Hello gang,
I wish that today was a more cheerful day to post this.
As some of you know, I tend to be an early adopter of new software from
Apple and of course I have downloaded and installed iPhoto 2 and iMovie
3. Both seem to be improvements over the previous versions offering
features that make them well worth getting and using. But should you
jump in and get them early or let someone else test the water? Your
call, but here are some initial thoughts...
Adobe could see these products as a means to get folks trained to use
their professional products (Photoshop and the mid-level Premiere) or
could start getting a bit worried. The features being offered are very
good. Good enough in some cases that you don't need the costlier
software to get what you want. I think that right now these are very
good, good enough to regularly use and be useful, but still need a bit
of work yet.
I will let someone else sing the praises or curses for these programs,
but instead concentrate on telling you some things to do to make these
new things work for you now as best as can be.
0) Make a backup copy of the iPhoto and iMovie apps that you presently
have.
1) Install the upgrade(s) from Apple, either through downloading it
from Apple's site, or by getting it from the iLife disk or by getting
it via software update control panel (SUCP).
2) Run the Repair Permissions section from Disk Utility.
[Note to Apple: it seems like it should be time to add one more line to
the installer script: after updating the pre-bindings in the
optimization routine, run repair permissions. Many programs are
installing with permissions set incorrectly.]
3) We need to do some housecleaning (see note *)
Start up the Terminal app (located in the Utilities folder which is
inside the Applications folder)
Type in the following:
sudo sh /etc/daily
then press the return key. You will be prompted for your
administrator's password. Enter it and press the return key. Let it
(the command you just entered) run until you get the prompt back. Then
type in
sudo sh /etc/weekly
and press the return key again. Again enter your password if you are
asked for it. Let this run, then when you get the prompt back, type in
sudo sh /etc/monthly
Ditto on the return key and password.
[Note to Apple: maybe include this one too?]
iMovie stores its temporary files in invisible directories and you need
to have these cleaned up before using it. Not cleaning them (the
invisible directories) can result in massive slowdowns of iMovie and in
other programs as well. So running the CRON tasks does need to be done.
4) Re-learn a "forgotten" command: cmd+. (simultaneously pressing the
command key and the period key). This command is very familiar to
long-time Mac users, but has almost been kicked to the curb in OS-X.
When you import a photograph, the Ken Burns effect (zoom and pan)
automatically takes place on the photo and the photo is rendered into a
short movie clip with the effect applied to the clip. This is nice if
that is what you want, but if you want a stock photo, the effect is
distracting. So immediately after importing the photo, hit cmd+. You
will then have a photo to work with. [For the new mac users, the
command key is the key with the apple outline and the "clover" leaf on
it. It used to be known as the open-apple key from older times when
there were two apple keys. The one that is not there anymore was called
the closed apple key. It had a filled in apple on it. Now-a-days that
key is called the option/alt key.]
5) Enjoy iPhoto 2 and iMovie 3.
I have heard mixed reports regarding importing iMovie 2 projects into
iMovie 3. Some are saying that the audio is turned into a buzz, some
are saying that the titles are messed up etc. Others are saying no
problems at all. The usual mixed bag. So make a back-up copy of any
iMovie 2 projects before importing them into iMovie 3.
X) Okay, something is horribly wrong. I need to go back to iMovie 2.
How?
Remember step 0)? Trash iMovie 3 and copy the backup over to the
Applications folder and you are set.
Uh, I skipped step 0). How do I get iMovie 2 back. Apple has a download
for iMovie 2.1.1, but that is the OS-9 "Classic" version and I need the
OS-X version?????
Dig out your OS-X 10.1 Install CD. Call your good friend that has a
copy of Pacifist or the other good friend that has the copy of
Rezsourcerer (since the first friend takes the phone off the hook every
time Apple releases updates) or in case both friends are conveniently
out of touch, hit versiontracker or macupdate for a copy of these
shareware programs. Learn how to navigate to the Essentials package on
the 10.1 Install CD and re-install the iMovie 2.1.1 pkg that is there.
Download the iMovie 2.1.1 Plug-ins pack for OS-X software from Apple's
site and install that. You are back in business.
=======================================
* Some of you will recognize this housecleaning. We are manually
running the CRON tasks that OS-X normally does in the wee hours of the
morning IF: 1) you leave your Mac on overnight AND 2) you have it set
to not go to sleep (letting it go to sleep seems like a humane thing to
do, but according to Apple because the disk spins down when it goes to
sleep, the CRON tasks are not ran. If you have reset the CRON
scheduling tasks to run when the Mac is awake or you use something like
MacJanitor to take its place, this step is not necessary. If you shut
the Mac down at night or let it sleep, then running this step may help
performance improve in many areas, not just iMovie.
Jerry
| The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will
| be January 28. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>.
