New Feature: Sermon Editor

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Comments

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    120 words per minute, based on the oft-cited-but-never-really-proven figure of ~150 WPM for midwestern spoken English. (This I remembered to put in the help.) Some places in the southern US average as low as 40 WPM, and some places in the northeastern US  average as high as 300. (Y'all know who youse are.)

    Words are calculated by counting spaces In all the content. We'll almost certainly have to let you adjust the 120 WPM setting, since one size definitely does not fit all. 

  • TCBlack
    TCBlack Member Posts: 10,980 ✭✭✭

    Eli Evans said:

    We'll almost certainly have to let you adjust the 120 WPM setting, since one size definitely does not fit all. 

    I really look forward to this.  

    Hmm Sarcasm is my love language. Obviously I love you. 

  • TCBlack
    TCBlack Member Posts: 10,980 ✭✭✭

    • Auto-inclusion of slides where you probably want them. When you make a new heading, a slide with that heading text is automatically inserted.
    • Manual inclusion of more slides if you want them. You can also select text from the manuscript and press the “Insert slide from selection” and a new slide will be created
    • “Smart art” templates. Double-click on any slide to open that slide in the Media tool (was Visual Copy) and edit your slide’s content or style. Hit the “Update sermon” button in the Media tool to post that change back to your sermon document.

    Will the ability to include custom art be added in the future? 

    For example I have a graphic of four wine glasses I want to use as I preach on Luke's version of the Lord's supper.  Luke mentions two cups and I would like a graphic as I explain a bit about it.  Sure I can add that manually to my powerpoint presentation, but It would be nice if I could add it to my Logos sermon file.

    Hmm Sarcasm is my love language. Obviously I love you. 

  • Phil Gons (Logos)
    Phil Gons (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 3,803

    TCBlack said:

    • Auto-inclusion of slides where you probably want them. When you make a new heading, a slide with that heading text is automatically inserted.
    • Manual inclusion of more slides if you want them. You can also select text from the manuscript and press the “Insert slide from selection” and a new slide will be created
    • “Smart art” templates. Double-click on any slide to open that slide in the Media tool (was Visual Copy) and edit your slide’s content or style. Hit the “Update sermon” button in the Media tool to post that change back to your sermon document.

    Will the ability to include custom art be added in the future? 

    For example I have a graphic of four wine glasses I want to use as I preach on Luke's version of the Lord's supper.  Luke mentions two cups and I would like a graphic as I explain a bit about it.  Sure I can add that manually to my powerpoint presentation, but It would be nice if I could add it to my Logos sermon file.

    We're working on a feature for the Media tool that will allow you to upload your own background images. When that happens, you might be able to add a blank slide with your image into your sermon.

  • Mike Tourangeau
    Mike Tourangeau Member Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭

    Eli Evans said:

    Words are calculated by counting spaces In all the content. We'll almost certainly have to let you adjust the 120 WPM setting, since one size definitely does not fit all.

    Great! This tool alone is worth my Logos Now subscription, I look forward to when it has full formatting and when I can send the sermon to my iPad. 

  • Will Cornell
    Will Cornell Member Posts: 30 ✭✭

    Great work Devs! Another thought along these same lines: We have the ability to import slides from GraceWay Media in Proclaim. We use that feature weekly. What are the chances of having the same functionality in the Sermon editor?

  • Fred Chapman
    Fred Chapman Member Posts: 5,899 ✭✭✭

    I look forward to when it has full formatting and when I can send the sermon to my iPad. 

    [Y][Y]

  • Kevin M. Adams
    Kevin M. Adams Member Posts: 35 ✭✭

    When I finish typing a Scripture reference it becomes hyperlink color (but doesn't seem to have the ability to hover over it and get the text - like elsewhere in Logos) and then I tell it to make a slide (which it does nicely) but then I'm left with both a repetition of (1) the reference, and (2) the reference with the full verse from the slide conversion. So then I go back and delete the initial verse reference because I don't need it in there twice. Am I missing something?

  • Ross Strader
    Ross Strader Member Posts: 155 ✭✭

    Kevin,

    Type the verse or passage reference. Hit return (do not add a space after the reference). The verse or passage auto-fills then places cursor on the next line. 

    MacBook Pro 15' Retina  •  2.7 GHz Intel Core i7  •  16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3  •  Version 10.10

  • Ross Strader
    Ross Strader Member Posts: 155 ✭✭

    For Logos Devs, this is a great concept! Thank you for including this and taking the chance of rolling it out. Everyone has their unique ways of working to harness Logos and maximize efficiency. 

