand it.

Click and then select Expand All Stacks if you want to open all of the stacks and view all of the photos in the photo browser panel. Select Collapse All Stacks to only show photo stacks in the panel.

Drag an existing stack on top of another stack if you want to combine them into

one stack. To remove all of the photos from a stack, just select the stack, click , and then select Unstack.

Splitting Stacks

If you want to split the photos in a stack into two different stacks, do this:

1. Select the photo stack you want to split.

2. If required, click on the stack number in the top left corner to expand the stack so you can view all the photos in it.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

3. Click on the photo in the stack that you want in the new stack, i.e. the place where you want the new stack to begin.

4. Click and then select Split Stack.

5. The photo you selected, and all of the photos after it, will be put in a new stack.

Searching for Photos

If you are looking for specific photos in the browser panel, use the search function to find them using keyword tags.

To search for photos in the browser panel, do this:

1. Enter in a keyword in the search field located on top of the browser panel.

2. CyberLink PhotoDirector filters the photos based on the keywords entered.

Note: click on to clear the search results and display all the photos in the browser panel.

Virtual Photos

Virtual photos are copies of the original photos that were imported into CyberLink PhotoDirector. They can be created manually when making adjustments by right clicking on a photo in the browser panel and then selecting Create Virtual Photo. They are also created automatically when you save your edits in the Edit module.

Virtual photos are indicated in the photo browser panel as shown below.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Virtual photos are not physical photos on your hard drive. You must export the

photo if you want a saved photo file that you can view or share outside of the

PhotoDirector program.

Photo Viewer Window

The photo viewer window displays a preview of a photo selected in the photo browser panel. Any adjustments you make to photos are viewable in the photo viewer window as well.

A - Select View Mode, B - View at Full Screen, C - Secondary Monitor Display Mode, D - Soft Proofing, E - Zoom Tool, F - Pan Tool, G - Select Viewer Display Mode, H - View History, I - Show Original Photo, J - Photo Viewer Toolbar, K - Customize Toolbar, L - Viewer Zoom

Selecting View Mode

In the top left of the photo viewer window, select one of the following view modes when browsing through and viewing photos in CyberLink PhotoDirector:

Viewer & Browser Mode - select to display the photo viewer window

and the photo browser panel for easy browsing and viewing of photos.

Viewer Only Mode - select to display a larger view of the photos.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Browser Only Mode - select to display a large photo browser panel. This

view is ideal when sorting through photos when in list view.

Note: you can double-click in the photo viewer canvas area to hide the photo browser panel from view and get a larger view of the current photo (viewer only mode). Doubleclick on it again to redisplay the browser panel (viewer & browser mode).

When previewing photos in the project library or when making adjustments, select

to view the current photo at full screen. Once in full screen mode, you can click

to display the library/adjustment/edit panel if required.

Selecting Viewer Display Mode

The photo viewer window has several display modes, including compare, mirror, and also the ability to view photos on more than one display device.

Note: if you have more than one display device connected to your computer, the primary device is listed as M ai n M onitor, while the secondary device is listed as Secondary

M onitor. Click the button to view the secondary monitor display mode options.

Click the buttons in the bottom left corner of the photo viewer window to set the display mode.

Note: the buttons/modes that are availab le is dependent on which CyberLink PhotoDirector window you are currently within.

Main Monitor

Show one - shows one preview window for the selected photo in the

library and Adjustment modules.

Compare two - when browsing through photos in your project library, use this display mode to compare two different photos in the library. The photo on the left (Current) is the photo you are comparing to other (Candidate) photos. Click the Set as Current button to set the Candidate photo as the Current photo, or the one you are using to compare. If zoomed in on a photo in this mode, the following buttons are available:

Link focus - select to link the movement of two photos you are

comparing when zoomed in.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Sync - select to quickly sync the zoomed in focus area of both photos

you are comparing.

Show multiple - when browsing through photos in your project library, use this display mode to show multiple photos at once. To select multiple photos, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and select as many photos as you want. In this view you can rate, flag, and reject each of the photos. Hover your mouse over a photo and then click the X in the top right corner to remove it from the view, if required.

Compare before/after - when in the Adjustment module, click this button to display before and after panels, or a comparison between the original photo (Before) and the photo with the adjustments applied (After). There are four available comparison modes you can choose from:

Side by side - select to compare adjustments to photos side by side.

Split - left/right - select to split the photo, with the left half containing the original photo, and the right half of the photo with the adjustments applied.

Top/bottom - select to compare adjustments to photos top to bottom.

Split - top/bottom - select to split the photo, with the top half containing the original photo, and the bottom half of the photo with the adjustments applied.

Secondary Monitor

If you have more than one monitor connected to your computer and have

extended your desktop, click the button and select the display mode for the secondary monitor.

Mirror: duplicates the viewer display on the secondary monitor.

Alternate: provides a secondary view of the photos you are viewing. For example, if you are viewing a photo in normal mode, the photo displays at full screen on the secondary monitor. If you are in compare two mode, select

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

one of the two photos to have it display at full screen on the secondary monitor.

None: select if you don't want anything displayed on your secondary monitor.

