Corel PHOTOMirage Easy-To-Use Photo Editing Software User Guide

: June 5, 2024
: corel

Table of Contents

Workspace
Animate
Export
About Corel
Legal
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

Corel PHOTOMirage Easy-To-Use Photo Editing Software User Guide

Welcome to PhotoMirage

Welcome to PhotoMirage™!

PhotoMirage is easy-to-use photo editing software that lets you transform still images into dynamic, eye-catching animations. No need for any video editing experience, PhotoMirage uses basic photo-editing tools to create stunning animated results that stand out in social media posts, websites, and other online sharing sites.

This user guide contains the following topics:

Workspace
Animate
Export
About Corel

The availability of features depends on the version of the software you have.

Workspace

The PhotoMirage workspace includes a menu bar and the following areas:

Workspace
The image in the Preview area shows motion arrows (blue), anchor points (red), and a mask (semi-transparent ruby overlay).

Tools

The Tools area provides the tools you need to animate, crop, and fine-tune your image.

Animation: The Animation button lets you access key animation tools.

Motion Arrow tool: This is the main animation tool. It is active by default when you open an image. Motion arrows determine the direction of the animation.

Anchor Point tool: Lets you apply anchor points that are typically positioned along the outer edge of an area that you want to keep still. The number of the anchor points required depends on the complexity of the image.

Delete Mode: When active, Delete Mode lets you remove individual arrows or anchor points by clicking on them.
Speed: The speed setting lets you specify how many seconds it takes for the animation to complete a single loop: the lower the number, the faster the animation. For export, it’s recommended that final Animation Loop Duration be a multiple of the Speed setting.

Mask: The Mask button lets you access tools that let you keep areas still by applying a mask overlay. A mask is an alternative to anchor points and is particularly useful when there are large areas that you want to keep still. Sometimes one or more anchor points can be used with a mask to fix an edge. You can choose a Round Brush or Square Brush, and set the Add to Mask or Remove from Mask mode. Brush Size and Feather lets you set the brush size and specify how the mask blends along the edges.

Select tool: Lets you drag across the image to enclose one or more motion arrows or anchor points in a rectangular marquee. You can then move or delete the items that are selected.

Freehand Select tool: Lets you draw on the image to enclose one or more motion arrows or anchor points in an irregular-shaped marquee. You can then move or delete the items that are selected.

Smart Photo Fix: Click Apply to automatically adjust the image brightness, saturation, sharpness, and white balance of your image. Click the Undo button on the Control bar if you want to remove the changes.

Crop tool: Click a crop preset, and drag the crop box across the image to set the crop area. Using a crop preset lets you prepare for export—in many cases, the crop preset aligns with the export preset.

Visibility Layers

Visibility layers let you hide or show elements of your image, making it easier to see different aspects of the image that you want to animate.

Animation Markers: Hides or shows all motion arrows and anchor points.

Crop: Hides or shows the crop box

Mask: Hides or shows the mask overlay (shown as a ruby-colored overlay).

Image: Hides or shows the image in the Preview area.

Control bar

The control bar includes a variety of controls that help you view and share your image, as well as undo and redo changes that you make.

Play button: Play your animation in the Preview area. Animating usually involves several preview cycles as part of the fine-tuning process. The Play button changes to the Stop button during playback.

Email: You can email your animation directly from PhotoMirage if you use a default email application that supports the MAPI Standard (such as Microsoft Outlook).

Export: Opens the Export window where you can choose from a variety of export presets or choose custom settings.

Undo: Undoes the last action.

Redo: Cancels the last undo.

Zoom to 100%: Sets the image zoom level to 100% of the actual image size.

Zoom to Fit: Fits the longest side of the image to the Preview area so the full image can be viewed.

Pan: Click Pan and hold to choose the portion of the image that you want to view when the current zoom settings result in hidden image areas.

Zoom: Drag the Zoom slider to set the zoom level or click the zoom icons at either end of the slider to decrease or increase the zoom level.

Switching languages

You can change the user interface language (File > Switch Languages) if you installed other languages when you installed the application.

Workspace color

You can choose between two user interface colors (Midnight Black or Arctic Silver) in the User Interface menu.

Keyboard shortcuts

Using shortcut keys is a great way to work quickly: Keyboard Shortcuts PDF

Animate

Animating images is usually quick and easy. You can achieve impressive results in less than five minutes in many cases. The amount of fine-tuning required to get the results you want will depend on the image and your experience with the application. Images with a plain background are usually easiest to animate and images where you want a specific movement (such as a moving staircase) take a little more time and precision.

