Cyberlink PhotoDirector - 2011 User Manual

CyberLink

PhotoDirector 2011

User’s Guide

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of CyberLink Corporation.

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.

International Headquarters

Mailing Address

Web Site Telephone Fax

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

www.cyberlink.com

886-2-8667-1298

886-2-8667-1300

Contents

Introduction............................................ 1

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

Features ................................................................................................................ 1

DirectorZone ....................................................................................................... 2

Updating PhotoDirector ................................................................................. 2

System Requirements ........................................................................................... 3

Importing Photos ................................... 5

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

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

Apply During Import ........................................................................................7

The PhotoDirector Workspace................ 9

PhotoDirector Modules ......................................................................................10

Library ..................................................................................................................10

Adjustment ........................................................................................................10

Slideshow ...........................................................................................................10

Library/Adjustment/Slideshow Panel ...........................................................10

Library Panel ......................................................................................................11

Adjustment Panel ............................................................................................16

Slideshow Panel ...............................................................................................16

Photo Browser Panel ...........................................................................................16

Searching for Photos ......................................................................................18

Photo Viewer Window ........................................................................................19

Selecting View Mode .....................................................................................19

CyberLink PhotoDirector

Selecting Viewer Display Mode ..................................................................20

Adjustment History .........................................................................................21

Viewer Zoom .....................................................................................................22

PhotoDirector Preferences ................................................................................22

General Preferences .......................................................................................22

Project Preferences .........................................................................................23

DirectorZone Preferences ............................................................................23

File Handling Preferences ............................................................................23

Adjustments ......................................... 25

Making Photo Adjustments ..............................................................................25

Creating Virtual Photos .................................................................................25

Histogram ...........................................................................................................26

Regional Adjustment Tools .........................................................................27

White Balance ...................................................................................................38

Tone .....................................................................................................................40

Level .....................................................................................................................40

HSL/Color ...........................................................................................................41

Black and White Mix .......................................................................................44

Detail ....................................................................................................................45

Vignette ..............................................................................................................46

Copying Adjustments .........................................................................................47

Using Adjustment Presets .................................................................................48

Downloading Presets from DirectorZone ..............................................48

Saving Custom Presets ..................................................................................49

Applying Presets on Photos ........................................................................49

Uploading Presets to DirectorZone ..........................................................50

Exporting/Import Presets .............................................................................50

Viewing Adjustment History .............................................................................51

Turning Adjustments On/Off ............................................................................51

Exporting Photos .................................. 53

The Export Photo Process ..................................................................................53

Contents

Export Profiles ...................................................................................................55

Printing and Sharing Photos................ 57

Printing Photos ......................................................................................................57

Sharing Photos .......................................................................................................57

Uploading Photos to Facebook .................................................................57

Uploading Photos to Flickr ..........................................................................58

Slideshows............................................ 61

Creating Photo Slideshows ...............................................................................61

Producing Slideshows ...................................................................................62

Sharing Slideshow Videos on YouTube ..................................................62

PhotoDirector Hotkeys ......................... 65

Technical Support................................. 71

Before Contacting Technical Support ...........................................................71

Web Support ..........................................................................................................72

Index .................................................... 73

iii

CyberLink PhotoDirector

Chapter 1:

Introduction

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

Note: this document is for reference and informational use only. Its content and the corresponding program are subject to change without notice.

Welcome

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

Features

This section outlines some of the main features of the CyberLink PhotoDirector program.

• Import and organize all your photos in the library for easy browsing and

editing.

• View each individual photo’s metadata information.

• Add and embed keyword tags and copyright information in photos.

• Crop and rotate photos, or apply touch-ups such as red-eye and spot removal.

• Modify photo color and white balance with easy to use adjustment controls.

• Sharpen photos and correct photos that contain unwanted vignetting or

image noise.

• Create dazzling photo slideshows and output them as video files.

• Share photos on Facebook and Flickr, and upload created photo slideshows

directly to YouTube.

CyberLink PhotoDirector

DirectorZone

DirectorZone is a web service that lets you download adjustment presets created by other users, so you can use them on your photos. You may also share your own custom presets by uploading them to DirectorZone.

To access the benefits of DirectorZone, click the Sign in to DirectorZone link on the top of the CyberLink PhotoDirector window.

Go to http://directorzone.cyberlink.com to view more information on the features and benefits of the DirectorZone web site.

Updating PhotoDirector

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

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

To update your software, do this:

1. Open the Upgrade Information window by doing one of the following:

- click the button.

- click on the PhotoDirector logo in the top right corner, and then on the Upgrade button in the About PhotoDirector window.

2. Click the feature you would like to upgrade to, or the patch you want to update CyberLink PhotoDirector with.

3. A web browser window opens, where you can purchase product upgrades or download the latest patch update.

Chapter 1: Introduction

System Requirements

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

System Requirements

CPU Processor • Intel Pentium D 3.0 GHz CPU with hyper-threading

or equivalent AMD CPU is minimal.

Screen Resolution • 1024 X 768, 16-bit color or above.

Operating System • Microsoft Windows 7 (32 bit and 64 bit).

• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise (32 bit and 64 bit).

• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 3.

Memory • 2 GB is required.

Graphics Card • 128 MB VRAM and above.

Hard Disk Space • 1 GB of disk space for application and

documentation.

CyberLink PhotoDirector

Chapter 2:

Importing Photos

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:

Photos: JPEG, TIFF. RAW photo formats: CyberLink PhotoDirector also supports the import of most

camera RAW photo formats.