Soft Proofing

Use soft proofing* to preview how photos will look when printed on a specific printer or other output device. This allows you to make further adjustments if necessary to ensure the photos look how you want them once they are printed out.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

Select the Soft proofing checkbox above the photo viewer window to enable and display the following Proofing Settings:

Note: click in the histogram to show/hide the printer color gamut warning. When enabled, any areas of a photo that exceed your printer's gamut range are highlighted in red.

Profile: select the printer color space profile you want to use for the soft proof. If you received the printer color gamut warning on a photo, selecting a different profile may help resolve it.

Intent: set the mode of conversion for photos in the selected color space profile, or how colors that are not available are reproduced. Perceptual intent renders photos with less saturated colors as to best represent all the nuances of the color. Relative intent replaces original colors that are too saturated with the nearest and most saturated ink color printable. All other colors do not change.

History

When in the Adjustment or Edit module, click to view a history of all the adjustments and edits you have made to the current photo you are viewing. See

Viewing History for more information.

You can also click and hold the button to quickly view the original photo during the adjustment/edit process.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

Note: when in the Library module, these two buttons are hidden and replaced by

and . Use these buttons to manually tag people in selected photos. See Manually Tagging Faces for more information.

Photo Viewer Toolbar

When in the Library, Adjustment, or Edit module, the photo viewer toolbar provides quick access to several useful tools you can use to manage the photos as you work.

Click on to customize the tools displayed on the photo viewer toolbar. The available tools are as follows:

Note: in the photo viewer toolb ar you can also hide specific PhotoDirector modules if required. See Hiding PhotoDirector Modules for more information.

Face Tag Tools: use the face tag tools to manually tag faces in selected photos. See Manually Tagging Faces for more information.

Flag: when viewing a photo, click to flag a photo that you like and may want to use later. When viewing a photo, click to reject a photo you do not

like or want to use.

Rate: when viewing a photo, rate it by selecting the desired star rating on the tool bar, or directly below the bottom left corner of the photo.

Color Labels: when viewing a photo, click a color to label it. You can use color labels to group photos together by selecting the same color label for similar types of photos.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Rotate & Flip: when viewing a photo, click to rotate it 90 degrees in the

clockwise direction, or to flip it horizontally.

Previous/Next: when viewing a photo, click to select the previous photo in

the browser panel, or to select the next one.

Viewer Zoom

When previewing photos in the photo viewer window, use the Zoom drop-down to set the zoom amount in the photo preview. You can also enter a Custom zoom amount in the field provided. Select Fit to resize the selected photo so that it fits in the viewer window.

Note: you can hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and then use your mouse's scroll wheel to quickly zoom in and out.

When you zoom in or out on a photo, a navigation thumbnail for the viewer displays above the drop-down. Click and drag the available box to change the focus area to suit your zooming requirements.

Note: the Navi gati on option must be selected in the Zoom drop-down for the navigation thumbnail to display.

You can also use the following zoom and pan tools for easier viewing of your photos in the photo viewer window:

- when selected, clicking the left mouse button in the photo viewer window zooms in on the current photo. Click the right mouse button to zoom out.

Note: when selected, hold down the left mouse button and then draw a square on the photo to quickly zoom in on a specific area.

The PhotoDirector Workspace

- click to enable panning when zoomed in on a photo. To pan, just click

on the photo and drag it to view different areas.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

PhotoDirector Projects

Chapter 4:

When you import photos into CyberLink PhotoDirector, the program automatically creates and saves your work in a project in the .phd file format. Use the options in the File menu to create new a project or open an existing project.

Note: a CyberLink PhotoDirector project (.phd) file essentially contains a list of the photos in the library, and a log of all the edits and adjustments you want to make to these photos. Project files do not include the photos in them. If you want to back up your project and the photos, use the export project function. See Exporting Projects for more information.

If you have a CyberLink Cloud* subscription you can also upload saved projects to CyberLink Cloud. See CyberLink Cloud Projects for more information.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

Exporting Projects

You can export your CyberLink PhotoDirector project as a new project. All of the photos, their copyright info, tags, and more will be included in the exported project. You can also export it by packing all the project materials in a folder and then uploading it to CyberLink Cloud*. Exported projects can then be imported into another computer running CyberLink PhotoDirector.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To export your project, select File > Export Project. If you have a CyberLink Cloud subscription you can select File > Pack Project Materials and Upload to CyberLink Cloud to back it up in a folder on CyberLink Cloud.

CyberLink Cloud Projects

If you have a CyberLink Cloud subscription you can select File > Upload Project to CyberLink Cloud to store project files on CyberLink Cloud*.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

PhotoDirector Projects

To open a project that was saved on CyberLink Cloud, including projects that were packed in a folder with their photos (materials), select Download Project from CyberLink Cloud from the File menu. In the window that displays, select a project and then click Download.

Note: when you open a packed project stored on CyberLink Cloud, the project file and all the project media is downloaded to your local computer and stored in the download folder specified in CyberLink Cloud Preferences.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Adjustments

Chapter 5:

This chapter outlines all of the adjustments you can make to your photos in CyberLink PhotoDirector. It also provides a description of adjustment presets, and how you can use them to quickly edit your photos. Click on the Adjustment button and then on the Manual tab to begin making adjustments to your photos.

Note: any adjustments you make are not auto-applied or saved to the original photo file. CyberLink PhotoDirector keeps a log of all the adjustments you want to make, and then applies them to each photo when it is exported, printed, shared, etc. This leaves the original photo untouched.

