Getting Started

This section explains how to create your first slideshow. Let's assume you created an album called "My Slideshow" in iPhoto, which contains all the images you intend to use in your slideshow.

The following steps also apply if you prefer to use Aperture or Lightroom instead of iPhoto as your image library.

1. Launch FotoMagico

An empty document appears, or if you didn't set the Preferences to create an empty document upon launch, you need to create one in the following step.

2. Create a new document

Choose New from the File menu or press the N keys.

3. Select a desired display device

An assistant appears which lets you select the desired display device. For example, a computer screen, a television, or a projector. In this tutorial, select Monitor and the Display of this Macintosh radio button. Then click the button.

4. Show the Image Browser

The Stage and the Storyboard are both empty. If the Sidebar does not display the Image Browser, then press the 1 keys to display the Image Browser. The table (or popup menu) at the top of the Image Browser lists the iPhoto library and all iPhoto albums. Select the album called 'My Slideshow' from this table (or popup menu). The Image browser displays all images in this album.

If you have a lot of albums in your image library, this popup can quickly grow too long to be useful. In this case it is easier to drag the divider below the popup downwards, so that the popup changes to a scrollable list view.

5. Drag images from the Image Browser to the Storyboard

Click in the Image browser to select a single image or press the A keys to select all images. Then drag the images to the Storyboard at the bottom of the window.

6. Add Audio

Click the Audio button in the Toolbar to reveal the Audio Browser. Select a song from your iTunes music library and drag it below the first slide in the Storyboard. Please note the yellow highlight, which indicates the range of slides that the song will occupy.

7. Preview the Slideshow

Click the Play Preview button (Spacebar key) or select Play Preview from the Slideshow menu.The Play Preview button changes to a Pause button and a Stop Playback button appears. To exit preview, click the Stop Playback button.

8. Setup Instant Slideshow

Press * to open the Instant Slideshow assistant from the Slideshow menu. Instant Slideshow applies default settings, including transitions and animation, to your slideshow. Leave everything at the default settings and click the button. Then press the Play button to preview your slideshow.

9. Save the slideshow

Save by pressing S or choose Save from the File menu.

10. Play the slideshow full-screen

Click the Play/Share button, then choose Play Fullscreen or select Play Fullscreen from the Slideshow menu. If you have more than one display connected to your Macintosh, a window appears to let you choose the display that should be used for the presentation.

While the slideshow is playing you can stop it at any time by pressing the Esc or by pressing . keys.

11. Add a Blank slide

A blank slide is helpful when you want to add an introductory title to your slideshow. Drag the Playhead to the beginning of your slideshow (or press the Jump to Beginning button) and click the Blank Slide button. An outline of a slide appears in the Storyboard and black appears in the Stage.

12. Add a title

To add a title to the beginning of your slideshow, click the blank slide you just added, then click the Add Title button. A grey outlined box appears in the Storyboard over the blank slide and in the Stage area. Click the Title and enter new title text. Use the Format menu options to change the color, font, and size of your title.

You can add blank slides and titles anywhere in your slideshow.

13. Switch to Timeline view

Click the Timeline button. The Storyboard view switches to the Timeline view. Timeline view allows you to fine-tune the duration of each of these images or movies, and the duration of the transitions directly in the Timeline.

You can use the Timescale slider to enlarge or decrease the size of the Timeline. This allows you to see more or less of the slides in the Timeline.

14. Fine-tuning the Timing

In the Timeline, click on the vertical edges of each slide (circled in red) and drag horizontally to adjust the slide duration or the transition duration. Experiment a while with this technique. Press the Preview button to play the slideshow again.

15. Save the Slideshow again