This new version came over automatically. Strange, for the previous one I had to manually download it. Secondly, the layout is now in french, all previous versions were in english : no problem for me as this lines up with my preferences for language. Thirdly, as for the previous version ( b37 ), I’m still not in a position to insert an audio file. To have an audio file attached, I have to close the version 5, open the fms file with my version 4 ( this works but some of the version 5 functionalities are not reflected ), I than insert an audio file. Close the version 4, and reopen the fms file with the version 5. At that stage, the version 5 recognizes the audio file and even, when using the snippet credits for musique it insert the info regarding the audio file. Of course I would like that facility, of inserting an audio file, back in the version 5.
In addition to above comments, I tried this time to save a given layout into a customized snippet by using the functionality " save a snippet ", nothing happened !!! Is there a specific technique for saving a snippet? Where can I find the work method?
I played around a bit with “snippets” and just created a couple on my own. It seems that saving a “snippet” saves EVERYTHING in the file so that you can use it again just the way you created it. If you want to save a SINGLE SLIDE as a snippet, you have to create a new slideshow and just mess around with a single slide, placing images or layers where you want, creating titles where you want, animations, etc. Then just save that single slide as a snippet and you can use it over again and again. Use the File > Save Snippets… menu option. On my computer, after I saved a snippet, it went into a folder called “1000000-MY-SNIPPETS” which appears in the list of folders when you click to view the Snippets panel. You can do a right-click (or Control-click) on that folder in the above list and see where it’s saved on your system. I can’t find a way to DELETE a snippet from within the application, but I was able to just go to the 1000000-MY-SNIPPETS folder and delete it manually. As for the “method” of working with snippets I don’t think there’s any documentation at this time to explain it. Don’t forget, what we’re playing with IS still in beta.
@JMVQ in b38 we started shipping german and french localizations as well.
Are you in Timeline or Storyboard mode when trying to add an audio file? What kind of file is it?
@stantastic: You are right, there is documentation for snippet handling coming.
Hello Bastian, thanks for feedback. OK for the german and french versions. Regarding the audio file issue, I always insert when I’m in a storyboard mode, its only later on that I switch to a timeline mode if I have to adjust something. The audio file is an Apple MPEG-4,263 kbit, 44,1 kHz Stéréo. All my audio files are in iTunes which is used as the source for FotoMagico. Regards, Jacques
Jacques, can you please send me a file that causes issues as a PN or email?
Hey Stantastic, Thanks for feedback. I’ll test the way of a single slide within a new slideshow.
Regards Jacques
Bastian, what do you mean by PN? Or are you looking for a file from the console log re the hang problem caused by trying to use the audio file. If so, on which email can I send it? Yours (Wölffle?)
You can send me private messages here on the forum. I am mainly looking for the audio file. If you have Logs, please also send them. The best address would be beta@boinx.com
Hey Stantastic, as promised, I followed the proposed root for creating a customized snippet. I did not work! I did not appearing in the snippet panel and of course I could not trace where it could have been saved on the system.
Coming back on creating and saving a snippet, I worked as follows.
- First I opened an existing slide show, selected a given slide including four images, vertical position, next to each other, no zooming effect but two of the four images visible at a later stage and two of them invisible after a while ; the slide last for 8 seconds.
- Secondly, I opened a new slideshow.
- Thirdly I went back to the initial slideshow, took a copy of the earmarked slide and pasted into the new slideshow, in order to have a slideshow with a single slide.
- Fourthly, in the new slideshow including a single slide, I went to the menu bar and requested to save it as a snippet. Nothing occurred, no popup window asking me where to save the snippet ( i.e. as a tittle, an intro, multiple screen, customized,or whatever ). As indicated by Stantastic, I than went to the snippet panel, tried to find where my customized snippet was saved - no trace. I made a right clic on one of the snippet panels ( i.e. the intro snippet ), no trace but a popup window was opened where I discovered that a snippet is an .fms file, located somewhere in the system ( no clear view on the root ). Having discovered this, I opened the finder and moved my created snippet file named " Test Snippet " in the above file when making a right clic on the snippet panel.
Only after that, once the above manipulation completed, I finally discovered in the snippet panel the snippet I created! This is a long way to get there, I hope that in the final 5 version we will have some more user-friendly way to save an own made snippet, which in my opinion is a very good tool.