At any time during the adjustment process, you can:

click to quickly peek at the original photo.

click to view a log of the adjustments applied on a photo in History. See

Viewing History for more information.

click Reset at the bottom of the adjustment panel to revert all the changes back to the original photo.

Histogram

The histogram is a graphical representation of the color tone distribution in a selected photo. Below the histogram is some metadata information for the photo.

To find the histogram, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. The Histogram is at the top of the Manual tab.

Adjustments

The X axis of the graph represents the RGB color tone value between 0 and 255, while the Y axis indicates the number of pixels in the photo that have this value.

The histogram is created with the three RGB (red, green, and blue) color values given to each pixel in a photo. The gray portions indicate where all three colors overlap on the histogram, while yellow, magenta, and cyan appear when two of the colors overlap.

Note: hover the mouse pointer over any pixel on the selected photo to view its RGB tone value in the histogram.

Converting Photos to Black and White

You can instantly convert a selected photo to black and white, i.e. replace the colors with grayscale, using the histogram.

To convert, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. The Histogram is at the top of the Manual tab.

3. Select B&W. To convert back, select Color on the top of the histogram.

Note: after you convert a photo to black and white, the Black and White section of the adjustment panel is enabled. See Black and White Mix for details on adjusting the lightness in black and white photos.

Viewing Exposed Areas

The histogram can be used to determine if the photo was shot correctly. A photo with a histogram that arcs towards the left, indicates the photo was underexposed (contains a lot of dark pixels), while one that arcs towards the right means there was an overexposure (lots of lighter pixels).

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Click to view the areas of a photo that were so over and underexposed that all detail was lost, or clipped, in that area.

The areas that are overexposed are indicated in red. The areas of the photo that are underexposed, in blue. Click to hide these areas.

Regional Adjustment Tools

Use the regional adjustment tools if you want to modify only a specific area of a photo. You can also use these tools to crop, straighten, remove spots and red-eye, and more.

The following sections outline the features and functions available in the regional adjustment tools of CyberLink PhotoDirector.

Cropping and Rotating Photos

Removing Spots

Removing Red-Eye

Adjustments

Using the Adjustment Brush

Using Adjustment Selection

Using a Gradient Mask

To begin using a regional adjustment tool, just select it from the available icons.

Cropping and Straightening Photos

You can crop out portions of a photo you do not want, and rotate them up to 45 degrees for an effect or to straighten them if they are a little crooked or uneven.

To assist you when cropping and rotating photos, select a Tool overlay from the drop-down in the bottom right of the photo viewer window. Use the overlay that will best guide and assist you to more precisely crop and straighten a photo.

Cropping Photos

To crop a photo, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to display the available crop and rotate options.

3. To crop, do one of the following:

click to manually crop out a section. Click and drag on the photo to manually set the crop area.

select a crop area shape from the Area drop-down. To create a custom shape, select Enter Custom, enter the Aspect ratio values in the field provided, and then click OK.

Note: click if you want to manually resize the crop area. Click if you want the crop area to maintain its aspect ratio.

4. Click and drag the corners and sides of the crop area to resize, if necessary.

5. Click inside the shape and drag to move the crop area, if necessary.

6. Click Done to crop the photo.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Straightening Photos

To straighten a photo, do this:

Note: when you straighten a photo, some portions are cropped to make it square. You can rotate photos 90 degrees by right clicking on it and selecting Rota te Right/Left.

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to display the available crop and straighten options.

3. To straighten, do one of the following:

click and then click and drag on the photo to draw a line along the part you want to be horizontal or vertical. For best results, draw on a straight line in the photo that you know should be level, as shown in the example below.

Adjustments

click and drag the Angle slider until the photo appears to be level.

hover the mouse outside the crop area until the mouse pointer becomes curved. Then click and drag on the photo to manually straighten it.

4. Click inside the crop area and drag to move it, if necessary. You can also resize the crop area as well.

5. Click Done. CyberLink PhotoDirector crops out the excess portions of the photo to make it square.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Removing Spots

The spot removal* tool lets you fix any imperfections or blemishes in a photo.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To remove spots, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to open the spot removal tools.

3. Set the spot removal options as follows:

Clone/Heal: select and use Clone if you want to copy an area of the photo and use it to cover up the spot. Select and use Heal to touch up the spot using the photo information (texture, lighting, and shading) that surrounds it.

Size: use the slider to set the size of area that the tool covers up.

Feather: use the slider to set the transition level between the area being

covered up and the pixels around the area.

Adjustments

Opacity: use the slider to set the transparency of the applied cover up.

4. Click on the part of the photo you want to touch up and then drag the spot removal tool to the part of the photo you want the spot to resemble.

5. Click Done to finish the adjustments and close the panel.

Using Intelligent Spot Removal

If you find that a large number of photos have a spot on them in the exact same place, you can use the intelligent spot removal feature to remove all of the spots at once. This works best if the spot was caused by something on the lens.

To use intelligent spot removal on a number of photos, do this:

1. On the first photo, perform the spot removal as noted above.

2. Click the Copy button.

3. In the Adjustment Copy window, ensure that Spot removal is selected and then select:

Manual if all the spots in the photos are in the same position and were taken with a similar background.

Auto if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to auto find the correct pixels required to fix each photo. Select this item if the backgrounds in the photos are different from the original photo.

