Thursday, September 19, 2013

PE11: TGA Files/PE8.0/8.0.1 Title Templates

INTRODUCTION

Much of the Premiere Elements Content stays the same from version to version. Yet, it is not uncommon to find a "favorite" from an earlier version discontinued in a later version. Such was the case for several users who had switched from Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 to Premiere Elements 11, found the version 8.0/8.0.1's title template Travel/Topo missing in 11, and tried to transplant the version 8.0/8.0.1 Travel/Topo title template files into 11. The attempts were unsuccessful in their Windows 7 or 8 64 bit computer environments. The transplanted Travel/Topo title template in version 11 contained its text but not its compass graphic. Just colored lines were present where the graphic was supposed to be.

ISSUE

Use of version 8.0/8.0.1's Travel/Topo title template files in Premiere Elements 11 has two major considerations in a Windows 7 or 8 64 bit computer environment.
  • Making sure that all the needed files are found since the title template consists of two components, text and graphic, which are stored in two different locations on the computer hard drive.
  • Title template graphics in version 8.0/8.0.1 have a tga format, and a graphic with a tga format is not supported by Premiere Elements 11; whereas the tga format is supported in Premiere Elements 4 through 10.
  •  
SOLUTION*

In order to get the Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 Travel/Topo title template to work in version 11 on Windows 7 or 8 64 bit, it was necessary to locate and transfer this template's text files (.prtl) plus graphic files (.tga), convert the .tga to .png, and then place the text and graphic files into the correct locations on the computer hard drive for Premiere Elements 11 to use. If this involved a go between 2 computer, a USB 2.0 Flash Drive could be used for the folders/files transfer.


HOW TO

Gathering Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 Travel/Topo Title Template Files

Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1
Local Disc C
Program Files (x86)
Adobe
Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0 Folder
Presets Folder
in the Presets Folder are folders named Logos, Styles, Templates, Text Animation, and Textures.

The Templates Folder contains a Common Folder which contains the Travel Folder which contains the Topo Folder. In the Topo Folder are the prtl files (text component of these title templates)
topo_credits.prtl
topo_frame.prtl
topo_list.prtl
topo_lwr3rd.prtl
topo_title.prtl
Everything is very compatible in that Travel/Topo Folder.

The Texture Folder contains a Common Folder which contains numerous .tga images for various title templates. The focus here is only on those related to topo, that is,
topo_bkgd.tga
topo_bkgd2.tga
topo_frame.tga
topo_lwr3rd.tga
All these topo .tga files need to be converted from .tga to .png format. In this example, the conversion was done in Photoshop.

So, before heading to Premiere Elements 11 on either Windows 7 or 8 64 bit computer, this is what to have:

Copy of Travel Folder Saved To Computer Desktop (Refer to Templates Folder description above)
(Details: I copied the entire Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 Travel Folder which contained the Topo Folder which contained the Travel/Topo title template .prtl files. Then everything except the Topo Folder was deleted from the Travel Folder, and this Travel Folder with its text .prtl files was saved to the computer Desktop.)

Copy of Texture Folder Saved to Computer Desktop (Refer to Texture Folder description above)
(Details: I copied the entire Texture Folder from Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1, opened that Texture Folder's Common Folder, and deleted all the files except the 4 topo .tga ones from that Common Folder. I then based that Texture folder on the computer Desktop - my base of operations for the .tga to .png conversion with Photoshop. Once the conversions were completed and the .tga files deleted from that Common folder, the Texture Folder with its .png graphics was prepared for the next phase.

Placement of Travel/Topo Title Template Files in Premiere Elements 11**

Local Disc C
Program Files
Adobe
Adobe Premiere Elements 11
Presets Folder
in the Presets Folder place the entire Texture Folder that was prepared (there is no prior Texture Folder under Presets in version 11).
and
in the Common Folder (in the path Presets/Templates/Common) place the Travel Folder.

In the Premiere Elements 11 Expert or Quick workspace of Windows 7 or 8 64 bit, these Travel/Topo title templates could then be found under
Action Bar Menu/Titles & Text at top of Expert or Quick workspace
and
Titles & Test Tab at bottom of Expert or Quick workspace
and present as represented in Figures 1 through 5.

Figure 1. In Premiere Elements 11, topo_frame.
Figure 2. In Premiere Elements 11, Topo_List.
Figure 3. In Premiere Elements 11, Topo_Credits.

Figure 4. In Premiere Elements 11, Topo_Lwr3rd.

Figure 5. In Premiere Elements 11, Topo_Title.
____________________________________________________________________________
*Studies were done with purchased Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 and 11 on Windows 7 and 8 64 bit.
It was not determined if the results reported are applicable Premiere Elements Mac.

If the above is not found to work in a particular case and/or environment, then an alternate approach would be more of a "do it yourself" nature, using text .prtl files created in the Premiere Elements 11 Titler from scratch in the Adobe Style in conjunction with appropriate graphics.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: It would appear that the transparency in the original Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 .tga graphic "topo_frame" is not being maintained in Premiere Elements 11 after the .tga to .png conversion with Photoshop prior to use of the .png in Premiere Elements 11. Pending further investigation on the why not, Premiere Elements ChromaKey effect can correct this situation in the Premiere Elements 11 opened project. In contrast, the topo_lwr3rd.png does present in Premiere Elements 11 with its transparency maintained. Updates to follow. The same situation was also encountered with Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 ,tga graphic "world travel_frame".

**The title templates native to Premiere Elements 11 Windows are of the .prtl/.png type. On Windows 7 and 8 64 bit the "Content downloaded"  Premiere Elements 11 title template files are found
Local Disc C
Program Data
Adobe
Premiere Elements
11.0
Online
Title Templates
All_Lang
and the All_Lang Folder contains a collection title template category folders, each containing theme folders which contain the essential files for the title templates.

Also, see Local Disc C\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Elements 11\Presets\ for title templates that came with the original installation rather than from the required "Content downloaded" from Adobe. This is the area where the Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1 Travel/Topo title template files were placed in the work presented in this blog post.


ATR