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MICROSOFT IMAGE COMPOSITE EDITOR (ICE)

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Hello, I’m Matt Uyttendaele. we routinely post over upon the HD View blog, though currently the Digital Memories Team is giving me this space to speak about Microsoft ICE.  In my blog post announcing the Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE), we referred to the parsimonious formation with the subsequent chronicle of Windows Live Photo Gallery (WLPG).  That subsequent chronicle has been accessible for the whilst now, so we longed for to give WLPG users the discerning intro to ICE.  Most of we have been substantially informed with the “create breathtaking image” capabilities in WLPG.  My organisation in Microsoft Research grown the record during the back of this.  ICE is an one some-more apparatus which we can make make use of of to emanate breathtaking images.  It uses the same record as WLPG underneath the metal cover as well as adds the couple of features. 

Orientation Tool

Probably the many critical underline is the course tool.  When formulating the breathtaking print there have been many opposite ways which we might wish to uncover the result.  In the cinema next have been examples of this.  In the initial case, the user has mutated the course to give the sense which the tilt/shift lens was used.  In the second case, the user motionless to make make use of of the viewpoint projection instead of the cylindrical one.  In the last example, the user had the 360-degree scenery as well as longed for to set the median of the scenery somewhat differently. 

Choose the scenery course in ICE:

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default result

tilt-shift outcome combined by ICE

Choose the law projection in ICE:

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cylinder – notice winding roof tiles tiles lines

perspective – roof tiles tiles lines right away true though left-right edges have been some-more stretched

Choose the 360 mid-point in ICE:

initial result

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subject in the middle

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These edits were all completed regulating the ICE course tool.  This apparatus gives we interactive feedback of your adjustments, so it is easy to examination as well as get only what we wish out of it.  The cinema upon top of give an thought of what we can do with the course tool, though the many appropriate approach to get the feel for the apparatus is to try it out upon your own panoramas. 

Export Options

The second vital underline is the far-reaching accumulation of trade options. The many engaging of these have been Deep Zoom as well as HD View.  When we emanate the scenery with WLPG or ICE, the outcome can be the really vast image.  Posting this mega-image to the web formula in the less-than-ideal knowledge for people who wish to demeanour during it.  It takes the prolonged time to download, as well as observation in the browser isn’t the good approach to knowledge it.  Deep Zoom as well as HD View have been the good approach to compromise this problem.   If we name the single of these trade options, afterwards ICE will beget the web page which handles observation these images in the many some-more fit manner.  In possibly case, the web page uses the special browser plug-in.  For Deep Zoom this plug-in is Silverlight – which will let people correlate with your scenery regulating any browser upon Personal Computer or Mac.  You can perspective the little examples of Deep Zoom pages combined by ICE upon the Microsoft Research web site

HD View is an engaging choice for those of we who wish to check out Microsoft Research antecedent technology.  Just similar to Deep Zoom, HD View allows users to correlate well with really vast images over the web.  It has the little cold one some-more capabilities similar to being means to rewarp the scenery upon the fly using the fish-eye lens, auto-exposure regulate for looking in to those low shadows of the panorama, as well as support for wide-color-gamut monitors.  The HD View web page has the little good examples to demeanour at.

WLPG Integration

For many of your scenery origination projects WLPG substantially does all which we need it to do.  However, during times we might need to do the little of the some-more modernized things referred to here.  So, we inspire we to download ICE as well as give it the try.  Oh yeah, only similar to WLPG, ICE is free.  Finally, we need to discuss the formation with WLPG.  Once you’ve commissioned ICE, you’ll see the brand new menu object in the WLPG “Extras” menu, as shown below.  You simply name the organisation of images as well as launch ICE regulating this menu item.

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– Matt Uyttendaele, Microsoft Research

Windows Live Photo & Video March 20th 2009

TREE IN THE WAY? NO PROBLEM!

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One of the cold things about breathtaking stitching in Windows Live Photo Gallery is which we can make use of it to fire around forehead objects.

Here’s an e.g. from the Woodland Park Zoo where branches (and the fence) prevented me from removing the purify shot of dual Zebras in the field. However, by repositioning my physique for the source images (to fire around branches) as well as after stitching the images together, we was means to simply get the picture we wanted.