Incidentally, the snippet I was able to save, included the underlying images of the existing slideshow. So at this stage I haven’t yet tested my customized snippet into a brand new slideshow, whereby using my snippet. I assume I will have to take away the underlying images of my customized snippet and replace them with images prevailing in my brand new slideshow. But I better stop here describing my workflow as I must be starting confusing everybody.
So conclusion, could the FotoMagico Beta team highlighting us on how to create a personalized, customized snippet and save it in a user-friendly way.
Thanks in advance.
Hi, JMVQ – I sorta followed you 
Something must be going on behind the scenes. When I chose a slide to create a snippet, I go to File > Save Snippet… I then see a dialog box asking for the snippet name, a creator URL, and a Resize pull-down menu consisting of Do not change content, Crop content, and Letterbox content, along with a checkbox for Universal, and Cancel and Save buttons. When I click on Save, I immediately see in the Snippets pane a NEW folder (if there wasn’t one there already) named “1000000-MY-SNIPPETS” If I do a right-click on that folder, I get a drop-down menu with Show in Finder as one of the options. Choosing that, I get the following path: Macintosh HD > Users > (myusername) > Library > Containers > com.boinx.Fotomagico5 > Data > Library > Application Support > com.boinx.Fotomagico5 > Snippets. WHEW!!! Within that Snippets folder are the folders: 100000-MY-SNIPPET, Credits, Intros, Music, Splitscreens, Stories, and Titles.
If you try drilling down with that path, can you find the Snippet you created – somewhere?? If not, I’m not sure what else to tell you. But the guys at Boinx are pretty good, and I’ll bet they’ll figure it out
Hi Stantastic, I carefully read your answer.I found and followed your path and did found my snippet but not in a file called " 100000-MY-Snippet, because if you go back on how I was able to save it, I located it under the " Multiscreen snippet box “. The problem I have is when you quote " I go to file>Save Snippet … I then see a dialog box asking for the snippet name, etc…” . In my case I don’t see a dialog box, I never had the joy to confront me with that dialog box. It is just not popping up !!! You follow me?
Coming on one of Bastian’s points, he indicates that by going to the menubar, selecting Slideshow and than Settings, you’ll get a number of options that you can play with. One of the options is called " Advanced " and in that option you’ll find back the famous dialog box that you’re referring to ,i.e. asking for a snippet name, a creator URL, etc … In my case that box was empty. I now tried to put in some data and than I tried again to save a snippet, but still ,no success, no opening of a dialog box whatsoever. So my question remains could it be that the Beta team gives us some highlights on how to proceed in creating and saving a snippet?
Hi Guys, just a quick heads up: our “work in progress”-help is now available at http://manual.fotomagi.co/en:start
There is also a brief chapter on snippets: http://manual.fotomagi.co/en:working_with_snippets
I will followup with a little tutorial ASAP.
Hi, JMVQ – out all weekend and just got to reading my e-mail and such. I can’t explain why the menus and dialog boxes I have are different from yours. I’m going to look at Bastian’s links above and see what’s there.
I followed Bastian links, I have a problem with the language,i.e. the manual is stating : " Then right-click each image and select - Is Placeholder - from the - File - submenu of the context menu. My software version being now automatically labelled in french, I have some difficulty in finding the equivalent in french for " Is Placeholder ", I suspect it could be " Espace réservé ". I tested this but when than trying to save as snippet again no dialog box. So I’m still lost.
I’m operating in an English version, and I do see “Is Placeholder” (I think you are correct, that “Espace reserve” is the same thing in French). When I do that, though, the image is shown with the grey rounded-rectangle, but the image itself is NOT greyed out, neither in the file I’m using to create the snippet, nor the snippet itself once it is created and dragged into place in a new file (i.e., the original image is still there in color).
As for your not seeing the dialog box, I’m not sure what’s causing that 
Hey Stantastic, thanks for follow up with me. I have the same comment as you regarding the image being still present. So we must be lacking some additional info. Regarding the lack of dialog box, for the moment I have no reaction from the beta team. So I’ll have to wait, anyhow that’s just the objective of a beta, finding out what is going wrong.