    While you are in the tweaking phase of the Sermon Editor, it would be great to include some keyboard shortcuts (unless they are there and I have missed them). 

    I know the Note Files have the ability to enter lists (bullet and number) with 'command + .' and 'command + /' -- In addition, keyboard shortcuts for H1, H2, H3... etc would be helpful. 

    Thanks for your continued work on this. 

    MacBook Pro 15' Retina  •  2.7 GHz Intel Core i7  •  16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3  •  Version 10.10

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    In addition to "standard" word processing keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+B (Windows) or Cmd+B (Mac) for Bold, the Sermon document supports the following, where 'Ctrl/Cmd' means Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac):

    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 0 = normal formatting (no heading)
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 1 = Heading 1
    • ...
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 5 = Heading 5
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift +  7 = numbered list item
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 8 = bulleted list item
    • Ctrl + M (Windows) = indent
    • Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows = unindent
    • Command + ] (Mac) = indent
    • Command + [ (Mac) = unindent

    Oops, I neglected that in the help file. Adding a reminder to do that now.

  • Donnie Vick
    Donnie Vick Member Posts: 118 ✭✭

    Is this only available on Windows? I'm not seeing it on Mac

  • Andrew Batishko
    Andrew Batishko Member, Community Manager, Logos Employee Posts: 5,487

    Is this only available on Windows? I'm not seeing it on Mac

    You need to purchase a Feature Set to enable this feature. See this post for additional details:

    https://community.logos.com/forums/p/129472/841280.aspx#841280

    Andrew Batishko | Logos software developer

  • Ross Strader
    Ross Strader Member Posts: 155 ✭✭

    Eli Evans said:

    In addition to "standard" word processing keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+B (Windows) or Cmd+B (Mac) for Bold, the Sermon document supports the following, where 'Ctrl/Cmd' means Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac):

    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 0 = normal formatting (no heading)
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 1 = Heading 1
    • ...
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 5 = Heading 5
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt +  7 = numbered list item
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 8 = bulleted list item
    • Ctrl + M (Windows) = indent
    • Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows = unindent
    • Command + ] (Mac) = indent
    • Command + [ (Mac) = unindent

    Oops, I neglected that in the help file. Adding a reminder to do that now.

    Thank you Eli! Works indeed. The indent and unindent are off. Indent on the Mac is Ctrl/Cmd +] -- I'm having trouble getting 'unindent' to work. 

    MacBook Pro 15' Retina  •  2.7 GHz Intel Core i7  •  16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3  •  Version 10.10

  • Ross Strader
    Ross Strader Member Posts: 155 ✭✭

    Eli Evans said:

    In addition to "standard" word processing keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+B (Windows) or Cmd+B (Mac) for Bold, the Sermon document supports the following, where 'Ctrl/Cmd' means Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac):

    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 0 = normal formatting (no heading)
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 1 = Heading 1
    • ...
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 5 = Heading 5
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt +  7 = numbered list item
    • Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 8 = bulleted list item
    • Ctrl + M (Windows) = indent
    • Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows = unindent
    • Command + ] (Mac) = indent
    • Command + [ (Mac) = unindent

    Oops, I neglected that in the help file. Adding a reminder to do that now.

    Thank you Eli! Works indeed. The indent and unindent are off. Indent on the Mac is Ctrl/Cmd +] -- I'm having trouble getting 'unindent' to work. 

    For indent I mean 'Control+Command + ]' works.

    MacBook Pro 15' Retina  •  2.7 GHz Intel Core i7  •  16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3  •  Version 10.10

  • Kevin M. Adams
    Kevin M. Adams Member Posts: 35 ✭✭

    Thank you! It was working occasionally but I couldn't figure out the system.

  • Jacob Carpenter (Faithlife)
    Jacob Carpenter (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 336

    Tab and Shift+Tab can also be used to control indent level.

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    My first post about keyboard shortcuts was inaccurate in a couple of spots so I edited it. 

  • Tim Finlay
    Tim Finlay Member Posts: 123 ✭✭

    Phil, I have various resources in my Logos library such as Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Biblical World in Pictures. Is there a way for me to add an image from them to a Sermon document?

