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Archive 2009 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

John Ackerman
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p.1 #1 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Greetings,

I am in my senior year pursuing a BS in Computer Science and the time has come for me to create a senior software project. The project topic is wide open so long as the implementation relates to our major. I would like to integrate some of my other interests (i.e photography) into the system I will build for this project. I was hoping to get a few ideas from the folks here in regards to a software product that you wish you had but have not yet seen. I am open to any and all suggestions at this point, and your input is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Edited subject to reflect direction of thread...

Edited on Apr 28, 2009 at 09:04 PM · View previous versions

Jan 09, 2009 at 05:59 PM

lindabrowne
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p.1 #2 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Lightroom with album design integrated.

Jan 09, 2009 at 07:18 PM

alvit
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p.1 #3 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Album Design? What's this?

Jan 09, 2009 at 10:26 PM

Hammy
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p.1 #4 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Slideshow program that utilizes screen sizes to the fullest.

Right now I use Compupic Pro to present a set of random PORTRAIT pictures side by side - successfully filling a 4:3 screen - and 3 pix side-by-side-by-side would fill wide screens, etc...

Or I can display a LANDSCAPE shot to fill the frame by itself.

What I haven't been able to find is a program that show slides DYNAMICALLY - having portraits 2:1, but when a landscape image comes up, show it by itself.

Image recognition would be obtainable either by EXIF data or file name and there are other user configurables like length of display between images, transitions optional, quick selection of images or directory of images.

Basically Compupic Pro, but with that dynamic capability. Their flagship program Proshow Producer can actually import them based on EXIF data and orient them correctly, but I'm looking for a program that can show images on the fly without 'building' a slideshow for display.
.
I'd be willing to be a Beta tester and certainly pay for such a program - as I'd be using it commercially.

Hammy

Jan 09, 2009 at 10:34 PM

John Ackerman
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p.1 #5 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Thanks Hammy, that sounds like a really good suggestion. I'll look into it further to see what the implementation would look like and i'll definitely look you up for testing if it gets that far. Anyone else?

Jan 09, 2009 at 11:12 PM

luketrot
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p.1 #6 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Hammy wrote:
Slideshow program that utilizes screen sizes to the fullest.

I just spent a good part of the day looking at various slideshow programs for the same features Hammy just mentioned.....

Jan 10, 2009 at 07:16 PM

John Ackerman
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p.1 #7 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Thanks luke, it seems like a slideshow program is the direction to go in . Just taking a look at the Compupic program above it looks it is quite a feature rich program. The next step in this process is to look at requirements for the system. To that end, the features of the Compupic Pro program are...

CompuPic Pro Features

Advanced CompuPic Pro Features
Add high quality borders to your photos instantly.
Enhance images with over a dozen effects, including mosaic, twirl, despeckle, median cut, wave, emboss, buttonize and more.
Publish pictures online with customized web pages. Use the included themes or write your own custom templates.
Create Photodex PictureCDsTM, including viewing software.
Prepare images with Advanced Batch Conversions...perform actions like Auto-Correct, crop, resize, text and image watermarking, and more to any number of images at once.
Download pictures and media files with the Web Site Scanner.
Select and convert colors using the Web Page Color Selector.
Enhance images with...Show more →

What would you add or remove from this list? For example i'd guess that the enhancements aren't terribly important to photographer's here using PS and Lightroom. What other software products in the realm of slideshows are popular and what are your favorite and least favorite things about those products?

Also, Hammy, can you expand on this comment?

Basically Compupic Pro, but with that dynamic capability. Their flagship program Proshow Producer can actually import them based on EXIF data and orient them correctly, but I'm looking for a program that can show images on the fly without 'building' a slideshow for display.

I've not used any of these slideshow programs in displaying my photographs so I am not terribly familiar with their normal operation beyond the obvious. Thanks again, I really appreciate your input and hope that i'll be able to design and develop a product which meets your needs and earns me the path to graduation.

Jan 11, 2009 at 01:32 PM

Hammy
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p.1 #8 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

John,

While Compupic Pro has alot of extra features - that are very nice in their own right - my needs (and Luke as well as other event photographers that want an instant display of images) are alot simpler than the full gambit of Compupic features.