Here’s the blueprint of how we shot by the trees:

Diagram

Here have been the 3 source images with the tree branches highlighted:

Originals

Here is the ensuing tack image. No branches! :)

2009-02-05 Grant as well as the Zoo 099 Stitch

To see the couple of alternative engaging uses of breathtaking stitching, check out this blog post.

- Mike Morrison, Program Manager

TELL ME MORE ABOUT WINDOWS LIVE MOVIE MAKER BETA

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Our really own JP is during it again over upon a Windows Live group blog. He only posted a really discerning refurbish upon Windows Live Movie Maker (Beta). Check his post out: Tell me some-more about Windows Live Movie Maker beta

Quick dash from his post:

So, for a beta recover of Windows Live Movie Maker a couple of months ago, we focused upon creation certain we had these pass functionalities using uniformly first:

  • adding digital photos as well as videos simply
  • making modifying commands simpler to find with a brand new Ribbon user interface
  • publishing cinema fast as well as simply

We know we still have a lot of work to do to get Windows Live Movie Maker ready for last release. We’ve been celebration of a mass your feedback as well as comments upon a first Windows Live Movie Maker beta post as well as have been operative to supplement some-more of a facilities as well as functionality we listen to we asking for. Rest assured, there’s lots some-more great things to come.

- Digital Memories Experience team

CHECK OUT AUTOCOLLAGE

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Hi, I’m JP Wollersheim. I’ve posted here before. My family takes tons of photos. One plea we have is how to arrangement mixed photos upon a single “canvas” to discuss it a story.  There have been great products in a marketplace which discuss it a linear story similar to Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Live Photo Gallery screensaver, Windows Media Center, or Windows Live FrameIt.  These products concede we to put together a set of photos as well as perspective alone in a linear conform – a single during a time.

There have been times when we would similar to to see all your photos upon a same shade or board as a collage. There have been products to do that, however, typically they need a ton of work to demeanour good.  The e.g. next took me about twenty-five mins to emanate as well as it’s still not just what we was seeking for.  The block edges have been a bit jarring, as well as it’s super formidable to get all of a photos in a template which we was given. 

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Microsoft Research solves problems similar to these so your photos unequivocally come to life.  Our Cambridge Innovation Development group in Microsoft Research built AutoCollage (30-day giveaway hearing as well as If we similar to it, it’s usually $14.95) which enables users to set up a pleasing collage upon seconds. Check out a disproportion regulating a expect same twelve photos:

Here’s how we did it:

1. Download AutoCollage

2. Start Windows Live Photo Gallery as well as find your photos we wish to use.  From Date taken (a) we comparison Jul 2008, as well as (b) searched for “Lucy.”  we afterwards (c) orderly by rating, as well as used all my 4 begin photos. Here’s a trick:  (d) Click upon 4 star, it will name all of those photos – so we don’t have to name them a single during a time.

3. Next, we launched AutoCollage by selecting Add to AutoCollage… from a Extras menu.

4. Photo Gallery launched a AutoCollage focus with a photos we comparison as well as had it do a magic. From a Options menu in AutoCollage we chose to have a accomplished combination a same distance as my shade fortitude so a scold aspect comparative measure as well as measure would be comparison as well as a accomplished print would demeanour great upon my computer.

I used a slider to discuss it AutoCollage we longed for to have make use of of all twelve of a photos. 

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5. The last outlay looked similar to this. 

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6. Next we comparison Desktop from a menu upon a right as well as saved it as my desktop background.  It was which easy!

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- JP Wollersheim, Product Manager

LATEST VERSION OF WINDOWS LIVE PHOTO GALLERY FIXES PUBLISHING ISSUES

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We’ve been removing comments from users who’ve had issues uploading to existent albums, being confused about upgrading their albums, or not being means to share their strange sized photos. Thanks for your feedback - we’ve bound these problems! Here have been a details:

Not means to see a small of your online albums when perplexing to discuss it to them?

Don’t be concerned your albums as well as photos haven’t disappeared. They crop up blank from a list when changes have been done to your manuscript (adding a photo, a comment, becoming different your arrangement design or your manuscript permissions). Installing a ultimate chronicle of Photo Gallery corrects this problem!

