I was watching this on how to create an image that sticks out of a shape. I can create the shape, but I don't know how to fill the shape with a photographic character using the File button in the Format Shape menu. Are the characters saved as pictures somewhere? (I can only find them through Inster>Character>Photographic.)
Just wanted to add on to what Pete mentioned. Once you save your character as an image, you can right-click on your shape and select "Format Shape". Once you do this, you can modify the fill to use the image you saved.
Follow-up question please....when I right-click and save the image, though it says it's a PNG, it's not transparent. There is a black shadow around the person and then a white background. What am I missing? My graphics guys want to be able to manipulate the picture a bit. Can that be done?
Funny thing, I'm actually working on a tutorial on how to make your character pop out of a shape like the ones shown in the demo. It's actually very easy and can be done in powerpoint or storyline. I'll try to finish it up this week.
Belen, I tried turning off the shadow, but there is still a pretty rough edge on the character. However, after looking at the screenr posted by Aaron at the top of this post, I think that we can do most of what we want within SL. BUT when I choose FILE to use a file for the fill, I don't see a folder with the various pictures.....ideas where that might be, anyone?
Will be curious to see how you go about it, Jerson!
Emily, this seemed so logical! BUT since I had already saved a picture to a project folder, it defaulted there. So I opened a new project....same thing. Then I re-booted the computer, and it STILL defaults to my project folder!? Now, this would normally be a good thing...a time saver in most cases. But right now, I want to find those pics!? Any other ideas??
My original question was how to save out the character pictures so that we can work on them outside the program and them bring them back in. But seeing the screenr above, I realize that we can probably do what we need inside SL. But now I need to know how to find the pictures included in the character bundle to use in PICTURE FILL.
When I use the picture fill feature, it wants me to browse to a folder, and I can't find where they are!? Your suggestion above was to insert a picture and then right-click and see what folder SL defaults to. That didn't help...SL defaulted to my own project folder.
Bottom line is, if I want to fill a shape with a character from the SL character bundle that I purchased, how do I find those? I insert a shape, right-click and choose FORMAT SHAPE, choose FILL/PICTURE OR TEXTURE FILL and click INSERT FROM FILE.....and see my last used folder showing on screen.
Does this make sense?
In the screenr by Aaron above, he showed selecting a picture from what appeared to be a folder of all the characters in the SL bundle, not just a few that he had saved out. I guess I could choose the one(s) I want, insert them in the file, save them out and then bring them back in as a fill, but I'd rather not have to do multiple steps.
That makes more sense. I thought you had already saved them into a folder, and were looking for them on your computer.
What you have to do is insert the character into a slide. then right click the image, and select "save as picture"
This will then direct you to save the image onto your computer. You can choose whatever folder destination on you local drive you want. Once you have these images saved, then you can insert a shape, right click on Format Shape, then you can use Picture as the fill, and when you select file, you will browse to the folder in which you saved the images to. Hope this helps!
16 Replies
Hi Aaron,
You can save out the characters as images by right-clicking them and saving as a picture.
Will that help?
Hi Aaron,
Just wanted to add on to what Pete mentioned. Once you save your character as an image, you can right-click on your shape and select "Format Shape". Once you do this, you can modify the fill to use the image you saved.
It'll look something like this:
Follow-up question please....when I right-click and save the image, though it says it's a PNG, it's not transparent. There is a black shadow around the person and then a white background. What am I missing? My graphics guys want to be able to manipulate the picture a bit. Can that be done?
Hey Carrie,
The shadow comes on by default, but you can turn it off in Format Picture or Character Tools>Format:
Once you do that and assuming you have no Fill, the PNG you save should have a totally transparent background.
Funny thing, I'm actually working on a tutorial on how to make your character pop out of a shape like the ones shown in the demo. It's actually very easy and can be done in powerpoint or storyline. I'll try to finish it up this week.
Thanks for the information Belen!
And Jerson,I am sure your tutorial will help other members here!
Belen, I tried turning off the shadow, but there is still a pretty rough edge on the character. However, after looking at the screenr posted by Aaron at the top of this post, I think that we can do most of what we want within SL. BUT when I choose FILE to use a file for the fill, I don't see a folder with the various pictures.....ideas where that might be, anyone?
Will be curious to see how you go about it, Jerson!
And thanks, all!
Hello Carrie!
When you right click to save the photo as a picture, the destination folder where this is saved is where you will need to browse to on your computer.
You can always insert a new character, right click, save as picture, and see which folder pops up. this is most likely where you saved the file to.
Emily, this seemed so logical! BUT since I had already saved a picture to a project folder, it defaulted there. So I opened a new project....same thing. Then I re-booted the computer, and it STILL defaults to my project folder!? Now, this would normally be a good thing...a time saver in most cases. But right now, I want to find those pics!? Any other ideas??
Hello Carrie,
If you remember what file name you saved them as, you could search your computer for them.
Maybe check your download folder, documents, any other common places you save to.
You could also insert the character again, and right click to save.
Sorry....I'm not being clear!
My original question was how to save out the character pictures so that we can work on them outside the program and them bring them back in. But seeing the screenr above, I realize that we can probably do what we need inside SL. But now I need to know how to find the pictures included in the character bundle to use in PICTURE FILL.
When I use the picture fill feature, it wants me to browse to a folder, and I can't find where they are!? Your suggestion above was to insert a picture and then right-click and see what folder SL defaults to. That didn't help...SL defaulted to my own project folder.
Bottom line is, if I want to fill a shape with a character from the SL character bundle that I purchased, how do I find those? I insert a shape, right-click and choose FORMAT SHAPE, choose FILL/PICTURE OR TEXTURE FILL and click INSERT FROM FILE.....and see my last used folder showing on screen.
Does this make sense?
In the screenr by Aaron above, he showed selecting a picture from what appeared to be a folder of all the characters in the SL bundle, not just a few that he had saved out. I guess I could choose the one(s) I want, insert them in the file, save them out and then bring them back in as a fill, but I'd rather not have to do multiple steps.
Carrie,
That makes more sense. I thought you had already saved them into a folder, and were looking for them on your computer.
What you have to do is insert the character into a slide. then right click the image, and select "save as picture"
This will then direct you to save the image onto your computer. You can choose whatever folder destination on you local drive you want. Once you have these images saved, then you can insert a shape, right click on Format Shape, then you can use Picture as the fill, and when you select file, you will browse to the folder in which you saved the images to. Hope this helps!
So I DO have to save them out first. That's what I wasn't getting. Thanks, Emily!!
Carrie, yes you do have to save the to your computer first! Hope you can get started on this now!
Sorry for all the confusion!
No, I appreciate the help! The Heroes ALWAYS save me a tremendous amount of time!
Thats good to hear Carrie!
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