  • Kevin M. Adams
    Kevin M. Adams Member Posts: 35 ✭✭

    How do you re-arrange information in the Sermon Editor. Once you send it to Proclaim it's easy enough to re-arrange but that won't match the Sermon Editor. Can someone help me?

  • Kevin M. Adams
    Kevin M. Adams Member Posts: 35 ✭✭

    When I send the Sermon to Proclaim the slides in Proclaim are simply titled "content". Is there a way (other than editing in Proclaim) to change that so that they indicate something relative to the actual slide content (e.g. first words of slide content or something similar)?

  • Lynden O. Williams
    Lynden O. Williams MVP Posts: 9,012

    Kevin, I think you have to put the name that you desire while in the Sermon Editor, for it to automatically display in the Proclaim Slide.

    Mission: To serve God as He desires.

  • Pastor Scamman
    Pastor Scamman Member Posts: 40 ✭✭

    The Sermon Editor is immediately my favorite new feature of Logos 7.

    I am hoping that the metadata fields will be expanded to include info such as Delivery Date, Occasion, Location (many folks preach at different churches).

    If I'm going to start putting every sermon in here, I will need a more robust way to sort and view sermons, rather than simply in the order of last edited.

  • Bryan Davenport
    Bryan Davenport Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
  • Donnie Vick
    Donnie Vick Member Posts: 118 ✭✭

    I got gold. Did that not include the feature set?

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,245

    I got gold. Did that not include the feature set?

    It depends whether you purchased the Gold Base package or the Gold Linrary.

    Where there two items on your cart or one?

  • Daniel Jomphe
    Daniel Jomphe Member Posts: 77 ✭✭

    Do you plan to bring text markup support parity to what's available in Proclaim?

    For now I can't really use the Sermon editor to edit slides to the same level of detail and interaction that I can in Proclaim.

    2 things come to mind that I'm missing the most. I use them all the time since they were offered to Proclaim users:

    1. Ability to introduce content gradually on a slide (using '++')
    2. Ability to highlight a selection (this one, though, has no textual markup in Proclaim)

    Another thing that I use often in Proclaim is the ability to bolden, italicize, and underline words or phrases in my verse slides. Right now, the Sermon Editor won't allow my to do that inside Verse Cards. (And it wouldn't either allow me to add those '++', for example.)

    I also haven't yet tried to export a Sermon to Proclaim. I hope the transcription follows legibly in the slide notes.

    Without bringing this kind of parity to the party, I'm wondering if I'll ever be at ease using this feature (but I hope I will).

    With that said, thank you very much for investing your resources and energy in developing the Sermon editor!

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,245

    Do you plan to bring text markup support parity to what's available in Proclaim?

    I don't know Faithlife's plans here and will be interesting to see their response.

    For now I can't really use the Sermon editor to edit slides to the same level of detail and interaction that I can in Proclaim.

    True - but I could see an argument where the Sermon Editor does what it does well and Proclaim does what it does well. In this scenario, the Sermon Editor will be used to provide the base set of slides and final editing / markup / inclusion of transitions will be done in Proclaim. Personally I think this would be a better approach but Faithlife may have different plans.

    Ability to introduce content gradually on a slide (using '++')

    This is an example of something that could be added in Proclaim post export

    Ability to highlight a selection (this one, though, has no textual markup in Proclaim)

    I think I have seen that this is being considered - but not sure

    Another thing that I use often in Proclaim is the ability to bolden, italicize, and underline words or phrases in my verse slides. Right now, the Sermon Editor won't allow my to do that inside Verse Cards.

    Interestingly while you can bold etc words in the Sermon Editor this formatting seems to be lost when creating a slide from those words

    (And it wouldn't either allow me to add those '++', for example.)

    Once you have created the slides, click on them and then Edit.

    This opens the Media Tool with the verses in a text box on the left.

    Inserting "--" between verses will force them to move onto separate slides.

    I also haven't yet tried to export a Sermon to Proclaim. I hope the transcription follows legibly in the slide notes.

    It does this well. All of the text between slides are included in the Notes field of the slides.

  • Kevin M. Adams
    Kevin M. Adams Member Posts: 35 ✭✭

    How do you change the exported font size. I had to reconfigure it all in MS Word (after exporting it) - and a few slides in Proclaim as well (usually poetry which had additional line spacing resulting in the verse being spread out over too many slides).

    BTW this is absolutely what I've been waiting for - reducing the duplication of sermon prep with a tight relationship between Logos, Proclaim, Word, Soundfaith. Keep it up please!

