While under appreciate and maligned by some, I decided to buy it and guess what? It is awesome! (for MAC only, sorry, but for PC you have ProShow which is awesome too!)


Very straight forward to use but with a lot of control. These are some of my fav:

Integration with Apple software

One great thing, specially for those who use Aperture, is the full integration with iphoto and Aperture. If you are using LR you will have to export your images to a folder which you will have access from inside Fotomagico, but if you are using Aperture you will able to see the Aperture Library. This means that you can create a smart folder in Aperture where you will direct all the images you want for the slide show so you can see that album from within Aperture withou having to create (export) jpgs. This feature alone will help save disk space.

It also integrates with idvd for menu creation and DVD burning

Control

Fotomagico provides professional transitions and motion effects. You have full control over how they are implemented in your show or you also have the option to let Fotomagico create the slide show for you without the infamous cutting of heads of Iphoto.

Synch the transitions to the beat

You can create markers in the music track much like you do in SIW. Then you can tell the slides to change when the reach each marker.

Output choices

This is the one that got me... you can output your slide show for the web (quicktime); for TV (4:3 or letterbox); HD; for digital projectors; it integrates with Idvd; for computer presentations and for ipods. So it has a great gamma of out "expressions".

Titles

You can create titles and animate them, fade them in and out, etc. You can also insert blank slides.

And only $129.00!!!! If you have something more complex you have to go to Final Cut Express.

I owned both SIW and Fotomagico. Both are excellent in what they do and were intended for. SIW is great for creating flash slide shows for the web and I will keep using it for that purpose. But I was looking a program that would allow me similar results but that I could easily burn into DVD and do ipod too. While I respect the direction SIW took on providing that service for those who wants them (I offer it to those clients who want to purchase the SIW slide show. They can use that choice if they want) I wanted something with a quick turnaround on DVD and ipod production that would be better than iphoto and that would not create additional workflow for me. Fotomagico it is that solution. It integrates flwalessly with Aperture and iDVD.

So, for those that are looking into slide show production tools for a MAC I suggest to take a good look at Fotomagico. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

PS. I don't work or have any association with the people of Fotomagico other than being a very satisfied customer that want to give a kuddo to a great solution.

Oooooh. David said the "F" word.

And yes, I realize that this is a very touchy subject. I hope people can see through that and appreciate the humor for what it is (and isn't).

You funny guy!

Thanks for sharing the information.

Yeah, I know.... the "F" word I can surely appreciate the humor.

I was aware of the controversy and, as a matter of fact, the way Fotomagico was put down in the past made me take a closer look at the software. So, in a way, it backfired.

I believe that when something is good it should be said.

I love fotomagico. I also love Show it Web. I have both, use both, and love both.

I absolutely love SIW for web slideshows, and the convience of having clients order the DVD and I don't have to do anything.

And I absolutley love Fotomagico for the ability to make custom high res slideshows to show at home on a big monitor. Great to for making slideshows to burn to DVD and give to fellow vendors.

I really am glad I have both, as they compliment each other well.

Shawn

Amen!

Exactly. They each do different things. And do them very well.

Sat and watched a Soprano's episode last night, and dumped about 150 images from my daughter's 8th grade graduation into FotoMagico. Made a nice little show for her to share with the other 9 kids in her class (it's a small school).

I let the show "compile" overnight while I slept. This afternoon, I dropped it into I-DVD to add a cool intro, and I'm buring 14 copies while I sit and surf OSP.

Perfect timing on posting this David!

This is what I do as well. They are both perfect for what they are intended for - ShowIt Web for the web show and FM for the DVD. I use the same folder of images for both so it's not a huge hit to the workflow.

Why is FM so controversial - what did I miss?

j

Rick Rosen getting banned, DJ and I sticking our tongues out at each other, dogs and cats living together ... the list goes on.

Sorry I am getting in late on this post but I have been looking at different programs for slide shows and can not find one that I like. I am shooting a VBS at a local church next month and want to do a slide show for the final night. I have tried I-movie and I-DVD but the image quality is not great. They will be using a NEC projector not sure what screen size but I want clear sharp images do you think this program can deliver that? Can you offer any tips on file size and resolution. Thanks.

So, do you have one of these slideshows posted we can see?

And is it necessary to buy the version with tutorials or is it straightforward enough to save the $50?

The learning curve is a lot shorter with the tutorials.

As for resolution, and best use of the show, I've had good luck at resizing the images at 1400 pixels, and using a sharpen action.

the PS action has been posted elsewhere, but here it is again.

FILE > Automate >Fit Image 1400 x 1400
FILTER > Sharpen > Sharpen
FILTER > Sharpen > Sharpen
EDIT > Fade Sharpen 71 to 75 percent

This sharpening action is good for normal TV and projector use. You'll want to play with it for HD and see if there is a better way.

