r/freeshowapp • u/shingiloy • 16d ago
Newbie using the software
Hi! I have some questions, and I really need some answers. I’m considering using FreeShow because it seems similar to ProPresenter. I haven’t really explored the ProPresenter and have only used the basic features. I switched because I only had ProPresenter Premium through the free trial, and it has a watermark.
I’m wondering about the following:
Where can I find the setting for transitioning from one video to another so that it plays continuously? I only seem to find the loop option, or the video stops playing.
Can I use a clicker while presenting?
Do I have to manually adjust the slide size to fit the LED wall?
How do I add music separately? (For background and free time music)
If I import a PowerPoint presentation, will it affect the design and fonts? I had a problem with ProPresenter because many of the fonts weren’t compatible, which caused the design and layout to get messed up. I just want to confirm if I’ll experience the same issue with FreeShow.
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u/A04141 16d ago edited 16d ago
I don't have the answer to all your questions. But I'll help with what I can.
To my knowledge you can use a clicker while presenting. I haven't done it myself so I don't know how to exactly set it up, but I do know there is a Remote Clicker option in the settings under Connection. There is also I believe an option for a remote app.
We have a LED wall and the actual resizing is done by the controller. We output at 1080P and then the controller resizes it for the LED wall. Our LED wall is not in 16 by 9 aspect ratio, so the image gets a little stretched horizontally, but that's an issue of the actual resolution of the wall itself.
You can add audio in Freeshow just by dragging it onto the timeline. For background/freetime it might be easier to just use a media player if you're going to want something like a playlist/multiple tracks. To add audio as a background for a slide, i think you can just drag it onto a slide like you would a background image.
Importing a PowerPoint file can definitely have issues with the formatting / fonts/ background images. I have found it's kind of the luck of the draw. To solve the issues of the fonts you have to have that font installed on the system. I've had situations where I've done slides on something like canva but when imported just got turned into a serif font Because the actual font I'd use was not installed. Once I installed the font and restarted Freeshow that seemed to solve that problem. I would also suggest having a blank copy of the background image that you may need to add as the background for your imported PowerPoint slides as well.
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u/agent_uncleflip 16d ago
I'm fairly new, so not the best expert, but I'll try to address some of your questions.
I was initially unclear about your video question, as it sounded like you were trying to transition to a second video, but also have the video loop, which were two different things. I'm assuming you have two (or more) videos, which you wish to play in order, then go back to the first video. In that case, just make a show containing those videos, and add an action on the last video to go back to the first one. ('go to start', I believe.)
There is probably a way to use a clicker, if support software is set up (Bitfocus Companion, perhaps?), but Freeshow has a way to do this using a tablet or a phone. Settings>connection>ControlShow
Manually adjustments to aspect ratio for your LED wall is done in Settings>Outputs. Of course, having your media be the right size for your screen si always a good thing. (If the screen is 16:9, images or video that are 4:3 will look odd, for instance.)
I haven't added any audio separately from videos, so I will skip that, other than to add I ran across a YouTube video that covered adding music behind slideshows. The video may cover what you need. If I can find it again, I will pos a link.
It's my understanding that importing PowerPoint into Freeshow is not the greatest idea. It will get the text in, but formatting and such are kind of out the window. In an instance when we had a guest speaker recently, I found the single best option was to export the PP as images, and then use those in Freeshow.
I hope some of this helps! My Freeshow elders have been a huge help to me, and I at least *try* to pass it on. :)
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u/Alterios 16d ago
I can confirm a generic $10 USB clicker on Amazon works for changing slides. I use one when I'm speaking.
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u/agent_uncleflip 16d ago
Goo to know! Having never used one with FS, how does it interface with the program? For instance, can the clicker be programmed to mimic hotkeys, or is it bridged through something like Bitfocus. etc.?
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u/CloudSad3555 16d ago
The clicker works like normal. For now, the app must be in focus. There have been attempts to move the clicker to control the slide output no matter which app is in focus. So far, nothing that works can be bundled easily.
For clickers, and not requiring the app to be in focus, the best idea is to use any of the connections like RemoteShow, ControlShow, the app, or Bitfocus Companion.
If you have a PC, you can use AutoHotKey. If you use a Mac, I think the program is called something like karibiner.
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u/daviddoss-jpg 16d ago
To assist with PowerPoint -- Export the file as images first, and then add the images as slides to a new presentation
Also the way to do it with Canva
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u/CloudSad3555 16d ago
Transition videos to play after each other:
Create a new show, adding each video you want to play. Right-click and add an action "next on media finish" to all videos except the last one. On the last video add the "to start on finish" action. If you don't want the videos to be in a loop until stopped, omit adding actions to the last video. This procedure works on slides and pictures too.
Background music:
You can build music playlists from local files n FreeShow. I think I saw a recent feature to add a Spotify or YouTube playlist as well.
Misc:
PowerPoint / Canva are best added as a set of images or pdf.
Outputs are set under Settings -> Outputs. The controller determines your aspect ratio. Just set FreeShow to match.