For instance, the transitions of Compupic Pro are really nice - lots of neat transitions when showing images one at a time. But when I use the Multi-Pic slideshow portion, transitions aren't even an option. And that is fine - I'm not selling transitions - I want to display as many pix in a short amount of time that I can.

My workflow for slideshow:

When I'm at an event - I take as many as 100,000 images per day: 300-400 images every 4 minutes from up to 4 cameras. (90% of images are portrait.) Those images are then downloaded and processed (rotated, shrunk down to 'web' sized images) to one folder in a couple minutes.
Then within Compupic, I select that recently generated folder (that now has 300-400 images in it) and click Multi-show. The floating window slideshow then displays those images on multiple 12ft projection screens as well as multiple plasma displays.
I have the interval for image display length set to 3/4 second with random image order, so it is a continuously busy screen with a new image on each half every 1.5 seconds (again, filling up a normal 4:3 ratio projection screen.) When the next set of images are ready, I simply close the separate active slideshow window, select the new team and hit multi-show again (which restarts the slideshow in the last known window position)

The issue with compupic, is that the portrait images look great and fill up the screen. With landscape shots, they are either sideways to fill up the screen or only proportionately smaller if left landscape.

I'm looking for a very simple proggy that can do just that - display 2:1 for .75 secs each, but when a landscape comes up, pop that up their full screen for either the .75 or 1.5 seconds - with quick stop/start capabilities. The interface for me would be nothing more than a folder view with options for image delay and landscape identifier (EXIF and/or name id such as *wide* in the file name)

What additions are added later to make it a full fledged competitor to other comercial programs would be perks, but I'm looking for a very simple marketing tool to punch images out very fast and effectively.

I've contacted Photodex about my goals, but they just responded saying that their newer program Proshow Producer has that feature. It does, but only on random images selection to create a slideshow - not on the fly demand like Compupic has.

So that is why I mentioned it in this post - its really a simple design that would fill a nice little niche - that the other commercial programs have missed. But even outside the scope of event photographers - think of all the digital photo displays on the market that need this type of capability! With a mixed bag of orientated images, they have a fixed display of them - either landscape OR portrait and they waste alot of real-estate on the displays when the 'other' orientation comes up. So you could potentially take this design and work it into that market with great results!

Hammy.

Jan 12, 2009 at 12:49 PM

dkollander
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p.1 #9 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

I would like to see a show similar to faststone image viewer's slide show but with the added ability to place the slides in any order you wish with out having to follow the the rules of windows but still keep the show in a common file extension (not proprietary) . It would be like a stripped down proshow gold.

Jan 12, 2009 at 02:26 PM

John Ackerman
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p.1 #10 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Hammy, thank you very much for taking the time to write that detailed reply I think I have a good idea of where to start based on the information you've given me. The idea of implementing a design like that on other digital photo displays is something I hadn't thought of and certainly might spur an offshoot from this main project. From your comments it seems like the simpler the better, as mentioned you're not selling transitions, you're selling photographs. That's certainly something I'll take into account in the design process.

Dkollander, as far as faststone image viewer, i'll definitely take a look at that program and see about the added feature you mentioned. It almost seems like we are talking about two different versions of a similar system, one which is mostly automated for event work and then another, which would be used largely for a more detailed and designed approach to showing images to customers. As I said before, I don't have much experience using these programs so i'll be sure to take a look. Thanks for the suggestions!

Anyone else?

Jan 12, 2009 at 03:51 PM

luketrot
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p.1 #11 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

My needs..
1. Auto rotates image based on Exif
2. Fast (no transitions wanted)
3. Display's two images for portraits and one image for landscape
4. Allows me to simply select a folder and it starts the slideshow with no other necessary steps.
5. Allows me to include a static image that it can display in full screen every x number of images. So I can set it for every 15 images display the image of my company Logo or any other marketing information I want displayed.

Jan 13, 2009 at 11:35 AM

Hammy
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p.1 #12 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

luketrot wrote:
My needs...
1. Auto rotates image based on Exif

Keep in mind that using full sized images displayed very fast side by side will need a very fast drive (local) to keep up with that kind of display speed.
If you (we) want to run this dynamic data set off of a network drive, then the images need to be shrunk down (I always display my slideshow based on the 'web' sized images at 512x384 - yes, even on 12ft projection screens)
But in the redux process, most programs strip extra EXIF data off - so having the ability to read EXIF and/or partial file name based is key.

luketrot wrote:
My needs...
5. Allows me to include a static image that it can display in full screen every x number of images. So I can set it for every 15 images display the image of my company Logo or any other marketing information I want displayed.

