How to make this transition effect?

[igoforit]

Some time ago, I launched the question already on dpreview, but I was kindly recommended to launch my question on this forum - which I am doing with this topic.

Here is a picture of the result that I want to achieve:

http://jos-echelpoels.smugmug.com/photos/130462540-O.jpg

In fact, this is a case where 2 similar images are layered on top of each other. The top one is "opening" by 2 lines, one shifting left, the other shifting right. Even if I could achieve the effect without the (in this case white) line, I would be happy, although I like the white line effect very much. I have seen the effect even with 3 layers on top of each other, but I guess (at least hope) that if I know how to do it with 2, I can also manage with 3.

Some of you have been very helpful already in adressing the topic on dpreview. Here is the link to the original topic:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat...thread=21504091

The easiest for me to understand how to do it would be if someone could share with me a project with the effect included. You may use the pictures below to demonstrate me the effect in PTE if you want.

http://jos-echelpoels.smugmug.com/photos/130462544-O.jpg

http://jos-echelpoels.smugmug.com/photos/130462548-O.jpg

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help me with this!

Jos Echelpoels

http://jos-echelpoels.smugmug.com/

[alrobin]

Jos,

Welcome to the Forum and to PTE!

This effect is more difficult than it may seem at first glance. Attached is the simplest way to achieve it, but it is very symmetric and doesn't offer many different parameters other than speed of transition, slide duration, etc. Included in the zipped file are an "exe" executible file, as well as the project files, including your two images (resaved in lower quality to save on space). It is created in PTE v.5, but the same effect is available in v.4.48. Hope this helps.

Meanwhile, maybe someone will come up with an example using the techniques Lin described in the other Forum. It's possible in v.5 to control the opacity of an overlaid mask in many imaginative ways, but the difficulty arises when one attempts to convert from monochrome to colour.

gates.zip

[Hawk]

Hi Jos - welcome to the forum

Here is a quick small sample, using the white line you prefer to use.

Sorry - maybe a little too thick - but could be adjusted.

Done with Ver 5 beta.

Two way split was used on main image for Left & Right sides, and the white line painted.

I did try a 3 image using the second left and right images with less opacity.

Gave a nice effect, but for some reason the second images were off set when lining up the white line?

( maybe with a little more time and effort )

Let us know if we are on the right track, and I am sure someone more advanced with ver 5 than I am will create a nice demo for you.

Gate_Hawk.zip

Jos - after reading your link, and viewing the flash sample.

Here is another quicky using less opacity - no line.

Gate_Hawk_2_Less_Opacity.zip

Al's sample appears closer to the flash sample, with no distortion.

[alrobin]

The problem with achieving the exact effect as in the Flash example lies in not being able to move the "opacity" or "saturation" of the image without moving a portion of the image. HERE is my best attempt at a non-symmetrical solution using "gates".

[Ian]

Just had a quick go. It should be possible to re-create the Flash example using just one slide overlaid with semi-transparent png masks. Doing it this way you have complete control over where the split appears, and as many colour effects and speeds as you like.

The attached uses just the original jpg, with a 'sepia' and 'blue' overlay as an example. With a bit of experimentation you should be able to get the effect you want.

Ian

gates_ian.zip

[igoforit]

I am impressed with the speed of your replies and the effort you put in it. My working day has been terrible (just finished a presentation for tomorrow - it is now 1.30 am in Belgium). I hope tomorrow will be better and I will surely give all the suggestions you made a close look.

Thanks already!

Jos

[igoforit]

Hi Jos - welcome to the forum

Here is a quick small sample, using the white line you prefer to use.

Sorry - maybe a little too thick - but could be adjusted.

Done with Ver 5 beta.

Two way split was used on main image for Left & Right sides, and the white line painted.

I did try a 3 image using the second left and right images with less opacity.

Gave a nice effect, but for some reason the second images were off set when lining up the white line?

( maybe with a little more time and effort )

Let us know if we are on the right track, and I am sure someone more advanced with ver 5 than I am will create a nice demo for you.

Gate_Hawk.zip

Jos - after reading your link, and viewing the flash sample.

Here is another quicky using less opacity - no line.

Gate_Hawk_2_Less_Opacity.zip

Al's sample appears closer to the flash sample, with no distortion.

Ralph,

Thanks and it looks quite interesting. However, I am looking for the effect without the images moving.

Thanks anyway for the effort and for my education.

Jos

The problem with achieving the exact effect as in the Flash example lies in not being able to move the "opacity" or "saturation" of the image without moving a portion of the image. HERE is my best attempt at a non-symmetrical solution using "gates".

Al,

Many thanks and congratulations! This comes closest indeed to the effect I am looking for. Could you share with me the actual project, such that I can study (and try to understand) how you did this?

Thanks in advance,

Jos

Just had a quick go. It should be possible to re-create the Flash example using just one slide overlaid with semi-transparent png masks. Doing it this way you have complete control over where the split appears, and as many colour effects and speeds as you like.

The attached uses just the original jpg, with a 'sepia' and 'blue' overlay as an example. With a bit of experimentation you should be able to get the effect you want.

Ian

Dear Ian,

Thanks for the nice effect. I may use it one day, but it is not based on mixing 2 images as far as I can see. Maybe I should not have used a sepia and color slide to illustrate the effect, I should have used to completely different pictures.

Still, you achieve a very nice effect that I really like.

Thanks again,

Jos

[alrobin]

....Could you share with me the actual project, such that I can study (and try to understand) how you did this?

Jos,

I used an intermediate image with the coloured portion offset from the centre (created in Photoshop) and then used a "gate" transition to "move" to the final coloured image (see attached). The gate effect reaches the right-hand dividing line first. This will work even in version 4.48. If you set the "smoothing line" value to close to 0, you will get a sharp line. In version 5 beta you could also add the vertical white lines for added effect, and move them in sync with the "gate". If you adjust the timing of the transition, you will change the speed of the dividing line.

I'll try to create a more elaborate example showing some other versions of this and post them later on my website.

[alrobin]

OK, Jos,

HERE is the latest asymmetric version created in PTE 4.48.

[JPD]

Just a little test here

[alrobin]

JP,

You the man! Very smooth!

Now can you tell us how you did it?

[JPD]

There is the template at the same link, but this method has limits with the contrast, it's the reason for which I wrote to Igor sometimes ago :

"For the future :

I have many points to ask and you have enought things to do so I keep them

to day, but there is one which seems important to me, it's to have the

possibility to associated a 256 grey level picture as alpha of another

picture and to be abble to have different PZR effects on both pictures.

First it would be possible to use 2 jpg file to do near the same thing as

png but the most important is that would be possible to do an infinity of

effects for instance if you have a white circle on the alpha picture, when

moving it, there would be only the part of the main picture which appear as

a moving spotlight. The are many and many possibilty with that."

With this function, it would be possible to do perfectly this effect and many others.

[alrobin]

Thanks, JP. It's a clever temporary "work-around", and allows one to use all the other flexible features available in v.5 at the same time. Thanks for posting.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Jean-Pierre,

I wrote to Igor a few days ago asking him when he gets the time to perhaps look into a "Transparency" filter which would work much as a rectangle. For exampe, the "gates" transition allows a moving transparency curtain to conceal the present image and reveal the image on the next slide, What if we had a rectangle which performed much the same operation except it could be adjusted for size and could be stopped or started and moved back and forth which would effectively perform exactly this effect. It could then be used to reveal an in-focus image beneath and out of focus image, it could be used with masks to "spotlight" changes which would appear almost as "x-ray" vision - LOL?

Best regards,

Lni

There is the template at the same link, but this method has limits with the contrast, it's the reason for which I wrote to Igor sometimes ago :

"For the future :

I have many points to ask and you have enought things to do so I keep them

to day, but there is one which seems important to me, it's to have the

possibility to associated a 256 grey level picture as alpha of another

picture and to be abble to have different PZR effects on both pictures.

First it would be possible to use 2 jpg file to do near the same thing as

png but the most important is that would be possible to do an infinity of

effects for instance if you have a white circle on the alpha picture, when

moving it, there would be only the part of the main picture which appear as

a moving spotlight. The are many and many possibilty with that."

With this function, it would be possible to do perfectly this effect and many others.

[JPD]

I wrote to Igor a few days ago asking him when he gets the time to perhaps look into a "Transparency" filter which would work much as a rectangle. For exampe, the "gates" transition allows a moving transparency curtain to conceal the present image and reveal the image on the next slide, What if we had a rectangle which performed much the same operation except it could be adjusted for size and could be stopped or started and moved back and forth which would effectively perform exactly this effect. It could then be used to reveal an in-focus image beneath and out of focus image, it could be used with masks to "spotlight" changes which would appear almost as "x-ray" vision

What I asked is about the same thing, but with the shape we want (those drawned on the alpha layer) with possibility to have differents PZR effects than those of the picture which opacity is modify by the alpha picture.

I have modify the file test. It's always at the same link.

Edit 12:43 PM : I just add how to make specials effects between 2 pictures with by this way, the limit is always half for contrast and colours, without alpha layer, we could do more with contrast and colour problems.

It would need to be abble to have several alpha layers for the same pictures to do the same as the last slide of the example.

Edit 25/02 : I was wrong when I said half, it's 1/3 for colours and contrast but it's possible to cheat a little to succeed to have half as in the test I did.

[thedom]

Very interesting and clever ideas in this topic !

Congratulations to all.

[igoforit]

Special thanks to Jean-Pierre and Al! You are artists and you clearly know all about PTE.

For me, I am still trying to grasp how exactly you did it all -even with the projects shared - but eventually, I will. I am still completely new to PTE, so I still have a lot to learn.

I can see and understand the value of having the ability to control the transparency using a separate alpha layer and I would greatly appreciate such a feature. In a way, it is my search for this capability that brought me to this forum.

Thanks again to all people who are educating me here!

Jos