4. Click Copy to close the Adjustment Copy window.

5. Select all of the photos in the photo browser panel that have the similar spots that need removing.

6. Click on Paste. CyberLink PhotoDirector will duplicate the spot removal in all the selected photos.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Removing Red-Eye

You can remove red-eye from photos using the tool in regional adjustments.

To remove red-eye, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to open the remove red- eye tools.

3. On the photo, click in the center of the affected eye, and drag the mouse to resize a color spot that is placed over the red-eye.

4. CyberLink PhotoDirector should auto detect the red-eye, and then fix it for you. If it is unable to detect it properly, click and drag the applied spot to center it over the red area, and then use the available sliders to manually fix it as follows:

Pupil size: use the slider to resize the spot on the red area of the pupil.

Darken: use the slider to darken the spot to the desired color.

5. Click Done to finish the adjustments and close the panel.

Using the Adjustment Brush

You can use the adjustment brush* to select, or brush, just the parts of a photo that you want to adjust.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To use the adjustment brush, do this:

Note: you can adjust multiple areas of the photo using masks. See Using Masks for Multiple Brush Adjustments for more information.

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

Adjustments

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to open the adjustment brush controls.

3. Click and drag on the photo to apply a brush stroke. CyberLink PhotoDirector displays a mask color on the area you apply.

Note: the mask disappears as soon as you start adjusting the brush options. See Using Masks for Multiple Brush Adjustments for more information.

4. Set the adjustment brush options as follows:

Brush/Eraser: select the Brush to apply the set adjustments. Use the Eraser if you make some errors using the brush and want to remove areas of the applied adjustments.

Size: use the slider to set the size of the brushed or erased area. You can also use the mouse scroll wheel to adjust the diameter of the brush.

Feather: use the slider to set the transition level between the area being brushed and the pixels around the area. The area between the inner and outer circle is the size of the gradient that CyberLink PhotoDirector uses to create a smooth transition between the areas.

Strength: use the slider to set the amount of adjustment applied with a brush stroke.

Fit to edges: select this option to limit applied adjustments to areas of the photo that have a similar properties. CyberLink PhotoDirector auto applies them for you based on your brush strokes.

5. Set the type of White Balance adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See White Balance for details on the available adjustment options.

6. Set the type of Tone adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Tone for details on the available adjustment options.

7. Set the type of HSL/Color adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See HSL/Color for details on the available adjustment options.

8. Set the type of Detail adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Detail for details on the available adjustment options.

9. Click and drag on the other areas of the photo where the adjustments should be applied. Use the sliders to further refine the adjustments as required.

10. Click Done to finish the adjustments and close the panel.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Using Masks for Multiple Brush Adjustments

You can make up to five different brush adjustments on a photo. When you modify the adjustment options and use the brush to apply them to a photo, a mask is auto created and labeled by color.

The mask label is visible in the Mask drop-down at the top of the brush panel.

To create a new adjustment mask, do this:

1. Select New from the Mask drop-down to create a new mask.

2. Apply a brush stroke and then use the sliders to set the adjustments as required for the second adjustment.

3. CyberLink PhotoDirector labels the mask with another color in the Mask drop- down.

4. CyberLink PhotoDirector marks each mask on the photo with the color label.

Adjustments

Note: to remove a mask from a photo, just click its color label node and then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

5. Click the color label to toggle the masks on and off, and view the areas of the photo where each of the adjustments was applied.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Using Adjustment Selection

Adjustment selection* lets you select only the pixels in a photo you want to adjust. This allows you to select and adjust objects in the photo, and areas that are similarly colored, only.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To use adjustment selection, do this:

Note: you can adjust multiple areas of the photo using masks. See Using Masks for Multiple Adjustment Selections for more information.

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to open the adjustment selection controls.

3. Set the adjustment selection options as follows:

Brush/Eraser: select the Brush to select areas (pixels) to adjust. Use the Eraser to deselect areas (pixels).

Size: use the slider to set the size of the selection tool. You can also use the mouse scroll wheel to adjust the diameter of the selection tool.

Adjustments

Intelligent: enable this option if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector to assist you when using the brush to select pixels. Once enabled, all pixels with similar properties are selected for you when you make a brush stoke.

Feather: use the slider to set the transition level between the area being selected and the pixels around the area. The area between the inner and outer circle is the size of the gradient that CyberLink PhotoDirector uses to create a smooth transition between the areas.

4. If Brush is selected, click on an area of the photo and CyberLink PhotoDirector will auto select a range of similar pixels. If there are some pixels selected that you don't want to adjust, use the Eraser to deselect them.

Note: CyberLink PhotoDirector displays a mask color on the area you select. See Using Masks for Multiple Adjustment Selections for more information.

5. Once you have the area of the photo selected, you can use the Shift slider to reduce or enlarge the selection area. Drag the slider left to shrink to selection area, or right to enlarge it.

6. Set the type of White Balance adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See White Balance for details on the available adjustment options.

7. Set the type of Tone adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Tone for details on the available adjustment options.

8. Set the type of HSL/Color adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See HSL/Color for details on the available adjustment options.

9. Set the type of Detail adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Detail for details on the available adjustment options.