Also, FM still overzooms on Vertical images when it imports them, or applies random pan and zooms. I'm going to alter the above action to enlarge the canvas size by about 50 percent around the vertical images, with black background. That way the vertical image will sit inside a horizontal box for display on a horizontal TV.

lol - it's not a touchy subject when brought up appropriately like it was here.

....and yea I think it's a great program for people who want to make more of an iPhoto-like slideshow but don't have iPhoto.

Rock on.
DJ

Hey DJ,

I beg to differ. FotoMagico is the slideshow module from IPhoto -- ON STEROIDs.

Iphoto - one song for the sound track
FM - How many songs do you want to use?

Iphoto - equal duration for each slide
FM - complete control over duration, set transitions to music timing, etc

Customizable title slides and many other bells and whistles.

FM is definately a grown up version -- made specifically for creating slideshows for output to quicktime or DVD.
If you want quick and easy use IPhoto. If you want control, use FM or another piece of software that specializes in slideshows for DVD.

I agree - but Samy Sosa is still Samy Sosa even if he's on roids - he just has a lot of stuff in him that he doesn't need.

Hi DJ,

I'm not trying to argue here, but I'm curious as to what FM or any other pro-level dvd slideshow software has that doesn't need to be there?

I'm curious, cause one could argue that PhotoShop and Dreamweaver have a lot of stuff that the average user don't need. But, those features sure are nice once you do need them.

I do see your point about unnecessary features. Case in point would be InDesign and FotoFusion... If I were still using PC, I would have never picked up InDesign. Fotofusion has 99 percent of what a good album design program needs. InDesign is definately FF on steroids... it will do so much more. InDesign was designed for the publishing industry, while FF Extreme was designed for the professional photographer.

I see that IPhoto was designed the the average camera user, while FotoMagico was designed for pro-photographer.

Thanks for your input.

PS: I chatted with *He Who Was Banned* about the importing vertical image at a convenient size for pan&zoom -- he's passing the request up to Boinx software, and hopes to get it into one of the soon to happen updates.

You're absolutely right...that's why Lightroom came out. Lightroom is much more of a niche product and that's why it's much easier and faster to work with. It's not throwing in all the stuff that isn't needed and that's why people in our industry will use it.

If I have the option of buying a product that was specifically geared for what I need then I'm gonna get it instead of buying a product that has all sorts of consumer features that I have to work to filter out. I think many others prefer products specifically designed for them that come with the things they need and aren't cluttered up with features they don't need.

Gotta go...

Anyone else? Features in FotoMagio that don't need to be there? I'll email Rick and have him pass them on to the designers.

We'll kick those bad puppies right out!

EDIT: one more thought... FM and ShowIt Web are both great programs. Their interfaces are different, for obvious reasons, but mainly because they were designed by two different sets of designers.

The default settings in both pieces work well in most cases, and both have customizable options.

For example, I've played with creating my own custom timing to the beat of a particular song in ShowIt Web - just to see what it was. Nice feature, but I doubt that I'll use it. That extra feature doesn't mean that ShowIt Web is too much of product and I should just stick with IPhoto.

Use the best tool for the job. Do not just the cheapest tool-- because it's the cheapest. Make sure it's the right tool for whoever is using it, and the right tool to deliver what you want.

Awesome!!

Can you import purchased iTunes music into FM?

I *think* so.

I haven't purchased any Itunes music, but I haven't heard of it being a problem.

If it has DRM protection it won't play on any computer that's not authorized to play it.

Apple has been pressing the labels to lift all the DRM stuff and many labels are so some things you buy on iTunes now will come without the protection but if it has the protection it will play on your computer but nobody elses.

yep... DJ is partially right. Here's a screen shot when I tried a song I just purchased. It says it will run it "Live" but not in a recorded show.Click to view attachment

You could always go to walmart.com and get it. I hear there's not drm protection on theirs stuff.

Partially ... and what was the other part....

Some tip for FM users:
http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index...showtopic=11634

If you play the show directly through FM (Use the preview function) --- such as starting FM at a bridal fair, opening the job, and hitting preview. The song will play during the slideshow. You cannot save it to quicktime or DVD output it.

Sort of the You Paid for IT, so it will run on your machine, but FM can't save it in a form that will work on another computer or device.

lol - I believe that's exactly what I said dude but whatever...

OK, you can be all the way right this time.

I've just spoke with "He who banned" and got some good news...

Boinx software is considering putting together a special photographer discount for the FotoMagico software.

I think the tutorials will also be discounted!

We'll hopefully know more after the weekend, when the Boinx people get back from the MacWorld conference (they're based in Germany, so they've got some travel time!)

I wonder if this is the right move for them... being that their user base is mostly consumers it would seem that if they wanted to attract more professionals they should focus on creating a more niche product instead of just discounting it. Again, Fotomagico is very iPhoto like in terms of final presentation so I'd suggest professionals find another option.

