TOOLS BAR AND EKD CONFIGURATION (hide)

A) The Configuration menu, introduction

This menu gathers the functions that let you configure on a quite easy way the working (and the behaviour) of EKD (talking about the display for instance), and this is available in the General Configuration, and in the offer of the Tools bar (which contains three functions), but also the way it deals with the playing of videos in the frameworks dedicated to this purpose by the Video output from mplayer. The General Configuration > Ekd Configuration is a very important part in the way of working of the application ; this is going to be the longest part to explain.

A1) The general configuration selection

By choosing this function, you’re going to see a window in which you can set some ways of working of EKD. We’re going to explain it step by step.

Here’s how to get to this menu.

a1–0) Ekd Configuration > General

The window displaying the configuration (General being on).

In order to be clearer, every function is set in a different color, and, each time, a number will correspond to the option we’re talking about.

1) Videos directory, Sounds directory, Images directory: You can select here (straight in the Ekd Configuration window) the directories that will be shown when you load (ans save after treatement) your videos file, your images and your audio files, and you’re going to do it in the Videos path, in Images path and in Audio file path windows.

To understand it in a better way, you can compare the path set in Images directory in the Ekd Configuration > General window (image just below) and the paths by default that you can see when you open the windows Images path and Save (just below).

Of course, you’ll be able, once you start, to select others paths to load and save your files.

2) Temporary directory: This is the path to the temporary path set in EKD. In this temporary directory is built (once you open EKD) a full tree diagram that is used for different actions (invisibles for the user). These actions are for instance the resize of an image, … but also other things … . You can then set here your own path to the temporary directory (be careful anyway, you must need the rights in reading and writing in this tree diagram … and this is valid also for the operating system that you use).

3) QT Style: You can change here the general dispaly of EKD (its style). You have 9 different styles at your disposal (choose one in the unrolling list).

4) Dispaly Mode: You can change here general size of EKD. You can choose among 5 sizes.

Small detail ; the size by deafult is auto, and this corresponds to the possibility which is given to the user to adapt the dimensions of EKD by stretching the EKD window, just look the image below.

5) Tri-sensitive: Let you see the positions of the directories and files by alphabetical order in the windows where you can see the videos, images and audio files.

When you select this function (which is not activated at the beginning), directories and files are listed in a strict alphabetical order , that means that directories and files are displyed in such a way that the first letter is important, no matter if it’s in lower or upper case, look at the exemple in the following image.

[ ] Tri-sensitive

[x] Tri-sensitive

6) Display the hidden files: As it is said by its name, this option let you (and always when you’re in a window with videos, images and audio files) display the hidden directories and files (which contain under GNU/Linux , in the home of every user, the configuration of certains things).

Those hidden directories and files, if many, can make the other directories and files (not hidden) less visibles … that’s why this option is not on/selected by default. To understand it bette, look at this image representing the displaying window for videos (with the display of the hidden files on).

You will notice that this option is not available in the EKD windows release

7) Reset the configuration: This option (when it’s on/selected) is useful to start from the setting at the beginning (those before your changings in the configuration of EKD, but also before changings in the settings of the different tabs Settings, whether it is in Vidéo, Image ou Music-Sound). You’re going to start with the parameters you had before you start the application.

The principle is not easy to understand, so, in order to make it simple, we’re going to take a concrete exemple, and we’re going to change a paramter in the Settings tab and we’re going to do it in Image > Various > Resize ; here’s the value given by default in this tab:

Here’s how we set the options in Ekd Configuration > General (you see that Confirm tha saving before closing is on):

Just before ending with EKD, soon after you clicked on File > Quit:

A new window is coming, and you have to click on the button Non.

A second dialogue box is going to come, in this one (and this is to reset all the configuration) you have to click on the button Yes.

Once EKD starts again you will miss all of your settings, in the Settings tab, as well as in the window Ekd Configuration > General:

So all you need to do is to set again all the paths (and set again the other parameters).

Let’s imagine now that the option Confirm the saving before closing is not on anymore, before closing the application …

… you will be in front of this dialogue box (soon after closing EKD):

Once you open again EKD, it will be as it was at the beginning:

8) Load the windows location: This option (when it is on/selected) allows you to keep (and restore later) the dimensions of the work area in the sub directories and this is for Video, Image, Music-Sound and Play.

Here’s the image of a simulation ; we resized the widht of the main window of EKD.

When the option Load the windows location is on, the vertical working area is restored at the place where we put it, but when the option is not on, this area cames back to its value by default (in a certain way, as the window has a size that we could call panoramic).

9) Confirm the saving before leaving: As we’ve seen before in the part 7) up above, this option is shown through a dialogue box when you quit EKD.

Some details after all, if this option is on, when you’ll be closing the application you’re going to see the dialogue box we’re talking about (and your last settings will be saved once you open it again), on the contrary if the option is not on, you’re not going to see the dialogue box (and your last settings will be, there too, automatically restored once you open again EKD).