Note: if required, click the b utton in the brush tools to invert the selected pixels. When selected, CyberLink PhotoDirector will apply the adjustments to areas that were not selected.

10. Click Done to finish the adjustments and close the panel.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Using Masks for Multiple Adjustment Selections

You can make up to five different selected adjustments on a photo. When you select areas of the photo and modify the adjustment options, a mask is auto created and labeled by color.

The mask label is visible in the Mask drop-down at the top of the brush panel.

To create a new adjustment mask, do this:

1. Select New from the Mask drop-down to create a new mask.

2. Select an area of the photo and then use the sliders to set the adjustments as required for the second adjustment.

3. CyberLink PhotoDirector labels the mask with another color in the Mask drop- down.

4. CyberLink PhotoDirector marks each mask on the photo with the color label.

Adjustments

Note: to remove a mask from a photo, just click its color label node and then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

5. Click the color label to quickly select the mask, and view the selected areas (pixels) of the photo where each of the adjustments was applied.

Using a Gradient Mask

Use the gradient mask* to apply adjustments gradually across a large area of a photo.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To use a gradient mask, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to open the gradient mask tools.

3. Click and drag on the photo to set the gradient across a portion of the photo. CyberLink PhotoDirector displays a mask color on the area you apply.

Note: the mask disappears as soon as you start adjusting the gradient mask options. See Using Multiple Gradient Masks for more information.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

4. Set the type of White Balance adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See White Balance for details on the available adjustment options.

5. Set the type of Tone adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Tone for details on the available adjustment options.

6. Set the type of HSL/Color adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See HSL/Color for details on the available adjustment options.

7. Set the type of Detail adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Detail for details on the available adjustment options.

8. Click Done to finish the adjustments and close the panel.

Using Multiple Gradient Masks

You can use up to five gradient masks on a photo in CyberLink PhotoDirector. When you modify the adjustment options and use the gradient mask on the photo, CyberLink PhotoDirector auto creates a mask labeled by color.

The mask label is visible in the Mask drop-down at the top of the gradient mask panel.

To create a new gradient mask, do this:

1. Select New from the Mask drop-down to create a new mask.

2. Click and drag on the photo to set the gradient across a different portion of the photo.

3. Use the sliders to set the adjustments as required for the second gradient mask.

Adjustments

4. CyberLink PhotoDirector labels the mask with another color in the Mask drop- down.

5. CyberLink PhotoDirector marks each gradient mask on the photo with the color label.

Note: to remove a mask from a photo, just click its color label node and then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

6. Click the color label to toggle the masks on and off, and view the areas of the photo where the gradient was applied.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Using a Radial Filter

The radial filter* tool lets you apply regional adjustments in an elliptical shaped masked area. You can use the radial filter to highlight a specific area of a photo, or to manually create a vignette effect.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

Adjustments

To use the radial filter, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the Regional Adjustment Tools section, click to open the radial filter tools.

3. Click and drag on the photo to create an ellipse around the area you want to highlight. Once the ellipse is drawn, you can resize it by clicking and dragging any of the four white nodes to create the exact shape you need. Click the green control node outside the ellipse and drag it left or right to rotate it. You can also click anywhere inside the ellipse to move it to another location on the photo.

Note: CyberLink PhotoDirector displays a mask color on the area in the ellipse. The mask disappears as soon as you start adjusting the radial filter mask options. See Using Multiple Radial Filter Masks for more information.

4. Set the type of White Balance adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See White Balance for details on the available adjustment options.

Note: when you start making adjustments on the photo, CyberLink PhotoDirector

applies the adjustments outside the created ellipse. Select the button if you want the adjustments applied inside the ellipse.

5. Set the type of Tone adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Tone for details on the available adjustment options.

Note: you can use the Gradient slider to set the size of the gradient on the edges of the radial filter ellipse.

6. Set the type of HSL/Color adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See HSL/Color for details on the available adjustment options.

7. Set the type of Detail adjustments you want to make using the available sliders. See Detail for details on the available adjustment options.

8. Click Done to finish the adjustments and close the panel.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Using Multiple Radial Filter Masks

You can use up to five radial filter masks on a photo in CyberLink PhotoDirector, allowing to highlight multiple areas of the photo. When you create a radial filter ellipse on a photo, CyberLink PhotoDirector auto creates a new mask labeled by color.

The mask label is visible in the Mask drop-down at the top of the radial filter panel.

To create a new radial filter mask, do this:

1. Select New from the Mask drop-down to create a new mask.

2. Click and drag on the photo to add an ellipse on a different area of the photo.

3. Use the sliders to set the adjustments as required for the second radial filter mask.

4. CyberLink PhotoDirector labels the mask with another color in the Mask drop- down.

5. CyberLink PhotoDirector marks each radial filter mask on the photo with the color label.

Adjustments

Note: to remove a mask from a photo, just click its color label node and then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

6. Click the color label to toggle the masks on and off, and view the areas of the photo where the radial filter was applied.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Regional Adjustment Options

When making regional adjustments with the adjustment brush, adjustment

selection, a gradient mask, or the radial filter, the following options are available to

you.

White Balance

Temp: use to adjust the color temperature in the selected region of the photo. A negative value applies a colder temperature, while a positive value applies an atmosphere that is warmer.

Tint: use to adjust the color level in the selected region of the photo.