Only being means to upload 500 photos per month? Not anymore!

One of a good brand brand brand brand new things about edition online albums right away is that photos.live.com (where your photos have been stored upon Windows Live) no longer has that space limitation. Now we have twenty-five GB! For many of us, that’s sufficient storage for around 8,000 photos.

Selecting a “Optimize for printing” preference resizes photos, though we wish to share a strange size.

In a ultimate chronicle of Photo Gallery we can name a distance we wish to upload! Choose a not as big print distance for discerning uploads, or if we wish to upload a strange distance (which competence take a small longer though competence urge a peculiarity of prints) we can - It’s your choice.

Being asked to ascent your albums?

Photos uploaded by Windows Live Spaces as well as by a prior versions of Photo Gallery didn’t embody cold things similar to ambient credentials colors upon a slip uncover or a brand brand brand brand new block thumbnail images, so they need an additional step to have them demeanour as good as a brand brand brand brand new ones. Publishing photos with a latest chronicle of Photo Gallery doesn’t need this additional step.

How we know if we have a brand brand brand brand new chronicle of Photo Gallery or not?

It’s discerning as well as easy to discuss it by seeking during a Publish menu in Photo Gallery. If we see a preference to Publish to Windows Live Spaces, we don’t have a ultimate chronicle installed. You can additionally check upon About Photo Gallery underneath a Help menu. Check to see if we have chronicle 2009 (Build 14.0.8064.206). Or only implement Photo Gallery. The implement sorceress will let we know if we already have a ultimate chronicle commissioned or not.

We adore your feedback. Besides commenting here we can ask questions upon the public forum or send your feedback as well as issues without delay to us.

- Ana Lilia Otero, Program Manager

Windows Live Photo & Video February 17th 2009

SYNCHRONIZE PHOTOS ON TWO COMPUTERS!

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You’ve tagged, edited, as good as orderly your photos upon your home computer. Your print pick up is undiluted - only how we wish it. But wait, there’s the problem. Your pick up is undiluted upon your home computer, though we wish your photos as good as videos upon your laptop as well. Who wants to go by all which work again?

It’d be most simpler if we could synchronize computers so which brand brand new photos upon the single mechanism were automatically copied to the other. Guess what? The Windows Live Photo Gallery as good as Windows Live Sync teams have partnered to have which possible!

Windows Live Photo Gallery Sync

With Sync, gripping photos synchronized upon dual computers is simple. Download as good as implement Windows Live Essentials upon dual computers, launch Windows Live Photo Gallery upon both as good as pointer in upon any regulating the same Windows Live ID. You’re upon your approach to synchronizing photos!

It gets better.

Say we revise the print upon your home mechanism that’s synchronized with your laptop. Later, whilst seeking during which print upon your laptop, we confirm we do not similar to the revise we done as good as to wish to return behind to the original. With Photo Gallery, we know that’s possible, though we edited the print upon your alternative computer. With Sync, your photo’s record story is additionally synchronized so we can remove changes you’ve done from possibly computer!

This is the brand brand new underline which we’re perplexing out with the singular series of people. If we can, try it out as good as let us know what we think. If we can’t, reason upon - you’ll be means to soon!

—Photo Gallery as good as Sync teams

Windows Live Photo & Video February 10th 2009

I’M A PC AND I’M 4 1/2

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A couple of weeks ago we had a event to encounter an super sparkly 4 ½ year aged lady declared Kylie.  She was a illusory small chairman who showed a universe how to send an email of her ill fish, Dorothy, to her family. It is indeed extraordinary to see how anybody – be it 4 or 90 – can simply make use of a extraordinary print collection which a Windows Live group has built. 

Last night upon TV, her blurb was debuted. Check it out:

JP Wollersheim, Product Manager

Windows Live Photo & Video February 9th 2009

MOBILE PHOTO PUBLISHING

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These days, some-more as well as some-more mobile phones have built-in cameras as well as entrance to the internet. Did we know we could tell photos to photos.live.com right from your mobile phone today?

