"Create virtual boxes for any |
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Just BoxShots is a full featured studio that will let you design and build a virtual box shot for virtually any product you have!
For more samples visit our site.
• Use the Quick Start guide or...
• Add text, images and lines to your box shot.
• Editing image objects.
• Saving/Loading vs. Importing/Exporting your data.
• Use graphics and text to enhance your box shot.
• Creative Tips!
Order your own copy now!
• Order Online now!EVALUATION COPY USERS: The evaluation copy is fully functional, it does however watermark any output with an "Unregistered" label. This is not done with the full version. You are also limited to 20 uses of the program.
Options
Default options can be found in this dialog.
If you would like to have an open file dialog initiated when you create an new image object check the box above to enable this.
To add a default text object when creating a new layout check the option shown above. This is only applicable when using the Advanced Mode option.
The last option listed is the Resampling Method. This is the filter used when doing image resizing. Each filter is a bit different so you will want to experiment to find the one you like the best. Lanczos3 has the best appearance but the file sizes are generally larger. Hermite and linear do a decent job of keeping the image clear and make a smaller file size when saved.
Creating multiple Boxshots
Using the Advanced Mode you can create many layouts using the same box shot settings. Each layout can have its own objects.
Using the toolbars at the top or the menu structure you can add and remove layouts and objects on these layouts.
Editing Image Objects
Here is the image editing dialog. You can get to this by using the palette as well as right clicking on an image object. Choose the Edit Image option. This dialog will give you some basic editing options that you can apply to your images. For a more detailed editor you can use the pixel editor shown below.
The pixel editor allows you to get to the pixel level of your image. Here you can modify individual pixels of your image. For global changes use the image editor shown above.
Quick Start
Step by Step Quick Start
Here is the quick and easy way to get started!
1. Start the program
2. Set the size of your box for both editing and output. In the Design Mode window you can click on the box area and using the grab handles you can resize it with your mouse. This area is the design size. The output sizes are defined separetly.
3. Set the box depth. This will draw a line on the box in the editor that will show you where the side of your box is.
4. Click on the Design Mode tab and you can position the objects as desired by dragging them around with your mouse.
5. Add a text object, change the Direction to be Bottom/Up and then click on it in the editor. You will see a set of grab handles, drag them to resize the object so that it is fully visible. Change the text to something meaningful to you.
6. Add another text object. This time move it over to the face area of the box shot.
7. Click on the Box Shot View tab and you can see your results!
8. Export your image by clicking the Export button or using File|Export Image As... menu item. You can export it to one of several image styles, including GIF and JPG.
9. Don't forget to save your template! Templates can be loaded and modified at a later time, images can't.
Now you can add other text and image objects to continue building your box shot. When you click on the Design Mode tab you can edit the properties for any object that is clicked on, or selected.
Box appearance
You can change many aspects of the box itself. Clicking on the box area in the design mode window you will see the above window. As you change these options your box shot will be updated with the new settings.
Box Fill Style
There are three options for filling your box. The first is to assign a color to the side and face of the box. The second is to set a from and to color and using one of the gradient directions.
The last option is to use an image to put on the entire box. If the image cannot be found on your drive the default solid colors will be use.
The image is loaded from your local drive so that when the box is adjusted it uses the best view of the image. If it was stored within it could get very distorted with many resizes.
Deleting layout objects
To delete a layout object click on it with your mouse and either press the Delete key or right click and select Delete object from the popup menu.
Adding objects
To add an object, click on the button for the object you want to add from the toolbar at the top. Each object has a specific button. In the Advanced Mode these buttons are only enabled if you have a layout selected on the left side of the screen and are disabled if you are working on the screen settings page.
Here are the objects you can add to your boxshot:
• Adding Text
• Adding Images
• Adding Lines
Adding Text Objects
Here you see the options for text objects placed on a layout:
When you update the text of your text object it may not all appear in the image. Click the Auto Size Text button to have the text object fit the text it is displaying. This will force the size to fit as if the text were displayed as horizontal text, not vertially.
Adding Image Objects
Here you see the options for image objects placed on a layout:
In the view above you can see that you can toggle the transparency setting as well as load or edit an image. You can edit the image as a whole or use the pixel level editor to fine tune your image.
Here you can fill an image object with a gradient fill. After you choose your gradient options click the Apply button and the selected image will now appear as a gradient image. There is no undo for this feature.
Adding Line Objects
Here you see the options for line objects placed on a layout:
Lines can go vertically, horizontally, go from the top left to the bottom right as well from the bottom left to the top right. You can also optionally specify an arrow head be drawn on each end of the line.
Tips and Tricks
Here you will find interesting tidbits of information that may not have fit in other topics or were just cool to do. ;-)
• To change the size of the box side press the CTRL key and click on the horizontal ruler above the design mode view of your image.
• To get a square/rectagular shaped colored filler area add a text object and set the text color to the same as the background. Be sure to check the Solid background checkbox too! Stretch it to the desired size.
• To get a gradient square/rectagular shaped colored filler area add an image object to your layout. Then stretch it to the desired size and using the options palette choose the Gradient Fill tab. Set the options and click apply.
• If you don't have an image to fill your box you should at least use a slight gradient. It will give your box a better impression than if you strictly use solid colors for the sides and face.
• For positioning your objects you can use the arrow keys while the object is selected. Pressing the CTRL key down makes this move increase by 5 pixels instead of one at a time.
• For resizing your objects you can use the arrows on the keyboard as you do for moving an object but you will need to hold down the SHIFT key when pressing the arrow key. Holding down the CTRL key at the same time will adjust this movement by 5 pixels as well.
Saving/Exporting
There are two different files that you will be working with, Templates and Images. You Load and Save templates while you Import and Export images. Images can be viewed in your browser, templates can only be read in by Just BoxShots.
Templates contain all the information to recreate and modify an image. The template houses the all the images with the exception of the box shot fill image. To generate a new image from your template you need to export your image using the format desired. Change the extension of the filename in the save dialog to set the type of image you wish to save as.
Text Appearance
In the Advanced Mode you will see the options you have available for setting the appearance of the text on your boxshot as shown below. You will have this grouping for each text object you have in your layout.
In the normal mode you will see the following dialog.
Clicking on any text object in your layout will open this palette so that you can modify any settings you need to.
After making a change to any numeric field be sure to press enter to have the text updated in the view.
You may also select Edit|Paste to insert text from the clipboard into the selected layout.
Each layout can have numerous text and image objects. You may change the order of these objects by clicking on the appropriate toolbar button or menu option.
You may adjust the position using the editor in the advanced mode or you can click on the object in the position window and move it with your mouse.
Image Addition
Advanced mode options:
Just BoxShots lets you add images to your box shot. Click the Insert Image from either a menu or the button bar. You can right click on the image in the Preview panel or where the image appears in the inspector panel and then click on the load option.
You may also select Edit|Paste to insert an image from the clipboard into the selected button frame.
You may also drag images from your browser into Just BoxShots as well. Dropping it onto the Design Mode window will add it to the current layout. You can also drop these images onto the tab of the layout you wish to add the image to. The layout will be brought to the surface if it already isn't.
If you would like to set the image to appear transparently check the checkbox for this setting. The lower left pixel will of the image will be used as the transparency color.
In the Advanced Mode adjusting the Left and Top will position the image for you. You may also click on the image in the Design window and position it as desired with your mouse.
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