Tone

Exposure: use to adjust areas of the photo that are over or underexposed. A negative value darkens overexposed areas, while a positive value lightens underexposed areas.

Brightness: use to adjust the brightness in parts of the photo.

Adjustments

Contrast: use to adjust contrast, or the difference between light and dark areas of the photo.

Clarity: use to adjust the clarity of details in the photo.

Vibrance: use to make the colors in areas of a photo brighter and more vivid,

by enhancing the duller colors.

Saturation: use to adjust the intensity of a color in certain areas of the photo.

HSL/Color

See HSL/Color for a detailed explanation of the HSL/Color options available on the selected areas of your photo.

Detail

Sharpness

Amount: use the slider to adjust the amount of sharpness applied to the photo.

Noise Reduction

Applying sharpness to areas of photos may result in some image noise. Use the following sliders to reduce the noise as required:

Luminance: use this slider to slightly adjust the color brightness, by reducing any unwanted light grey spots in a photo that cause luminance noise.

Detail: use this slider to adjust/recover detail in the photo that may be lost when reducing luminance noise from a photo.

Texture: use this slider to adjust/recover texture in the photo that may be lost when reducing luminance noise from a photo.

Color: use this slider to slightly adjust the overall color saturation, by reducing any unwanted color spots in a photo that cause color noise.

Detail: use this slider to adjust/recover detail in the photo that may be lost when reducing color noise from a photo.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Lens Correction

Defringe

Use defringe* to remove color fringing on edges and high contrast areas in your photos.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

Amount: drag the slider right to increase the amount of defringe applied.

Global Adjustment Tools

Use the global adjustment tools to modify the entire photo. The following sections outline the features and functions available in the global adjustment tools of CyberLink PhotoDirector.

White Balance

Tone

HDR Effect

Level

Curve

HSL/Color

Black and White Mix

Split Toning

Detail

Lens Correction

White Balance

Use white balance for color correction or you can use it to adjust the color temperature of a photo to create a specific atmosphere. A warmer color shifts light toward the yellows and reds; a colder color shifts light toward the blues and greens.

Adjustments

To adjust the atmosphere of an entire photo using white balance, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the White Balance section.

3. Drag the Temp slider to adjust the color temperature in the photo. A negative value applies a colder temperature, while a positive value applies an atmosphere that is warmer.

4. Drag the Tint slider to adjust the color level of in the photo.

To use white balance to color correct a photo, do one of the following:

click and then use the eye dropper to select a pixel in the photo that you believe should be grey.

C yberLink PhotoDirector auto corrects the color in the photo.

select Auto in the drop-down to have CyberLink PhotoDirector auto adjust white balance and correct the color for you.

Note: to reset the white balance back to the original color values, select As Shot in the drop-down.

White Balance on RAW Photos

When adjusting the white balance on camera RAW photo formats, there are several white balance presets available.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Select a preset from the list to have CyberLink PhotoDirector auto adjust the white balance for you.

Tone

In this section of the adjustment panel, the sliders available adjust the tone of the entire photo, while the Tinge sliders let you modify the clarity, vibrancy, and saturation levels. Use the histogram to assist you in the adjustment of some of the options.

To adjust the tonal level of an entire photo, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the Tone section.

Adjusting the Color Tone

Use the available sliders as outlined below to adjust the color tone of the entire

photo.

Tone

Click to have CyberLink PhotoDirector automatically adjust the color tone in the selected photo. You can manually adjust color tone using the available sliders as follows:

Adjustments

Exposure: use on photos that are over or underexposed. A negative value darkens all the colors in the photo, while a positive value lightens them.

Contrast: use to adjust contrast, or the difference between light and dark areas of the photo.

Brightest: use to brighten/darken the colors in the photo that are close to whites. Darkening the lighter colors can enhance their contrast and make highlights stand out more. Drag the slider left to darken, reducing the clipping in highlights. Drag it right to brighten and clip the colors that are close to white.

Bright: is applied to areas of photos that are overexposed, which can recover detail in the highlights and brighter areas. Drag the slider left to recuperate lost detail in highlights by darkening them. Drag it right to brighten the photo without clipping the brighter areas.

Midtone: use to adjust the overall brightness of the photo by changing the midtone colors only. Drag the slider left to darken, or right to brighten.

Dark: can be used to help enhance detail in dark sections of the photo by brightening shadows and underexposed areas. Drag the slider left to darken the photo without clipping the shadows. Drag it right to recuperate lost detail in shadows by brightening them.

Darkest: use to brighten/darken the colors in the photo that are close to blacks. Brightening the darker colors can enhance their contrast and make shadows stand out more. Drag the slider left to darken and clip the dark colors. Drag it right to brighten and reduce clipping in shadows.

Tinge

Manually adjust the photo tinge as follows:

Clarity: use to adjust photo clarity. Dragging the slider to the right makes the photo appear crisper, while to the left makes it appear more "dreamy".

Vibrance: use to make the colors in a photo brighter and more vivid, by enhancing the duller colors.

Saturation: use to adjust the saturation of color in a photo. A negative value moves the colors towards black and white, while a positive value increases the overall intensity of color in the photo.

