Monday, May 29, 2017

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Just Released: WavePad Sound Editor for Windows

Download WavePad 7.06 now at www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html. Also available for iOS, Android and Mac OS X at the same page

Thursday, May 25, 2017

New Release: MixPad Multitrack Recording Software for Windows

Download MixPad 4.31 now at www.nch.com.au/mixpad/index.html. Also available for Mac OS X, Android and iOS at the same page

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Thursday, May 18, 2017

New Release: PhotoStage Slideshow Producer for Mac OS X

Download PhotoStage 4.10 now at www.nchsoftware.com/slideshow/index.html. Also available for Windows, Android and iOS at the same page

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Monday, May 15, 2017

How to make a YouTube Video Like a Pro in 5 Easy Steps



Things you need

  • Media for your video - This could be anything from a video recording, webcam recording, stock video, just some video that you shot on your phone or camcorder, photos, slides, collages, animation clips, or a mix of any of the stated options.

  • A Video Editor - An intuitive, easy to use video editing software (Download VideoPad, an award-winning video editor, which now has an exciting new feature - 360 editing)


Now let's get started

Step 1
Import your media into Video Editing Software. If the media is already a video, you can upload it to YouTube as is, but it's always a good practice to clean up the video to make it sharp, crisp, and web-friendly before upload. Also, to make it more visually appealing by adding stunning video transitions and effects.

VideoPad - Add Media

Step 2
Once you import your footage, the next step is to make it more exciting by editing the various media pieces together so it plays like a movie.

You may want to do one or more of the following
  • Adjust the resolution - For an HD video, 1280*720 is a good resolution to work with whereas for places where you want to load the video quickly you may want to opt for a lower resolution.
  • Edit Clip Speed - Get rid of unnecessary frames, play the video slower where more detail and emphasis is required.
  • Add Transitions and Effects - Apply transitions when switching from frame to frame, add effects for a professional touch.
  • Content Frames - If you plan to divide your video into different sections then adding content frames is a good idea, it lets the viewer know what the next part of the video is all about.
  • Add background score, audio recording, music, commentary, or narration to your video.
  • Overlay text for captions and movie credits
You can find tutorials for adding media, effects, changing clip speeds, adding a logo or watermark, and adding text to your video here: https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/tutorial.html?ref=blog

Step 3
Take a final look at the To-be YouTube video and enhance it - fine-tune colors and visual effects, slow down, speed up or reverse video clip playback, reduce camera shakes. Make sure you get the same experience as you get while watching a movie.

Step 4
Export your video to YouTube, some video editors let you export the video directly to YouTube if you have connected the account already.

VideoPad - Export Video

Otherwise, you can just save the video in the best-suited format - a format that is accepted by Youtube and one which is lossless.

Step 5
Log into your YouTube account and upload the video. Optimize the video for YouTube and the web by adding notations, annotations, and captions. You can also add a transcript that appears below the YouTube video as well.

Now you are all set to show the world your movie-making skills - Go ahead and share it with the world using FB, Instagram or share the YouTube link on other sites.

Wasn't that EASY ... :)



Friday, May 5, 2017

Choosing the Right Movie Making Software

Want to try your hand at Movie Making or Video Production? Start here - Choosing the Right Software

Video Editing - Combining Videos to form a Sequence





















It will just be a big fat lie if anyone of us said that we had never thought even once of making a video.

It may be for a loved one, for yourself, desire to become a professional, as a hobby, or just to test your own video or movie-making skills after you saw a video and believed you could have done a better job. And mind you, with the plethora of extremely easy to use movie maker options now available, you may have proven yourself right as well.

Also, the cost of testing your skills or giving yourself a chance is next to zilch now with plenty of free video/movie editing software available for your hands.

With the age of technology, we spend a whole lot of time on screen and one of the most effective ways in which we absorb information is through videos. Video is a medium that touches more than one human sensory.

So then comes a point on what all should you consider before selecting and downloading a movie maker. You will get the nth number of factors, but I would like to stick to the topmost essential factors.

  1. Foremost and utmost important - HARDWARE - Does the movie maker support your hardware. Anything else comes later. This is one thing you can't really change as it's more permanent and expensive to change. Until and unless you are a thorough professional in the movie-making and editing space.

