Building Slideshow Problem

Using 18.01.02 I started building a slideshow for a church memorial. My scanner saves as png so I started adding photos to the Timeline. After adding a half-dozen or so (10 second default) I then went back and started giving them a 30 frame overlap for a cross-dissolve. The second photo overlapped the first and created the dissolve, no problem, but the next photo refused to overlap and create the dissolve!

I found if I left that photo as a cut then the next photo would dissolve into it, but the next photo down the Timeline again refused the dissolve action.

I looked here for problems with png files but found nothing similar. So, I converted my folder of png files to jpg and tried again. Shotcut behaved the same way! What is going on here? I have posted on this forum my technique for building a slideshow but now I can’t seem to build one.

Linux KDE Neon 5.12, AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 16 gb ram

Edit: I started a new project with only one video track and I have the same problem. After dissolving the 2nd clip into the first clip (all jpg), no other clips will dissolve. Both projects are SD NTSC.

-=Ken=-

OK, I have discovered what I would call unusual behavior. I can make the slideshow dissolves work correctly but Shotcut is very “fussy” about how I work. I don’t remember Shotcut behaving this way.

I can add, let’s say, a half-dozen photos to the Timeline - which would result in “cuts” from one photo to the other. I take photo 2 and drag it leftward into photo 1 for 30 frames and Shotcut gives a nice cross-dissolve as expected. But, now there is a gap between photo 2 and photo 3. If I drag photo 3 leftward 30 frames into photo 2 Shotcut denies the move and the clip is dropped back where is was. I have never seen Shotcut behave this way!

I found that I needed to remove the gap between photo 2 and photo 3, either by left-clicking in the gap and selecting Remove or by first dragging photo 3 next to photo 2 and dropping it there. Then, I can drag photo 3 leftward 30 frames and the dissolve is formed.

Shotcut WAS very fast for making slideshows once a rhythm was established but this “improvement” has messed that up! I’m sure a version from perhaps six months ago worked as I remembered.

Oh, well. Problem solved - by me.

-=Ken=-