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

Dehaze

Apply dehaze* to photos by dragging the Amount slider right to brighten the colors to make photos appear less hazy. Drag the slider left if you want to give photos a haze effect.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

HDR Effect

In this section of the adjustment panel, use the sliders to apply an HDR effect* on your photos.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

The HDR (high dynamic range) effect adjusts the lighting range on the edges in photos, allowing you to recover any loss of detail caused by contrasting brightness during photo exposure. Users can also use this effect to give photos a more dramatic tone.

Note: if you shot multiple photos at different exposures and you want to use them to create a real HDR photo, you can do this in the Edit module. See Bracket HDR for more information.

To apply the HDR effect to an entire photo, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the HDR Effect section.

Applying the HDR Effect

Use the available sliders as outlined below to apply the HDR effect.

Glow

Use the Glow sliders as follows to apply an HDR glow effect, or a "halo" edge, on contrast edges in your photos:

Strength: use this slider to adjust the amount of the HDR glow effect applied to the photo.

Adjustments

Radius: use the slider to adjust the radius of the HDR glow effect, or the amount of contrast applied to the edges in the photo.

Balance: use the slider to adjust the balance (where it is applied) of the HDR glow effect. Moving the slider right applies it on the brighter parts (highlights) of edges. Moving it left applies it to the darker parts (shadows) of edges.

Edge

Use the Edge sliders as follows to apply the HDR effect on contrast edges in the photo:

Strength: use this slider to adjust the amount of the HDR edge effect applied to the photo. Dragging it right will reveal more detail on the contrast edges. Dragging it left will blur them.

Radius: use the slider to adjust the radius of the HDR edge effect, or the amount of contrast applied to the edges in the photo.

Balance: use the slider to adjust the balance (where it is applied) of the HDR edge effect. Moving the slider right applies it on the brighter parts (highlights) of edges. Moving it left applies it to the darker parts (shadows) of edges.

Level

In the Level* section of the adjustment panel you can redefine the color in the photo by adjusting the color levels. You can adjust using the available presets or manually with the histogram.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To use Level to redefine the colors of an entire photo, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the Level section.

Redefining the Colors

To redefine the color using the available presets, select a preset from the Level preset drop-down list that best suits the selected photo.

To manually redefine the color in photo, do this:

CyberLink PhotoDirector Help

1. Select whether you want to adjust just the R (red), G (green), or B (blue) color channel levels. Select RGB to adjust all three levels at once.

Note: if the photo is in black and white, the only channel available is for luminance, or overall brightness of the photo.

2. Click to display the midtone controls.

3. Click and drag the sliders to adjust the color levels in the photo.

Note: in the above example, the colors in the photo are changed by redefining how many pixels should have a value of 0.

Dragging the sliders on the left, right, make the colors in the photo darker. While dragging sliders left make the colors brighter.

Curve

In the Curve* section you can use the tone curve graph and controls to change the tonal scale, or overall contrast of a photo.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To use Curve to change the tonal scale, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the Curve section.

Adjustments

Adjusting the Curve

Select whether you want to adjust just the R (red), G (green), or B (blue) color channel's tonal scale. Select RGB to adjust the tonal scale of all three at once.

Click on the curve and drag it up or down, or use the tool to target the adjustments on a specific tonal region in the photo. Dragging the curve/tool down makes the photo darker. Dragging it up makes it lighter.

Note: click the b utton at any time to reset the curve back to its default setting.

Select the Tonal region checkbox if you want to limit the range of tones that are affected when you make changes to the curve. Once selected, you can drag the region control sliders at the bottom of the tone curve graph to fine tune the shape of the curve and the overall tonal scale of the photo.

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You can also use the Tonal region sliders to make adjustments to the curve as follows:

Highlights: affects the top end of the curve, and is applied to areas of photos that are overexposed to recover detail in the highlights and brighter areas.

Lights: affects mainly the upper middle of the curve, and is used to adjust the color tone of the lighter pixels in the photo.

Darks: affects mainly the bottom middle of the curve, and is used to adjust the color tone of the darker pixels in the photo.

Shadows: affects the bottom end of the curve, and enhances detail in dark sections of the photo by lightening shadows and underexposed areas.

If you want free range on the curve, just deselect the Tonal region checkbox. Once deselected you can shape the curve any way you want to achieve the tonal adjustment you require.

HSL/Color

In the HSL/Color section you can fine tune the color in a photo by adjusting its hue, saturation, and lightness. CyberLink PhotoDirector lets you adjust the color in two different ways, but with the similar results.

Note: if you converted the selected photo to black and white, the HSL/color section displays as Black and White. See Black and White Mix for details on adjusting the lightness in black and white photos.

Adjustments

HSL

To fine tune your photo's colors with HSL, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the HSL/Color section.

3. When you enter the HSL/Color section of the adjustment panel, the HSL controls display.

These sliders let you adjust the entire hue, saturation, or lightness of a photo at the same time.

Hue

Click on Hue to fine tune the shade or purity of a specific color in the photo. Use the sliders to adjust the eight color band ranges as required.

You can also use the tool to target the adjustments on a specific color in the

photo. To do this, click to enable the tool, and then click and (while holding the mouse button down) drag on the color. Drag the mouse up to increase its hue, or down to decrease it in the targeted color.

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Saturation

Click on Saturation to adjust the saturation of color in the photo. Dragging the sliders to right increases the amount of that color in the photo, while dragging it to the left reduces it. If you drag the slider all the way to the left, you can completely remove a color from the photo.

