Playing Slideshows Using Slideshow Presets

To play a slideshow using a slideshow preset, you select an item in the Library inspector or individual images in the Browser and then choose File > Play Slideshow (or press Shift-S).

When the Play Slideshow dialog appears, you can specify how you want images displayed by choosing a slideshow preset.

Figure. Controls in the Play Slideshow dialog.

Slideshow presets are groups of predefined settings for playing a slideshow. For example, you can choose a slideshow preset to change the theme or apply transitions and timing to your onscreen presentation.

Aperture provides several slideshow presets from which to choose:

Dissolve: Displays each image for 3 seconds, with a 2-second cross fade over a black background.
Fade through Black: Displays each image on a black background for 3 seconds, with a 2-second cross fade that fades to black between each image.
Manual: You control this slideshow’s progression with the Right Arrow and Left Arrow keys.
Slow Dissolve: Displays each image for 5.1 seconds, with a 5-second cross fade.
Ken Burns: Displays each image for 3 seconds, with a 2-second cross fade over a black background. A Ken Burns effect, with simultaneous zooming and panning, is applied to each image as it is displayed.
Photo Edges: Displays the images using the Photo Edges theme—the images appear over a light gray background with borders similar to those of traditional photographs.
Scrapbook: Displays the images using the Scrapbook theme—the images appear to be placed on the pages of a traditional scrapbook.
Shatter: Displays the images using the Shatter theme—the visual elements of an image break apart and are reassembled into the next image.
Sliding Panels: Displays the images using the Sliding Panels theme—the images appear over a black background in multiple panels, and each image is individually replaced in a sliding motion by another image.
Snapshots: Displays the images using the Snapshots theme—the images appear with white borders on top of each other, creating an image stack over a black background.
Watercolor Panels: Displays the images using the Watercolor Panels theme—the images appear over an animated colored background.

You can also create your own custom presets. For example, to prepare for a presentation, you could create two new slideshow presets: one for your presentation and the other for your question-and-answer period. The presentation slideshow can be manually controlled, allowing you to move through the images at your own pace. Your second slideshow preset, to be used during the question-and-answer period of your presentation, can display the same images using the Sliding Panels theme set to show each image for 15 seconds, with music and looping applied.

To create or modify a slideshow preset, you choose Aperture > Presets > Slideshow (or choose Edit from the Slideshow Preset pop-up menu in the Play Slideshow dialog), and the Slideshow dialog appears.

Figure. Controls in the Slideshow dialog.

You can then select a slideshow preset or create a new one, specifying the settings you want.

Playing a Slideshow Using a Preset

You can easily set up a slideshow by selecting the images you want and then choosing a slideshow preset.

To create and play a slideshow

Select a set of images by doing one of the following:
- Select an item in the Library inspector.
- Select individual images or image stacks in the Browser.
Choose File > Play Slideshow (or press Shift-S).
The Play Slideshow dialog appears.
Choose a preset from the Slideshow Preset pop-up menu:
- Dissolve: Displays each image for 3 seconds, with a 2-second cross fade over a black background.
- Fade through Black: Displays each image on a black background for 3 seconds, with a 2-second cross fade that fades to black between each image.
- Manual: You control this slideshow’s progression with the Right Arrow and Left Arrow keys.
- Slow Dissolve: Displays each image for 5.1 seconds, with a 5-second cross fade.
- Ken Burns: Displays each image for 3 seconds, with a 2-second cross fade over a black background. A Ken Burns effect, with simultaneous zooming and panning, is applied to each image as it is displayed.
- Photo Edges: Displays the images using the Photo Edges theme—the images appear over a light gray background with borders similar to those of traditional photographs.
- Scrapbook: Displays the images using the Scrapbook theme—the images appear to be placed on the pages of a traditional scrapbook.
- Shatter: Displays the images using the Shatter theme—the visual elements of an image break apart and are reassembled into the next image.
- Sliding Panels: Displays the images using the Sliding Panels theme—the images appear over a black background in multiple panels, and each image is individually replaced in a sliding motion by another image.
- Snapshots: Displays the images using the Snapshots theme—the images appear with white borders on top of each other, creating an image stack over a black background.
- Watercolor Panels: Displays the images using the Watercolor Panels theme—the images appear over an animated colored background.
Note: Additional slideshow presets appear in the Slideshow Preset pop-up menu for use in Aperture when iPhoto ’11 is installed.
When you choose a preset from the Slideshow Preset pop-up menu, a preview of the slideshow preset plays below the pop-up menu.
Click Start.

If either no image or a single image is selected, the slideshow displays all images in the current album or project.

Important: You can save slideshows and share them by creating a slideshow album and then placing the image versions for your slideshow in it. For more information, see About Creating Slideshows with the Slideshow Editor.

About Displaying Sharp Images in Slideshows

To display slideshows at the best quality, you should set Aperture to create high-resolution previews. In addition to setting previews to their highest resolution, you should also use full-size previews to prevent upscaling with large displays. If previews are not available, images in the slideshow may not be as sharp as they would be otherwise. For more information about creating high-resolution previews, see Working with Preview Images.

Controlling a Slideshow

Once you start playing a slideshow, you can use keyboard shortcuts to control the slideshow.

To pause the slideshow

Press the Space bar.

To continue playing the slideshow

Press the Space bar again.

To move forward through the slideshow

Press the Right Arrow key.

