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1. Re: Image sizing
Captiv8r Jul 29, 2009 2:22 PM (in response to jod-zeee)Hi there
If you are trying to adjust the size using the sizing handles and dragging, it will allow non-proportional scaling. This can result in odd looking images.
If you are using the Stage Toolbar, note the Padlock icon. you click this icon to Lock and Unlock proportional scaling.
Cheers... Rick
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2. Re: Image sizing
jod-zeee Jul 29, 2009 2:37 PM (in response to Captiv8r)I am using the stage toolbar. I'm playing around with it now and it seems to be losing pixels everytime I change it!
Say I have an image that's originally 1280 x 960, when I bring it in, it resizes to the stage to be 800 x 600. Then I'm punching in various values, making it larger and smaller over and over again (just experimenting here). For some reason, it is now 788 x 600. I change it back to 800 and it's 800 x 600, then punch in more values again, now it's 800 x 583. Do it again, I now have 800 x 576. BUGGY!
I guess the only way I can make sure everything is exact and proportional is to bring them in at the size I need them?
I'm not yet able to reproduce the other problem, where I click on the image and in size and position properties, attempt to size it back up to where I want it and it does not allow me to. It's bizarre.
Jo
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3. Re: Image sizing
MarionJD Jul 29, 2009 3:20 PM (in response to jod-zeee)Jo, I've had that problem where it won't allow me to resize. It's usually that (a) Constrain proportions is checked, and (b) that there isn't room in the frame for one of the dimensions to fit.
The other thing I've found is that sometimes you have to do it in two stages - change one setting and OK the dialog box, then go back in and change the other setting. For example, if you're changing the width, and moving the graphic to the left to make room for the width, you have to move it first, then change the width.
Hope this helps...
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4. Re: Image sizing
123Baxter Jul 29, 2009 7:49 PM (in response to jod-zeee)As has been previously mentioned, when I get that "size between" message, it's because my image to too close to the edge of the frame to allow the resize. If I just move the image a bit, to get more "wiggle room" then I can resize without a problem. Sometimes I put the image in the middle of the slide, resize it to the size I want, and then move it to where I want it on the page. When it's close, I use the arrow keys to adjust the position by pixel. With really big images, I tend to resize them before I put them into Captivate, so they're slightly smaller than the frame to start with. Hope this helps.
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5. Re: Image sizing
jod-zeee Jul 29, 2009 8:11 PM (in response to 123Baxter)Okay, I think that makes sense because I have it butted up against the right side of the slide. The other thing that was throwing me is that I am attempting to enter the same dimensions for all images to make them the same size and position. But due to the bugginess I mentioned about resizing and not maintaining the proportion, when I enter the value (in this case left positioning), it won't accept it because that image happens to be a few pixels larger in width and it can't move over any further.
Try it and let me know if it happens to you ... if you resize a bunch of times using the toolbar, does the proportion change?
Jo
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6. Re: Image sizing
123Baxter Jul 29, 2009 8:27 PM (in response to jod-zeee)When I resize using the toolbar, the proportions are constrained, as long as the little lock icon is closed. If the lock icon on the toolbar is open, I can put in whatever I want for sizes. (You click on the little lock to open it.)
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7. Re: Image sizing
jod-zeee Jul 29, 2009 8:29 PM (in response to 123Baxter)Right, I understand that. But what's happening to me is I'll start with 1280 x 960, when I bring it in, it resizes to the stage to be 800 x 600. Then, if I size the height smaller, then change it to larger, and repeat a few times, when I go back to 600, the width is no longer 800. I've found that I can then enter 800 as the width and the height will stay 600 so it goes back to what it was. It's just bizarre and makes for sizing all my images the same unreliable.
Jo
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8. Re: Image sizing
123Baxter Jul 29, 2009 8:33 PM (in response to jod-zeee)Maybe resize the image to 800x600 before you bring it in. Gimp is the free program I use. Then, if worse comes to worst, you can always just click "Reset to Original Size" and start over. *sigh* Don't you just love technology! *grin*
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9. Re: Image sizing
jod-zeee Jul 30, 2009 8:36 AM (in response to 123Baxter)Yes, I do love technology ... when it works as expected!
Also, I noticed that Captivate creates a copy of each image when I put it on the stage. Is this by design? Should I then delete the original? I'm not understanding why it's doing that.
Jo
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10. Re: Image sizing
123Baxter Jul 30, 2009 8:41 AM (in response to jod-zeee)This "copy" thing is a real issue, 'cause it makes your projects ABSOLUTELY huge! If you "drag and drop" the image from the Library, it doesn't make a copy. Or, if you copy from one slide to the next, it doesn't make another copy.