A design is value the thousand words. When we had an huge raise of meals to plunge into we could have created the discerning summary upon my profile about it, though we instead opted to now let my friends as well as family know the sobriety of the incident by posting this photo:

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Braden Kelley has created an excellent, step-by-step set of instructions upon how to setup your comment to accept mobile uploads. Check out his post here:

Publishing Photos from your Mobile Phone

Once you’re setup, we can make use of your phone to keep your friends as well as family present with what we see as well as do whilst you’re upon the go! Just be careful, after we begin edition photos whilst you’re upon the go similar to this you’ll have the tough time stopping.

– Alex Schokking, Program Manager

Windows Live Photo & Video January 29th 2009

CHANGING THE WAY YOU SHARE YOUR PHOTOS

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You’ve alien your photos in to Windows Live Photo Gallery as well as worked to have them undiluted by:

· Straightening them.

· Identifying a people in them.

· Applying black as well as white treatments.

· Fixing things similar to lighting as well as red eye.

· Adding a little captions, tags, as well as ratings.

Leaving we with a great pick up where we can simply find your a a single preferred shots. Now what? How about pity your photos!

You can have make use of of Photo Gallery to send photos by e-mail, bake them to a CD, imitation them, or even sequence prints. Did we know there is a cooler approach to share photos? By edition them online, your family or friends upon a alternative side of a universe can suffer them in a unequivocally easy way. It’s faster than watchful for a CD or prints, as well as we do not have to be concerned about outrageous attachments stuffing up anyone’s inbox.

Publishing photos online was probable in a prior chronicle of Photo Gallery, though we’ve been bustling creation it even improved – so let’s examination a stairs so we can see a improvements. 

First, name a report we wish to share with a photos. If we do not wish to discuss it captions as well as tags, do not worry—we have a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new preference to carry out this. Remember which nonetheless a report might not be manifest by a website, it will still be in a photos if someone downloads them, so have sure we mislay it prior to we discuss it a photos. The report will usually be private from a photos we discuss it (the files upon your mechanism won’t be affected.)

By default, all a report in your photos is shared. If we wish to shift this setting, usually click a File menu, click Options, as well as afterwards click a Tags tab. You’ll see 6 opposite check boxes to carry out a report which will be shared. You can name to share all report solely a sure difficulty (location information, for example) by clearing usually which option. You can share usually a single sort of report by clearing a all a options solely a a single we wish to share. You can even transparent a Include record details check box to mislay all a report shown in a window as well as any alternative report in your photos (author, copyright, as well as rating for example).

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Now you’re ready to publish!

Select a photos we wish to publish, as well as afterwards click Publish. You might notice a options have altered here; we can right divided share albums upon Windows Live Groups as well as Windows Live Events! But let’s begin with a basis as well as name Online album. This will concede we to discuss it upon a new Windows Live Photos. If you’re not already sealed in, you’ll be asked to do so.

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Next, name a manuscript to which we wish to supplement a photos, we right divided have a preference to emanate a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new manuscript or name a single of your existent ones in a same window so we don’t have to go behind as well as onward in in between them if we shift your mind.

· For a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new album: Just sort a pretension as well as name a accede level. You can share with everybody upon a Internet (public), with usually a people in your Windows Live network, or keep it usually for you. Later on, we can revise a permissions upon a web if we wish to share a manuscript with usually specific people or if we wish to let others minister to a album.

· For an existing album: If we already combined albums prior to (maybe in Windows Live Spaces a little months ago), you’ll see those listed, with a many not long ago updated during a top. Just name a manuscript we want.

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We additionally have a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new preference to let we name a distance in which your photos will be uploaded. Large is comparison by default since it’s a great shift in in between print distance (1600 px) as well as record size. With this setting, your photos shouldn’t take as well many time to upload. But if we wish to upload photos in their strange size, we can. Or, if we wish to discuss it a photos fast as well as do not caring as well many about a print size, we additionally have a Medium option. Photo Gallery will recollect your preference so we do not have to shift it each time.

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When you’re ready to publish, usually click Publish, as well as you’re done. Tip: In a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new chronicle we can double-click an manuscript to discuss it in to it instead of selecting it as well as clicking a Publish button.

A window will crop up to discuss it we how a upload is going. You can minimize a window as well as go upon working. You could even begin an additional upload as well as reserve as many discuss it jobs as we want!