Let’s imagine now we have to use the settings by default (the settings that are in the Setting tab). We’re now going to change again the value of the new width in the Settings tab in Image > Various > Resize:

The value of the new width is now at 1201.

Let’s leave the values by default in the general EKD configuration:

Let’s now put EKD off …

As we didin’t set the option Confirm the saving before closing on, we’re asked if we want to keep the new parameters for the setting, we’re going to answer Non.

Let’s open the application again, let’s go back to the Settings tab, always in Image > Various > Resize, we can see that the value of the new width is back to 640 (value by default).

10) See the warnings: This is here only for the fucntions that load and treat the images. It displays (when the option is on) a dialogue box informing the user about the way the files are going to be set after the treatment.

a1–1) Ekd Configuration > Vidéo: Slideshow of images into video

This menu allows you to set the creation of a slideshow in EKD. This function is available in Video > Slideshow of images into video.

As we’ve seen before,and in order to be clearer, each function is linked to a color, and a number will correspond each time to the option we’re talking about.

Be careful (!!!): if you want that the datas previously set in Ekd Configuration > Video: Slideshow of images into video might be updated in Vidéo > Slideshow of Images into video (Image tab), you need to load one image at least (it has to be in the Image(s) source tab), and that an image has to be selected in the list of the images (it has to appear in the preview part).

Look at the correspondance in the Image tab who’s in the Settings tab in Video > Slideshow of iamges into video.

1) ffmpeg directory, SoX Directory, mjpegtools directory: You can select here (straight in the window Ekd Configuration) the directories where are set FFmpeg, Sox et Mjpegtools (dependances that you need for EKD to work). If you select a directory for each package, (do it being very careful, EKD might not work in a good way !!!). Most of the time under GNU/Linux you will not change anything, the path /usr/bin is the good path.

2) Kind of Transition: It’s about the kind of transition between each image and during the slideshow. You can choose the kind of transition that will be displayed by default on the list in Video > Slideshow of iamges into video.

3) Speed of transition: This is the time that you choose for the transition you chose. The speed of this transition is to be set in the unrolling list.

4) Time: This is the time of displaying each image during the slideshow.

5) Background color: This is the background color of each image (and when the images are set on 16:9 - Large in the Mounting options tab). Look here after.

Here’s how to set this Background color in Ekd Configuration > Video: Slideshow of images into video:

A2) The tools bar selection

It allows you to display or to hide the tools bar.

The tools bar:

A3) To display videos in its window

It allows to display in a good way (video has to be displayed completely and not only partly) in the frame (black) which is reserved for it in the Video(s) source tab and Display video tab (the video before treatment and the video after treatment in the Compare videos).

The options that can be selected are : default, xmga, xv, x11, gl, gl2, dxr3, xvidix, vidix, cvidix, vesa, svga, fbdev, dfbmga, s3fb, wii, 3dfx and xvmc (for information, most of them are the same options you find in Mplayer … and at this place: Preferences > Video).

You need to know that, according to your graphic card, videos can not be displayed, here’s some details about this situation:

  • A card based on chipset NVIDIA accepts without any problem the options default, xv, gl et gl2 (vidéo is displayed in a very good way). If you choose x11, video is dispalyed but it is cut (you will see only a side of the video). The other options won’t let you display the videos.

  • A card based on chipset ATI accepts without any problem the options gl and gl2, the other options seem not to let the video display.

  • If you have another card than the ones before, make some tests with all the options (you’ll certainly find the one that fits).

Be careful ; we’re talking here about the display under GNU/Linux, if you work under windows (and MacOSX) the choice will be different.

Important information ; if you try to make a treatment with images whose size in more than 2046×2046 pixels (or at least with a 2046 width) for exemple by transforming some images into a video (Video > Conversion of images into video), the treatment will be done but at the end you will not be able to play the video (in the New Vidéo tab) . This is beacuase of Mplayer which is not able to display videos at more than 2046×2046 pixels.
In spite of all, you will be able to display the video after treatment in EKD by choosing gl or gl2 in mplayer video output.

B) The menu File, introduction

This menugathers the functions of project management and the closing of the application.

B1) The selections Load the project and save the project

EKD works with a method that allows the management of a project. It’s a very important option as it allows to keep preciously (in a file with the extension .ekd) the trace (by the files you loaded and the settings you made) of a manipulation (that may be a transoding, a mounting, … video, a conversion of images into video, … the creationn of a contact-sheet, the cut of a green or blue background, and everything for the images, …). This project (this trace of the manipulation) can be loade at any time. To know more, read this small tutorial (and about that, you can also check at format file structure in ekd).

B2) The Quit selection

As it is said by its name, this is the option taht allows to prpperly quit EKD.

C) The menu Tools, introduction

Here are some tools availables in the application and put in the main menu. As for now, we only have a video player.

Here’s how the player works.

D) The menu Infos, introduction

Here you can access at some informations about EKD (informations about the developpement team , acces to the on-line documentation and know the licence of EKD).

Here’s the window that is displayed (you can access to the informations by selecting the right tab).