I don't want to sound like I'm disagreeing with anyone in particular (especially the great guy who provides this forum), but Fotomagico is nothing like iPhoto. It has all the professional tools and options that someone wanting to produce their own DVDs would want.

Iphoto is great for quick shows at receptions, but it's lacking all kinds of features for top notch DVD show creation.

Fotomagico is like ProShow for the Mac and without all the bugs. If you think you might like to create your own DVDs (especially with multiple shows on the same disc), on a Mac, then I recommend Fotomagico. Period.

On the other hand if you'd prefer to outsource then our kind forum owner sells a great product.

Disclaimer: I own and use all of the products mentioned. I am selling none.

~Bill

Yea...of course everyone is entitled to their opinion and the shows I've seen made with FM have seem very much like those created with iPhoto. I know it is possible to create a more advanced show if you want to spend more time but again all the shows I've seen have looked very much like a consumer show and so that's why I think most people have stayed away from Fotomagico. Again just my opinion.

Cheers,
DJ

No problem DJ. I have no idea if you've used FM or not, but it is a full featured program. FM is Mac only, so anyone that's considering it has iPhoto already (and presumably knows what it can do).

i think the best thing you've done for all of us is demonstrate what a good 'slideshow' can look like! Even with SIW if you take the 'zoom in/out' default and don't do any custom placement, timing or movement then the show is pretty boring (and might induce sea sickness in some). Not to say the images are boring, 'quality of images' and 'quality of slideshow' are two completely different things.

Yep... IPhoto does *Most* of this stuff:

• FotoMagico supports most file formats, everything that QuickTime can read, including RAW.
• Images are displayed with highest possible image quality (depends on your graphics card).
• Drag & drop images in the timeline to easily change the order.
• Select images in the timeline and set some parameters in the Options panel - for all images at once, or for each image individually.
• Scale, rotate and position images on the Stage to fit the screen size of the slideshow.
• Use Pan & Zoom to create stunning animations for static images.
• Use "Randomize Pan & Zoom" to create slideshows with just a few clicks.
• Pan & Zoom also gives you a chance to use "difficult" vertical images on your widescreen display.
• Start and finish delays as well as ease in and ease out of the pan & zoom motion.
• Using numeric values for zoom and rotation allows exact control of the animation.
• Easy setting of parameters with jogwheel controls.
• Copy and Paste of parameters for easy authoring of complex transitions.
• Intelligent guidelines help you positioning your images on the stage.
• Guidelines use audio feedback for more control.
• Copy and paste image parameters for quick authoring of complex slideshows.
• Locate missing image files when opening slideshow.

This is directly from the Boinx Website
Oh, and my favorite one isn't mentioned... you DON'T have to have the images in IPhoto to do the slideshow (why Apple thinks that a pro-photog wants all of their images on a little 80 gig hard drive inside a laptop is beyond me)

I pulled IPhoto out of my dock after futzing around with it for an hour. It wasn't worth the money I spent on it (free with a Mac purchase!)

Quick update on a few things... since we were discussing IPhoto vs FM...

I heard back from "He who was banned" about the importing and adding random zoom/pan to verticals... Boinx said they'd get it into the next major update (I think there's a small update about to hit - this feature may not make it into that one). Currently, you can either import so the vertical image fits on screen, or apply a random zoom/pan to it, but then it's sized to fit the Width of the screen.

So, yes, the designers do listen to the users, and take their suggestions seriously.

Also, the discount for photogs was approved and sent to the web guys. I'll post more once it goes active.

As for the IPhoto comparision: according to the guys at Boinx, here are a few differences between IPhoto/IDVD and FotoMagico

"FotoMagico does no resizing to the images, they are resized by the graphics
card at the moment they have to be displayed. Like this, we can always
change the slideshow's resolution at any time without quality loss. iDVD
for example will scale images down to DVD format (which is 720x576), that
really decreases the quality, if you'd like to view it on a 20" display. In
iPhoto you don't have a real possibility so save individual slideshows to a
file, except from exporting to a movie."

FotoMagic currently offers a "Player" option for MAC only, but I'm told that they're working on making the player Windows based as well. That means the file can be burned to a CD (not a DVD) for play on computer, and set to expire after a certain number of uses, or expire on a certain date.

This last part will be really cool... I've used Firehand Technologies "Lightning" program to make such a slideshow to show album designs, with an expiration date to keep the Client motivated to get their orders in on time. Then I burn a new copy of the show, with the expiration removed, for them as a reward for being on time.

But with FM, you can do a preview via the CD with expiration, then create a new show on DVD, just by exporting the same file, with different output setting. You don't have to go in and remake the show. Just make sure that you save the FotoMagico work file (FILE - SAVE) when you do the first export.