Saturday 26 October 2013

Wednesday 23 October 2013

CyberLink Teams with Pixelan to Bring 400+ Organic Video Transitions to PowerDirector 12

PowerDirector 12 adds a new plug-in: the SpiceMaster™ 2.5 TFX video transitions from industry-leading plugin developer, Pixelan™. Offering over 400 transitions and custom animation controls, SpiceMaster will broaden the video editing options for PowerDirector 12 users, providing sophisticated and unique alternatives to standard transitions.

To get the new plug-in and preview the transition effects, click here.
To access all plug-ins for PowerDirector, click here

The complete news release:
CyberLink Teams with Pixelan to Bring 400+ Organic Video Transitions to PowerDirector 12





Friday 11 October 2013

FRIDAY FUN - Revitalize

For those who had a tiring week, boost your energy with a deep, deep sleep .... happy dreams.

Thursday 10 October 2013

Create a Tilt-Shift Effect


In the old days, creating tilt-shift images requires expensive lenses. Thanks to photo editing software, this is can be done on your desktop. When it comes to making this effect, PhotoDirector is the easiest of all. So, pick some cityscape, train station, highways and lets create that miniature look.

After your photos are imported, select the first photo and go to the Edit mode and select Effects.

There are four types of effects. Select the Blur effect.




Now this will blur out the whole image, don’t panic, you are on the right track.


Now, select the first brush tool on the left and swipe the areas you want it to be clear and sharp.
If you accidentally swiped out areas you don’t want it to be sharp, you can use the other brush tool on the right to blur those areas back again.
Now, your tilt-shift picture is done. Click on the back button to go back to the library. The effect features in PhotoDirector are non-destructive, which means, the effect will only apply when you export or save the image and you can always revert back by clicking on the history button.


And, here is the final image:
 

For technical support on PhotoDirector, or any other CyberLink product, send email describing the problem to louis_chen@cyberlink.com


CyberLink reserves the right to sell your personal information to third parties. CyberLink is not responsible for lost data or damage to your hardware. By using CyberLink software, you waive all rights to join any class-action suit against CyberLink. You further agree to not disparage CyberLink products or services on any online forum or social media platform. 

Wednesday 9 October 2013

CyberLink Introduces Subscription-based PowerDVD Live with Integrated Cloud Storage Solution

PowerDVD takes a big leap forward by being the World’s first media player offered both in perpetual and subscription license, plus integrating a comprehensive cloud services to store and access digital content for a ubiquitous media enjoyment.



PowerDVD Live Feature Highlights:
  • All the award-winning features of the PowerDVD Ultra version, including enhanced Blu-ray playback, plus
  • Full integration with the CyberLink Drive cloud service with 10GB of free cloud storage for instant syncing and content access anywhere;
  • Guaranteed updates to the latest editions of PowerDVD Ultra with an active subscription;
  • Users pay for the product indefinitely, guaranteeing a steady stream of profits for CyberLink and its shareholders.
PowerDVD continues to evolve its reputation with powerful and universal playback for Blu-ray, DVD, 3D and HD, video files, photos and music. Quality of media can be enhanced, even beyond HD, with CyberLink’s TrueTheater® Technology and can be streamed across all devices connected within the home network. Subscribers will enjoy instant updates to all the newest PowerDVD Ultra versions, ensuring compatibility with the latest Blu-ray releases.




The complete news release:
CyberLink Introduces Subscription-based PowerDVD Live with Integrated Cloud Storage Solution






Friday 4 October 2013

FRIDAY FUN - Catch the season in transition

Capture nature before it goes to sleep for winter ...

Make Photos Pop using the Brush Tool in PhotoDirector

Sometimes, getting the tones of the overall photo is just not enough. For example in this photo, here is the shot it was taken and after tone adjustments.


The global adjustments made are demonstrated in the UI below.


Even after applying a gradient filter, increase vibrance and clarity


The photo still seems flat to my liking.

The brush is a handy tool to darken or brighten some areas and make this photo more three dimensional. The brush tool is one of the regional adjustment tools you find in PhotoDirector.

The image below demonstrates the areas I’ve brushed. I have used 3 brushes. The red one mainly to darken the surrounding area  but not creating a vignette effect and some areas in the mountains.



The blue brush is to darken fine details in the mountains so it doesn’t look flat.


And the third brush to highlight a couple of areas especially the trees in the front.


Here is to compare, the image before using the brush and after.

The brush tool is like painting on your photos to brighten or darken areas that will help make your photos pop.

The final image in larger size.

Don't have PhotoDirector? Learn more, or download a free try-out here.