Animate
Animate
Animation projects can be simple (upper images), or they can require a little more experimentation to get the results you want (lower images).

To animate a photo

In PhotoMirage, click File > New or Open, and choose the image that you want to animate.
Click Animation , and click the Motion Arrow tool (active by default when you open an image).
In the preview area, click and drag to set motion arrows on the areas that you want to animate. Here are some guidelines:
- The simpler the area you want to animate, the less arrows you need. Start with a few, add more after you preview, as needed.
- Shorter arrows tend to give you more control over the movement and reduce harsh edges in animations. Arrows that cross paths can also result in harsh edges in the animation.
- To set a continuous line of arrows (or any situation where one arrow touches another), hold Shift while you click and drag.
To isolate the animated areas from areas that you want to keep still, do one of the following:
- Click the Anchor Point tool , and click along the outer edge of the area that you want to keep still. Start with a few anchor points, and add more after you preview, as needed.
- Click Mask , choose the settings you want, and drag across the image areas that you want to keep still. Applying a mask is a good way to keep larger areas still. Use the Feather control to determine edge softness. After you preview, you can use one or more anchor points if there are any edge issues.
Click Play to preview your animation and determine what areas need to be finetuned. This might include adding more motion arrows or anchor points, or adjusting the current motion arrows, anchor points, or mask.
Click Stop , and make the adjustments you want.
Click Play and repeat the preview and fine-tuning process until you get the results you want.
Click Crop , choose a crop preset, and drag in the preview area to set the crop box. The crop presets are matched to export presets in most cases, making it easy to perform a one-click export when you are finished animating.
Click Export to share your animation.

To move, edit, and delete animation markers

Move or delete multiple arrows or anchor points: Click Select or Freehand Select , and in the preview area, drag or draw around the items you want to select. You can then drag the selection to a new position or click the Delete button to remove the items.
Change motion arrow length or direction: Click the Motion Arrow tool , in the Preview area, click the arrow that you want to adjust, and when the cursor changes to a four pointed arrow icon, drag the start or end point of the arrow to the position you want.
Delete individual motion arrows and anchor points: Click the Delete Mode button (Animation page), and in the Preview area, click the arrow or anchor point that you want to remove.

Export

You can export your animations to a range of preset sizes and aspect ratios. PhotoMirage automatically defaults to the closest export preset match for your image. If you use a crop preset, no adjustments will be required in the Export window.

Custom sizes and settings

If you set a Free form crop size, or use the Original Proportions option, and there is no aspect ratio match in the export presets, PhotoMirage will size your image to the closest export preset.

When there is a mismatch in the aspect ratio of the image and the export preset, by default, the image is sized to fit the frame (some areas are cropped). If you prefer, you can disable the Size image to fill frame check box. This will add black bars to fill the frame (rather than crop).

Other settings in Custom export include: File Type, Image Size, Frame Rate, Codec, and Quality.

Animation Loop Duration

The Animation Loop Duration setting determines the minimum playback time for your animation. PhotoMirage social media export presets generally use an animation loop duration of 6-10 seconds. If using a Custom setting, a duration value of 6 or more seconds is recommended for any image that you plan to view on a mobile device. This ensures that the video displays long enough to enjoy the animation.

To ensure the smoothest possible playback for a looping animation, it’s best if the Animation Loop Duration value is a multiple of the Speed value.

To export your animation

In the main application, click the Export button .
In the Export window, do one of the following:
• If you used a standard crop preset, the corresponding export preset is applied automatically, so no changes are required.
• If you did not use a crop preset or you chose Custom from the Export window, choose the custom settings you want.
Click OK, and choose a destination and file name for your animation.
Click Save.
Depending on the size of the image and the complexity of the animation, it will take few seconds to render the animation file.

About Corel

Corel is one of the world’s top software companies, boasting some of the industry’s bestknown graphics, productivity and digital media products. We’ve built a reputation for giving customers more choice, and delivering solutions that are easy to learn and use. Our mission is simple: help people achieve new levels of creativity and productivity.

Legal

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Corel and PhotoMirage are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Canada, the U.S., and/or other countries. Other product, font, and company names and logos may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Patents: www.corel.com/en/patent