Importing Photos into the Library

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

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:

- 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.

CyberLink PhotoDirector

- From Camera: select to import photos directly from a digital camera or a

card reader. Ensure that your camera is connected to your computer (and turned on) and then select From Camera to import photos from it. Once selected, the Photo Import window displays. Select your camera (or card reader) from the Source drop-down 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. Select Exclude possible duplicates to have CyberLink PhotoDirector filter out any photos that were imported previously.

5. Manually select the thumbnails of the photos you want to import, or use the

(deselect all) and (select all) buttons if necessary.

6. Select one of the following two import options:

- Keep in current location: keeps the photos in their original source

location.

- Make extra copy in: select this option if you want CyberLink PhotoDirector

to copy the imported photos to another location you select in the Destination drop-down.

7. If copying the photos to another location, click to select the Destination

where the imported photos are copied. You can also click to edit the name of the photo folders in this location, if required.

8. If copying the photos to another location, you can Organize the photos 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.

Chapter 2: Importing Photos

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

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

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

Apply During Import

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

Note: if you cannot find the Apply During Import section of the Photo Import

window, click on the right edge of the window to display it.

•

Apply preset: select to apply the adjustment preset you select from the dropdown to all of the photos during import. See "Using Adjustment Presets" on page 48 for information on creating adjustment presets.

• 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.

• Ta gs : in the field provided, enter in the keyword tags you want to apply to each

photo, separated by a semi colon.

CyberLink PhotoDirector

Chapter 3:

The PhotoDirector Workspace

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 - Library/Adjustment/Slideshow Panel, C - Photo Browser Panel, D - Photo Viewer Window

CyberLink PhotoDirector

PhotoDirector Modules

CyberLink PhotoDirector is comprised of three main modules: Library, Adjustment, and Slideshow.

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 "Library Panel" on page 11 for more information.

Adjustment

The adjustment module is where you touch up and make edits to the photos in your library. Click the Adjustment button apply presets, crop and rotate photos, apply gradients, remove spots and red-eye, and adjust white balance, sharpness, color, and much, much more. See "Making Photo Adjustments" on page 25 for more information.

Slideshow

In this module you can use your photos to create slideshows with background music, and then export them as video files or upload them directly to YouTube. Select the Slideshow button to access the slideshow module. See "Slideshows" on page 61 for more information on all the features in this module.

Library/Adjustment/Slideshow Panel

The panel on the left side of the CyberLink PhotoDirector window that is displaying is dependent on which module of the program you are in. The following outlines each of the three panels and some of the available features.

Chapter 3: The PhotoDirector Workspace

Library Panel

The library panel is where you import, organize, and view all of the photos in CyberLink PhotoDirector. It also provides access to the metadata information for each individual photo.

The library panel has two tabs: Project and Metadata. To access either tab, simply click on it to view its contents.

Project Tab

Click Project 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, 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.

CyberLink PhotoDirector

2. Select Create Smart Collection.

3. Enter the information in the fields as follows:

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

- 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.

Chapter 3: The PhotoDirector Workspace

• Export Photos: select to export the photos, with the any adjustments made

applied, in the selected folder. See "Exporting Photos" on page 53 for more information.

• Export Folder as New Project: select to create a new project database that

only includes the photos in the selected folder.

• 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.

Albums

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

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.

CyberLink PhotoDirector

• Export Photos: select to export the photos, with any applied adjustments

applied to them, in the selected album. See "Exporting Photos" on page 53 for more information.

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

• Delete: select to delete the selected album from the library. Any photos it

contains are not removed from the project library.

Adjustment Panel

The adjustment panel displays when in the adjustment window and contains all of the tools you use to touch up and edit your photos. See "Adjustments" on page 25 for a detailed description of the all the tools available on the adjustment panel.

Slideshow Panel

When in the slideshow module, you can set slideshow preferences and settings on the slideshow panel. See "Slideshows" on page 61 for detailed information about the controls on the slideshow panel.

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 - Search, E - Export Photos, F - Share Photos

Chapter 3: The PhotoDirector Workspace

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" on page 23 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 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 Only mode. See "Selecting View Mode" on page 19 for more information.

when in thumbnail view, select a photo and then rate it by selecting the

•

desired star rating.

• 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.

• you can also group photos using color labels. To label, right-click on a photo in

the photo browser panel, select the Label option, and then a color from the list.

• right-click on a photo in the panel (or in the viewer) and then select Show

Photos in Same Folder to only display photos in the Library that are in the

same folder as the selected photo.

• right-click on a photo in the panel (or in the viewer) and then select Show

Photos in Same Album to only display photos in the Library that are in the

same album as the selected photo.

• click and then select an item in the list to filter the photos in the panel by

their flagged and rejected status.

CyberLink PhotoDirector

• 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.

• right-click on a photo and select Create Virtual Photo to create another copy

you can use for editing. See "Creating Virtual Photos" on page 25 for more information.

• click Export to export, with the adjustments applied to them, the selected

photos. See "Exporting Photos" on page 53 for more information.

• click Share to upload the selected photos to Flickr or Facebook. See "Sharing

Photos" on page 57 for more information.

• Double-click in the photo browser panel to hide it from view and get a larger

view of the current photo (viewer only mode). Double-click on the photo viewer canvas area to again display the browser panel (viewer & browser mode).

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.

Chapter 3: The PhotoDirector Workspace

ADB

E F G

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 - Select Viewer

Display Mode, E - View Adjustment History, F - Show Original Photo, G - 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.

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

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

+ 57 hidden pages