  2. SUPPORT - I put this in BIG and BOLD as SUPPORT in itself encompasses a lot of aspects.

    • Supports the format of your video - The next important factor to consider is the support for various formats. Does the software support your desired input and output format? I give this lesser importance than hardware as this can still be dealt with with the use of a video converter. Not the most ideal option, however a manageable option, if required.

    • Supports the resolution that you desire - Does the editor/Moviemaker support the output resolution you so desire? Does the video software give you the ability to toggle between output resolutions?
    • Adjusting Resolution for YouTube

    • Technical Support - Does the software provider have a good help desk and support? How long has the software maker been in the video editing space? How seasoned is the software provider? These factors also translate into the software stability and the upgrades you will receive going forward. This may not seem very vital just upfront but you realize the importance of it if you get stuck editing your video or movie.

  3. Budget for the Video/Movie editing software - This is applicable to all levels of users of a video editor. It is very easy to be swayed or overwhelmed by a list of features, fancy marketing videos, and tutorials that some software companies showcase. What is important for you is to assess what you are willing to pay for such software as the range is wide. You can get an editor for as little as $30 or it can even stretch to a couple of thousand dollars. So where do you fit in the range? Define a price range for yourself. I say a range and not a point as it allows you an opportunity to evaluate software around your price point.

  4. What features do you value the most - What is that you can't do without in the movie-making endeavor. To name just a few - is it the use of transitions? or is it pan and zoom? or is it picture in picture split? Or multi-track video effects? A novice to video editing may or may not be able to assess this at the start, which makes me come down to the point of Trial versions. Any reliable, reputable video editing software provider will most definitely provide a free trial version of its software which you can use to determine which features you value most.  For professional and seasoned users of video editors/movie makers, this part is fairly easy as they know the features they expect from a video editing software.
  5. Adding Visual Effects
    Adding Effects

  6. Cost-Benefit Analysis - Combine both the points mentioned above - Budget and features and you will get to a conclusion as to which is the best-suited editor for you. One which fits your pocket and requirements.

Now get clicking to find the best movie-making software for your needs and produce the movies that you always wanted.








New Release: Express Scribe Transcription for Mac OS X

Download Express Scribe 6.04 now at www.nch.com.au/scribe/index.html. Also available for Windows at the same page

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Just Released: PhotoPad Image Editor for Windows

Download PhotoPad 3.08 now at www.nchsoftware.com/photoeditor/index.html. Also available for Mac OS X and Android at the same page

Monday, May 1, 2017

Choose the Color Palette for your Home with DreamPlan Home Designer

Change Colors and Materials in DreamPlan Home Design Software



How to Pick Colors and Materials for Your Walls and Furniture with DreamPlan

DreamPlan is an easy-to-use home design software that can create beautiful home and landscape designs. Decorate the interior and exterior of your home design to test out design concepts, colors, and materials before purchasing materials or paint. DreamPlan allows users to see how remodeling projects will look before materials have been purchased and physical labor has been put into the home remodeling project. To allow for the best customization options possible, we have recently added new features to DreamPlan to make changing materials, colors, and textures easier than ever. 

Select an Object to Edit

To select an object, such as a wall, piece of furniture, window, floor, planter, tree, door, or deck, enable the select tool by clicking on the hand icon in the right-hand menu. If the background of the hand icon is green, the selection tool is enabled.











When you hover your mouse over any object in DreamPlan while the selection tool is enabled, an outline will appear. You can click on any object to select it. Once an object has been selected, you can easily change the object's color, texture, and other optional aspects. 


Edit an Object's Properties

When you select an object in your DreamPlan project, a properties panel will open on the left-hand side of the program window. This panel will display optional properties that can be edited to customize the object that is selected. These properties can include values such as height, width, rotation, color, and texture. You can use the properties panel to customize every aspect of your home design project. 



Change the Color of Furniture and Building Materials

To change the color of an object, click on the icon to the right of the material that you would like to edit. This will open a color selection box where you can select a preset color, or create and save custom colors.


You can change the color of most objects, including furniture, plants, flooring, walls, windows, and more. Choose your own color combinations to customize your home design project interior, exterior, backyard, and pool. 



Try Out Different Building Materials

Some objects, such as flooring, walls, and decks, will include a style as well as a color. For these objects, you can select from different materials. Choose from various brick, wood, and tile designs for interior and exterior floors, walls, decks, and more. 




For more DreamPlan tips and tricks, visit our DreamPlan video tutorial page.