To move backward through the slideshow

Press the Left Arrow key.

To stop the slideshow

Press Esc (Escape).
The slideshow stops playing, and the Aperture workspace reappears.

Arranging the Order of a Slideshow’s Images

You can arrange the order in which the images in a slideshow are presented.

To arrange the order of a slideshow’s images

Before creating the slideshow, arrange the thumbnail images in the Browser in the order in which you want them to appear in the slideshow.

You can then play the slideshow by following the instructions in Playing a Slideshow Using a Preset.

Controls in the Slideshow Dialog

The Slideshow dialog contains options for creating and modifying slideshow presets. In it, you can choose how many images to display at a time, how those images are arranged, and how long each image is displayed in your slideshow. You can also choose to play slideshows on one or two displays, with custom background colors and music.

To open the Slideshow dialog

Do one of the following:

Choose Aperture > Presets > Slideshow.
Choose File > Play Slideshow (or press Shift-S), then choose Edit from the Slideshow Preset pop-up menu in the Play Slideshow dialog.

The Slideshow dialog appears.

Preset Name list: Displays the list of current slideshow presets.
Theme pop-up menu: Choose a theme for your slideshow preset from this pop-up menu.
“Show title slide” checkbox: Select this checkbox to display a title slide at the beginning of the slideshow. Aperture automatically generates the title using the name of the item selected in the Library inspector.
Timing pop-up menu: Choose how the slideshow duration is determined. There are three options: fitting the slideshow to the duration of the music, showing each image for a fixed time, or advancing images manually.
Slide Duration value slider: Use this value slider to determine the minimum amount of time each image is shown.
Background color well: Change the background color of your slideshow by clicking the Background color well and then selecting a new background color from the Colors window, or click the disclosure button (to the right of the color well) and select a new background color from the pop-up color palette.
Inset value slider: Use this value slider to adjust the space between the edges of the screen and the images.
Transition pop-up menu: Choose the type of transition that occurs between the slides.
Transition Duration value slider: Use this value slider to adjust the length of applied transitions. The duration setting is applied uniformly to each transition.
“Shuffle slide order” checkbox: Select this checkbox to have Aperture shuffle the order of the images presented in the slideshow.
“Repeat slideshow” checkbox: Select this checkbox to loop, or continuously play, your slideshow. If you select this option, you must stop your slideshow manually by pressing Esc.
“Play music during slideshow” checkbox: Select this checkbox to play your slideshow with an accompanying song or iTunes playlist.
Audio browser area: Displays sample music and slideshow theme music selections, as well as music from GarageBand, your iTunes library, and any audio imported into the Aperture library. Navigate to a song to accompany your slideshow, or search for a song name, artist, or song time by entering information in the search field. You can also preview DRM-free music by clicking the Play button.
OK button: Click this button to apply any changes made to the selected slideshow preset.
Cancel button: Click this button to cancel the changes made to the selected slideshow preset.
Reset Preset button: Click this button to reset the selected slideshow preset to its original settings.
Remove (–) button: Click the Remove button to remove an unwanted slideshow preset from the Preset Name list.
Add (+) button: Click the Add button to create a new slideshow preset based on the preset selected in the Preset Name list.

Creating Slideshow Presets

You create a new slideshow preset by duplicating an existing preset and then modifying it. First, identify which existing preset you want to model your new preset on. After duplicating the preset and renaming the duplicate, you can easily customize your new slideshow preset’s settings.

To create a new slideshow preset

Choose Aperture > Presets > Slideshow.
The Slideshow dialog appears.
Select a preset in the Preset Name list on which to model your new preset.
In the bottom-left corner of the dialog, click the Add (+) button.
A copy of the slideshow preset appears highlighted in the Preset Name list.
Enter a new name for the copied slideshow preset, then press Return.
When you’ve finished specifying the slideshow settings you want, click OK.

Modifying Slideshow Presets

You can modify slideshow presets to create custom slideshow presentations.

To modify an existing preset

Choose Aperture > Presets > Slideshow.
The Slideshow dialog appears.
Select the preset you want to modify in the Preset Name list.
Modify the slideshow preset’s settings as appropriate.
When you’ve finished modifying settings for the slideshow preset, click OK.

To revert back to the preset’s original settings

In the Slideshow dialog, select the preset whose settings you want to revert.
Click the Reset Preset button.

Using Slideshow Presets to Play Slideshows with Music

Adding music to your slideshow can increase your audience’s enthusiasm and participation. You can easily add DRM-free music from your iTunes music library to accompany your slideshow.

To add music to your slideshow presentation

Select a set of images to be displayed in your slideshow.
Choose File > Play Slideshow (or press Shift-S).
The Play Slideshow dialog appears.
Choose Edit from the Slideshow Preset pop-up menu.
The Slideshow dialog appears.
Do one of the following:
- Select a slideshow preset to modify.
  For more information about modifying existing slideshow presets, see Modifying Slideshow Presets.
- Create a new slideshow preset.
  For more information about creating new slideshow presets, see Creating Slideshow Presets.
In the Slideshow dialog, select the “Play music during slideshow” checkbox.
Navigate to a song or an audio track in the audio browser.
You can search for a specific song, artist, or song time by entering information in the search field.
If you want to preview your song choice, click the Play button.
If you are satisfied with your music selection, click OK.
The Play Slideshow dialog appears.
Click Start to begin playing the slideshow presentation.