You can also use the tool to target the adjustments on a specific color in the

photo. To do this, click to enable the tool, and then click and (while holding the mouse button down) drag on the color. Drag the mouse up to increase the color's saturation, or drag it down to decrease it in the targeted color.

Lightness

Click on Lightness to adjust color brightness. For each of the eight colors listed, you can adjust how light or dark the specific color is.

You can also use the tool to target the adjustments on a specific color in the

photo. To do this, click to enable the tool, and then click and (while holding the mouse button down) drag on the color. Drag the mouse up to increase the color's brightness, or drag it down to decrease, making the color darker.

Color

To adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness of one specific color using the color palette, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the HSL/Curve section.

3. Click on Color to display the color palette and available sliders.

Adjustments

To use, select a color on the palette and then use the sliders to adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness as required. See the HSL descriptions above for information on the effects of using these sliders. Click on HSL to return to the HSL sliders.

Black and White Mix

When you convert photos to black and white in the histogram, this section becomes enabled, replacing the HSL/Color section. In it you can adjust the grayscale levels, or the overall image lightness of the converted photos.

To change the grayscale levels in a photo, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In the histogram, convert the photo to black and white.

3. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the Black and White section.

4. Use the Lightness sliders to adjust the brightness of the original colors, which are now black and white.

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You can also use the tool to target the adjustments on a specific color (shade

of gray) in the photo. To do this, click to enable the tool, and then click and (while holding the mouse button down) drag on the color. Drag the mouse up to increase the brightness of the color, or drag it down to decrease.

Split Toning

In the Split Toning* section of the Adjustment panel you can produce creative effects on your photos, such as the Lomo photography effect. You can also add color to monochrome photos, or photos you converted to black and white.

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

To use Split Toning to produce creative effects, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the Split Toning section.

3. Use the Split Toning controls on a selected photo as outlined below.

Highlights

Use the sliders to adjust the hue and saturation of the highlights, or the brightest areas of a selected photo.

Hue: use this slider to set the hue or color of the highlights in the photo. You

can also click and then use the eye dropper to select the precise color (both hue and saturation) you want used in the photo's highlights.

Saturation: use this slider to set the saturation of the color used, or its amount/strength. Dragging the slider right makes the color more saturated, while dragging it left makes it less saturated.

Balance

use the Balance slider to set the balance between the split toning effect applied on the highlights and shadows in the photo. Drag the slider left to increase the influence of the Shadows sliders on the photo, drag it right to increase the influence of the Highlights sliders. Set the Balance slider's value

Adjustments

to 0 if you want both the effects on the highlights and shadows equally applied.

Shadows

Use the sliders to adjust the hue and saturation of the shadows, or the darkest areas of a selected photo.

Hue: use this slider to set the hue or color of the shadows in the photo. You

can also click and then use the eye dropper to select the precise color (both hue and saturation) you want used in the photo's shadows.

Saturation: use this slider to set the saturation of the color used, or its amount/strength. Dragging the slider right makes the color more saturated, while dragging it left makes it less saturated.

Detail

You can adjust the sharpness in a photo in the Detail section. The sharpness is applied to edges in a photo to enhance photo detail, where possible.

To adjust the photo sharpness, do this:

1. Click on Adjustment and then on the Manual tab (if necessary).

2. In Global Adjustment Tools, go to the Detail section.

3. Use the Detail controls on a selected photo as outlined below.

Magnifier

You can use the Magnifier to get a better view of the applied sharpness on a particular area of the photo. To change the area that is magnified, just click in the Magnifier and then drag your mouse to change the area of focus.

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If the area you want to magnify is in a completely different area of the photo, it is

faster to change the area of focus in the Magnifier by clicking on . Then click on the area of the photo you want to magnify.

Adjusting Sharpness

To adjust the sharpness in the photo, use the available sliders as follows:

Amount: use this slider to adjust the amount of sharpness applied to the photo.

Radius: use the slider to adjust the radius or range of sharpness applied to edges in the photo.

Note: to see the radius mask, ensure that Show affected a reas is selected. When enabled, dragging the slider lets you see the applied range of sharpness.

Edge mask: use the slider to apply a mask over on the detected edges in the photo. Once a mask is applied, CyberLink PhotoDirector only applies the sharpness to the masked areas, leaving the surrounded areas untouched.

Note: to see the edge mask, ensure that Show affected areas is selected. When enabled, dragging the slider lets you see the detected edges in the photo.

Noise Reduction

Applying sharpness and other adjustments may result in image noise appearing on

the resulting photos. Click the button to apply auto denoise* on a selected photo. Then use the following sliders to further reduce the image noise as required:

Note: * optional feature in CyberLink PhotoDirector. Check the version table on our web site for detailed versioning information.

Luminance: use this slider to slightly adjust the color brightness, by reducing any unwanted light grey spots in a photo that cause luminance noise.

Detail: use this slider to adjust/recover detail in the photo that may be lost when reducing luminance noise from a photo.

Texture: use this slider to adjust/recover texture in the photo that may be lost when reducing luminance noise from a photo.

Color: use this slider to slightly adjust the overall color saturation, by reducing any unwanted color spots in a photo that cause color noise.

Cyberlink PhotoDirector - 10.0 User’s Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual