SlideShowPro for Lightroom 1.0.2 Released
After thinking I had the “Preview in Browser” issue fixed in 1.0.1, turns out it still wasn’t working correctly for some people using Windows. This release should fix the preview issue once and for all. This release also brings back the Link Preview Width/Height parameters that were removed from 1.0.1 (for simplicity), but it caused some unforeseen issues with a particular layout style. So they’ve been brought back; effectively returning it to 1.0 functionality. Outside of that, the modifiable contextual menu items (if you right clicked on a SWF) have been removed to prevent people from messing with the SWF timeline, and the swfobject.js file has been updated to the latest stable version (1.5), which is a bit more optimized than the previous one.
Current users can download here (requires login).
SlideShowPro for Lightroom 1.0.1 Released
The first point update to the new SlideShowPro for Lightroom is now available for download. This release ushers in a near-complete reorganization of the side panels to help alleviate some of the layout issues found in the OS X build of Lightroom. Everything is a bit narrower now, and grouped using sub-headers labeled with the main interface elements they control (“Captions”, “Navigation”, etc).
This re-organization helps, but doesn’t completely resolve the OS X problem, which as I noted in a previous news post is caused by a bug in Lightroom’s panel system. It’s ultimately up to Adobe to fix the problem for good, so perhaps something good will come from them down the road.
In general though, the new layout may actually be clearer for some new users as well, for parameters are grouped more closely around functionality, instead of purpose (color, transparency, size, etc).
Outside of that, this release adds a toggle for including hyperlinks, an “add watermark” option, independent controls for large/thumb image height, an easier process for assigning thumbnail link preview sizes, and bug fixes for “Preview in Browser” and the Cache Content parameter not functioning as expected.
To read the full version history, click here. To download the update, click here (must be logged in to the Account Center) and then follow the “Updating previous versions” instructions in the SlideShowPro for Lightroom User Guide that’s included with the download archive.
Since SlideShowPro for Lightroom was released at the beginning of this week I’ve been receiving a lot of email and forum complaints from Mac OS X users concerning panel layout problems. What’s the issue? Well, Lightroom should consistently re-format interior panel content when the width of the panel column is adjusted. And most of the time, it does. But for Mac OS X users, if you scale the panel column as thin as it will go, quit/restart Lightroom, then open the panels again, you’re in for a nasty surprise. The interior content overflows the panel width; making it impossible to modify some parameters.
The solution? Expand the panel, then quit/relaunch Lightroom. The panel interiors will reformat correctly.
I’ve been in touch with Adobe on this problem, for it clearly goes beyond SlideShowPro for Lightroom and is an issue with Lightroom’s windowing layout system (and OS X, of course). The good news is that I’ve been able to confirm that it is a known problem. The bad news is that there may not be an application-level remedy anytime soon.
That said, I have been given some tips on ways to minimize the chances of panel content overflowing the container. It won’t completely resolve the problem, but it will make the issue less prominent. Unfortunately, it will require a notable reorganization of the panel interface currently in 1.0, so when the update is released existing users can expect to see a number of changed controls. Shouldn’t affect templates already created with 1.0, but the UI will simply look a bit different.
SlideShowPro for Lightroom now available
After a short delay to workaround a late-breaking issue, SlideShowPro for Lightroom is now available for purchase and download.
Most everything I’d type here about the product you could just as well read on the page linked above, so I’ll take this opportunity to write about something else. First, my thanks to John Nack, Tom Hogarty and especially Andy Rahn at Adobe for their accessibility and assistance during the development cycle. Considering how little I knew about Lightroom’s API and available functionality, it was incredibly useful to have a team of people “on the inside” to provide support when needed.
Second, if you already have Lightroom installed, you will need to grab the new 1.3 update first before installing. There are some particular things that went into the 1.3 build (as part of our beta testing involvement) that are required in order for the gallery to work, so be sure to grab that in advance.
Third, even though SlideShowPro for Lightroom contains the latest version of SlideShowPro for Flash inside (1.6.8 as of this writing), everything else is considered 1.0, so we’d love to hear your feedback on how you feel the gallery could be improved or any issues you have using the software.
Fourth, we’ll soon be posting a screencast video that demonstrates how SlideShowPro for Lightroom works, so stay tuned for that.
That’s it for now! Head over to the new SlideShowPro for Lightroom page if interested.
A number of people have sent emails asking specific questions about the upcoming Lightroom edition of SlideShowPro, including…
Will the Lightroom version support audio/video?
Technically, yes. You will be able to load background audio and video into the Lightroom version, but with one caveat — Lightroom itself doesn’t support audio or video, so there isn’t a way (technically) to include those media types as part of a gallery export from Lightroom. You can however manually edit the content Lightroom publishes to include audio or video if you’d like.
If I already own SlideShowPro for Flash, is the Lightroom version free?
No. There is a special “crossgrade” price however, which is explained next.
How much will it be?
A few weeks ago I wrote that there would be “complete” and “incomplete” versions, with the latter designed for people who already own SlideShowPro for Flash. After further consideration, there will just be one version to keep things simpler, but the price you pay depends on what you already own. If you’re a new user, SlideShowPro for Lightroom will be $25. If you own SlideShowPro for Flash, you can crossgrade to SlideShowPro for Lightroom for only $10.
Additionally, if you purchase SlideShowPro for Lightroom and then want the Flash version, you can crossgrade to it for only $14. So in the end, the price for purchasing both is the same, regardless of which you purchased first.
Will SlideShowPro for Lightroom work with SlideShowPro Director?
Yes. You can assign an XML File Path to SlideShowPro inside the Lightroom UI, and that content will be used instead of Lightroom’s.
Can Lightroom publish more than one album as part of an export?
Unfortunately, no. Because of how Lightroom is architected, all of the images you choose to export for a gallery are flattened into one “filmstrip,” which is essentially one album of content. To include more than one album in a gallery, you will need to manually edit/merge the content Lightroom exports. Instructions for that will be included in the product documentation.
Will I be able to use the SWF it creates in a separate HTML document?
Yes. And the process is pretty much the same as using SWFs published from Flash.
Those are the most frequent questions I’ve received. If these didn’t answer yours, feel free to contact us.
SlideShowPro for Lightroom screenshot
Someone sent an email asking to see a screenshot of SlideShowPro for Lightroom. Perhaps they were just curious, or wanted to verify its existence considering it was recently delayed (shouldn’t be much longer). Either way, here you go! I think it fits in rather nicely.
In beta testing last week, we discovered a small but notable issue with the SlideShowPro for Lightroom gallery that requires extra time to investigate, so the launch will be delayed a few days. More will be posted here soon.
SlideShowPro for Lightroom release date
Last night Adobe released version 1.3 of Adobe Lightroom, which we were beta testing as part of our SlideShowPro for Lightroom development. Now that 1.3 is “final” and available, we’ll be spending the next few days kicking the gallery around to ensure everything still works, then eat some turkey and drink copious amounts of red sauce to round out the week (it’s Thanksgiving next week, for those not in the US). After all that, SlideShowPro for Lightroom 1.0 will be released on Monday, November 26th. Pricing and other details concerning the differences between the Flash/Lightroom versions will be explained then.
But that’s not all. Something else is being released on the 26th as well. More details a little later today.
Coming soon: SlideShowPro for Adobe Lightroom
A frequent request from many, I’m pleased to announce that in the coming weeks we’ll be offering a plugin for Adobe Lightroom, the Windows / OS X photo management and editing software developed for professional photographers.
The SlideShowPro plugin fits right into Lightroom’s “Web module” workspace, which is where you can export/upload HTML/Flash photo galleries using your Lightroom content. You simply decide what size you want your slideshow to be, how you want it to be styled, and Lightroom publishes all the XML data, HTML, and imagery for you. It all works beautifully, and will (hopefully) be of interest to new customers (especially those without Flash or web development experience) as well as existing users of the Flash component.
With that, there will be two versions of the plugin — a “complete” version that ships with everything a new customer (without Flash or SlideShowPro) needs, and an “incomplete” version designed for existing users of SlideShowPro. For the “incomplete” version, you simply publish a SWF containing the component and add it to the SlideShowPro for Lightroom’s plugin folder. Your “incomplete” version will then be “complete,” and ready to go.
Both versions will be purchasable, with “incomplete” obviously costing less than “complete,” but we haven’t figured out exact pricing yet. Expect more information on that, including screenshots, in the near future!
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