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When a upload is complete, you’ll get a acknowledgment which includes a View album button. Click this symbol to not usually see a manuscript online, though additionally perspective a slip uncover as visitors will see it, send a couple to your friends as well as family, as well as more.

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Voila! Your cinema have been accessible for observation online as well as all your captions as well as people tags will be there.

If we wish to discuss it your photos upon Windows Live Events or Windows Live Groups instead of upon your own personal photos.live.com page, all we have to do is name a analogous preference from a menu. You’ll get a list with all a events or groups you’re partial of so we can name a suitable one. Your events have been listed chronologically as well as your groups have been listed alphabetically. Tip: You can double-click an object in a list to name it instead of clicking Next.

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After we name an eventuality or group, we get a list of albums for which eventuality or organisation so we can name a single or emanate a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new one. Then usually follow a stairs progressing in this post for edition an online album. Notice which a permissions options will usually be accessible for owners or organizers as well as which a little options (like edition in to sure albums or formulating brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new ones) might not be accessible depending upon a settings of a eventuality or group.

Lastly, a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new chronicle of Photo Gallery includes an preference which lets we discuss it photos simpler in to a albums we have make use of of a most. As we begin publishing, we might notice which a ultimate Windows Live albums we published in to crop up upon a Publish menu. If a manuscript is for an eventuality or group, you’ll see a organisation or eventuality name in parentheses.

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If we name a little photos as well as click an manuscript upon this menu, a photos will begin uploading right away.

So go forward as well as try it out if we haven’t already. Enjoy pity your photos as well as albums with a universe or with a people we name as well as let us know what we think.

- Ana Lilia Otero, Program Manager

Windows Live Photo & Video January 21st 2009

QUICKLY FIND YOUR BEST (OR WORST) PHOTOS

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Our family takes the lot of digital photos as well as videos.

I suppose which sometime my 2 young kids (Serena as well as Lucy) will wish to see what sorts of things they did as they grew up, so my mother as well as I—and even the kids—snap shots of all the fun things we do as the family. 

Sounds great, right? Well, it is, though the tough partial comes when we wish to  find, print, or emanate the scrapbook from the little of those photos.   So to understanding with which plea I’ve put together my own system, which additionally functions for my kids as well as wife—and you. And I’m assured which twenty years from now, people will still be means to fast find their the one preferred photos as well as videos.

Here’s what we do:

We have the garland of opposite cameras, as well as during any indicate in time there have been photos upon the little cameras which have not been taken off.  I’ll get the camera, block it in to the computer, lay with whoever took the photos, as well as we’ll fast rate them.  Five mins tops.  Then, to the ones we have 3-, 4, or 5-star rated, we supplement tags formed upon people, places, activities as well as captions for specific things we might wish to find later.  Again, this takes may be 5 mins max. You do not need to outlay the lot of time we do this.  Just spike the basics. The many critical thing here is to establish what is critical to we personally. For my parents, for example, they do the lot of travelling in South America, so their tags have been especially about places. For me, we concentration upon people, so we have lots of tags about people. You should establish what functions for we as well as have which your structure. 

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At any rate, once we have grown the complement for removing the photos upon your mechanism tagged the approach we wish them, afterwards the filtering partial becomes the snap with Windows Live Photo Gallery. The approach we consider about it is which we can make use of the left tabs as your initial cut during your photos.

Imagine we only longed for to fast imitation all 4- as well as 5- star photos of Lucy from 2008. Use this easy routine to get which perspective upon your photos:  (1) Select Date Taken as well as afterwards 2008.  (2) Then sort Lucy in the poke box.  (3) Then we name 4-star as well as higher in the filter menu upon the top, as well as all of the photos as well as videos of Lucy which have been 4- as well as 5- star in 2008 will be in the view.  (4) Then we name Arrange by as well as name type.  (5) Next, right-click the credentials during the bottom as well as name Sort by -> Date Taken in the menu.  (6) Finally name Photos in the tip bar, as well as which will name all of the 4- as well as 5-star photos of Lucy. 

From there we can imitation them.  (7) we cite to imitation online, so we click Print as well as Order Prints. Walgreens is upon my approach home from work, so we click Walgreens as well as Order Prints. Walk by the sequence routine as well as we have been done!

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It’s the snap :)

JP

Windows Live Photo & Video January 13th 2009