Sounds like a good feature to have. - but there would have to be an independent delay timing for that screen - which will have more information to be digested and therefore needs to linger longer.

Another way to do this and keep your information showing through all pictures is to make your background with your company logo and marketing information. Then have the slideshow run in a window on top of the background - but smaller than the screen size so the marketing information can still be seen.

Jan 13, 2009 at 11:54 AM

Focus Locus
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p.1 #13 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

You guys are not only going to get John Ackerman his degree, you're going to make him rich, once his program hits the market.

So, John, before clearing out your garage based business to make room for the new BMW, can you also integrate VIDEO CLIPS into the dream slideshow that luketrot and Hammy are spec'ing for you?

The short video clip would work just like a picture. Picture... picture... picture... video clip... picture... picture... picture... picture... picture... video clip... picture... full screen marketing message... picture... etc..

Jan 13, 2009 at 01:01 PM

John Patrick
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p.1 #14 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Must be able to support both 4x3 and 16x9/16x10 ratios.
Must be able to have selectable/programmable "border" for text, logos, etc.

John

Jan 13, 2009 at 03:38 PM

Hammy
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p.1 #15 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

John Patrick and Focus Locus have great suggestions! Definately worthy of integration. Call John's border a 'positional overlay' and it'll be a hit.

And yes, I think that the digital signage market is primed for most of these aspects!
Instead of having to get dedicated software to integrate all these functions and hire somebody full time to manage it all, if the display was driven by 'media types' on a play list or directory (random playback or sequential), then it would make it easier for anybody to get their message on screen.

Jan 13, 2009 at 04:06 PM

luketrot
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p.1 #16 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Another way to do this and keep your information showing through all pictures is to make your background with your company logo and marketing information. Then have the slideshow run in a window on top of the background - but smaller than the screen size so the marketing information can still be seen.

The entire screen would capture a bigger audience from a further distance. A sidebar is easily overlooked.

Jan 13, 2009 at 06:20 PM

John Patrick
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p.1 #17 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

... but a sidebar would ALWAYS be present. So as long as they're watching it, subconsciously they're seeing your logo/name/whatever. Combine this with the "every 12 shots flash up the logo/name/tagline image" option as well for even more combinations.

It's all good.

John

Jan 13, 2009 at 06:32 PM

luketrot
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p.1 #18 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

John, we are running 50" LCD's trying to capture the attention of potential customers 20'-100' away. I'm not sure anyone is going to get our information from a small sidebar at that distance.

Jan 13, 2009 at 06:45 PM

John Patrick
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p.1 #19 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

... but how many walk up within 20 feet to watch the slideshow? From what I've seen at Hammy's events, small crowds will start to gather to watch the slideshow from a closer distance (closer being relative to the screen size).

A logo or biz name from that distance is still legible.

And given the 16x9 ratio on a 50" diag screen, if you're displaying two (or even three) vertical 2x3 images, there will be dead space on the sides. Might as well use it, eh?

But this is just conjecture. A discussion of possible vaporware. Nothing more.

John

Jan 13, 2009 at 06:54 PM

John Ackerman
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p.1 #20 · Your dream slideshow program...(Updated 28 April)

Thank you for the additional ideas Focus Locus and John. I suppose the possibility of this project becoming vaporware exists, but that would cost me graduation, a price I am not willing to pay. The features list is certainly not set in stone, and as a student developer I think there is a reasonable expectation that not everything will get done and certainly not on a commercial timeline. That being said, I believe that the basic slide show implementation is entirely possible utilizing the full screen and I don't see it as too much of a stretch to include sidebars, borders, marketing screens, and yes even video. Obviously with the demands of school this project will take a few months to come to fruition, however, I anticipate being able to complete it in satisfaction of requirements by May.

Thanks again for all the suggestions! I'll continue to check this thread for more ideas and post as I have questions and as development continues.

Jan 14, 2009 at 01:34 AM

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