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11. Re: Image sizing
MarionJD Jul 30, 2009 8:42 AM (in response to jod-zeee)I don't think I would start with a graphic that's too big for the stage anyway. For one thing, it would increase the size of the file unnecessarily. I would definitely resize them outside Captivate first.
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12. Re: Image sizing
jod-zeee Jul 30, 2009 8:46 AM (in response to 123Baxter)Do you mean that it DOES make a copy when you drag and drop? Because that's when I'm thinking it's been doing it. Every so often I remove unused objects from the library, but what I don't like is my naming convention is now screwed up because everything's now named "Copy of..."
So, even if I resize first, how do I avoid copies being made? I haven't really figured out yet when it does and doesn't create a copy.
Jo
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13. Re: Image sizing
MarionJD Jul 30, 2009 8:49 AM (in response to 123Baxter)Yes, I found if I copied a graphic from outside Captivate, and pasted it to several slides at once, it put a separate copy in each slide. But if I pasted it to one slide, positioned and sized it, and then copied it, selected the other slides, and pasted it to all of them together, there was only one copy in the library.
Also, as said previously, if you drag the image from the library, it doesn't make a copy.
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14. Re: Image sizing
123Baxter Jul 30, 2009 9:06 AM (in response to jod-zeee)If you drag and drop from the Captivate library, it doesn't make a copy.
If you drag and drop from a folder on your computer, it DOES make a copy, and that's not good. :-)
Here's how it works.
The FIRST time you "insert an image" on to a slide, it adds that image to the Library. If you need to reuse that image, just drag it from the library, or copy and paste it from one slide to another. No copy of the image will be made.
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15. Re: Image sizing
jod-zeee Jul 30, 2009 1:04 PM (in response to 123Baxter)I'm finding exactly the opposite. I dragged images from a folder to the library so I would only have to do that once, then drag to the stage.
When I drag them to the stage, it creates a copy (I assume because it's resizing, so now I have one at orginal size and one that's resized to stage).
However, if I do not already have a particular image in the library and drag it from a folder directly to the stage, it places the resized image in the library. Now I don't have the original large version, and it's smaller copy. I guess I can understand that this behavior may be by design, but it still seems awkward that a copy is made of the original without warning.
Jo
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16. Re: Image sizing
Captiv8r Jul 30, 2009 1:09 PM (in response to jod-zeee)Hi there
That would seem pretty odd. Usually dragging from the Library is simply placing an instance of the image on the stage. Even if you resized it, it's still the same instance.
As someone said earlier in this thread, you would do well to scale the images prior to inserting into Captivate.
Cheers... Rick
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17. Re: Image sizing
123Baxter Jul 30, 2009 1:27 PM (in response to jod-zeee)It might save you time in the long run to resize your graphics first, and then use Image icon to add your graphics to your slides. Cleaning up "copies" is a nightmare. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt. *grin*
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18. Re: Image sizing (background images now)
jod-zeee Jul 30, 2009 2:29 PM (in response to 123Baxter)Okay, okay, I figured that (resizing images before).
Now another related issue. I was going to edit a background image in Photoshop and noticed it's a 1.4MB BMP (these are images that were created by recording a simulation with Captivate).
What I was thinking is the reasoning behind the copies being made (per the earlier conversation), is that Captivate is compressing them so it's really only using the smaller version (the copy instead of the original).
But if that's the case, how/why would it allow the screen shot background to be so large? I assume this is what's largely contributing to the huge file sizes.
Am I missing something here? Is there something about compression of images in Captivate that I should know or be doing differently? I suppose when it's rendered as SWF it's taken care of there, but there seems to be some inconsistency in how it's dealing with images.
Jo
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19. Re: Image sizing (background images now)
123Baxter Jul 30, 2009 2:59 PM (in response to jod-zeee)Ah. Bitmaps. I hope I'm reading your question correctly. Avoid bitmaps like the plague! *grin*. OK. This is what I would do. When I resize (outside of Captivate), I would save the resulting image as either a .jpeg or .png. You can still edit these (even in MS Paint), but if you save them as .jpeg or .png, the files will be much smaller. Then "Image" button them to your slide.
If you do any animations in Captivate, they're all bitmaps, and can get huge. So, try and keep everything else as small as possible.
The background image I'm using right now I created in Paint, believe it or not, but saved it as a .png before I imported it to my backgrounds and applied it to my slides.
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20. Re: Image sizing (background images now)
jod-zeee Jul 30, 2009 3:28 PM (in response to 123Baxter)Yes and no. I am saying I have created simulations (quite a few) and that's what I noticed ... they are automatically saved as BMP?!
Will this affect my overall file size when rendered? Yikes!
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21. Re: Image sizing (background images now)
123Baxter Jul 30, 2009 3:32 PM (in response to jod-zeee)YES! *sigh*