  • Kevin M. Adams
    Kevin M. Adams Member Posts: 35 ✭✭

    Another item that needs to be included is the adding of additional media and video to the sermon editor. If I add a video to the Proclaim Service after I've created and exported my sermon in the sermon editor my two files are not the same. The key for a seamless integration here (in my opinion) is to be able to do everything from within the sermon editor and just send it to Proclaim.

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,245

    How do you change the exported font size. I had to reconfigure it all in MS Word (after exporting it) - and a few slides in Proclaim as well (usually poetry which had additional line spacing resulting in the verse being spread out over too many slides).

    Can't currently change the exported font size - I believe this is recognised and being looked at

    The poetry being spread out in verses is a known issue and being worked on

  • Kevin M. Adams
    Kevin M. Adams Member Posts: 35 ✭✭

    How do you access media that has been uploaded to Proclaim (Group Resources)? I'm not seeing that option in the media choices when editing a slide in sermon editor. Is there someplace else (within Logos) that I have to upload (or re-upload) my Proclaim Group Content/Images to be able to use them in the sermon editor?

  • Lynden O. Williams
    Lynden O. Williams MVP Posts: 9,012

    How do you access media that has been uploaded to Proclaim (Group Resources)?

    To the best of my knowledge that it not possible.

    Mission: To serve God as He desires.

  • Tim Taylor
    Tim Taylor Member Posts: 506 ✭✭

    How do you change the exported font size. I had to reconfigure it all in MS Word (after exporting it)

    I as well would like to see this an option to edit as the default look is WAY too big for printing. Exporting to MS Word and editing from there before printing is the only solution I can come up with so far as well. A little trick to help make this less painful is a keyboard shortcut that resizes everything you have selected all at once. So you can select the entire document (Cmd/Ctrl + A), and then use these keyboard shortcuts to reduce the size of the entire document correspondingly all at the same time.

    Mac:

    Reduce Font Size: Cmd + Shift + <

    Increase Font Size: Cmd + Shift + >

    PC: 

    Reduce Font Size: Ctrl + Shift + <

    Increase Font Size: Ctrl + Shift + >

    I hope this helps, as without these shortcuts, the printing (for handouts or for print outline to preach from) features are useless to me because the font is so big and I don't have time to manually fix each line.

  • Fred Chapman
    Fred Chapman Member Posts: 5,899 ✭✭✭

    There was a discussion about font controls during the beta period. Several requests were made to add the ability to control font size, type, etc. Bob indicated they were hesitant to add full control, but planned to provide several different options for larger or headings, text, etc.

  • Tim Taylor
    Tim Taylor Member Posts: 506 ✭✭

    Fredc said:

    There was a discussion about font controls during the beta period. Several requests were made to add the ability to control font size, type, etc. Bob indicated they were hesitant to add full control, but planned to provide several different options for larger or headings, text, etc.

    I see. Well at a minimum, they need to make the default size MUCH smaller!

  • Mike Tourangeau
    Mike Tourangeau Member Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭

    Fredc said:

    There was a discussion about font controls during the beta period. Several requests were made to add the ability to control font size, type, etc. Bob indicated they were hesitant to add full control, but planned to provide several different options for larger or headings, text, etc.

    I see. Well at a minimum, they need to make the default size MUCH smaller!

    I agree, as of now the only way I can see to use it on my iPad is to export to word. However the for size is huge (Sermon title is 36pt,Headings are 30pt, regular text is 16pt).

    This tool has a TON of potential (I love that my sermons would be searchable), ideally it would be readable from the docs on the Logos mobile app. I can't wait to use it regularly, but not till it's more usable.

  • Fred Chapman
    Fred Chapman Member Posts: 5,899 ✭✭✭

    This tool has a TON of potential (I love that my sermons would be searchable), ideally it would be readable from the docs on the Logos mobile app. I can't wait to use it regularly, but not till it's more usable.

    This was pretty much the consensus during the beta period. They made some significant improvements when compared to the initial release, but a few more tweaks are needed to make it truly valuable. 

  • Tim Taylor
    Tim Taylor Member Posts: 506 ✭✭

    Fredc said:

    This was pretty much the consensus during the beta period. They made some significant improvements when compared to the initial release, but a few more tweaks are needed to make it truly valuable. 

    Agreed! Also if I may...

    New Feature Suggestion!

    It would save me TONS of time if on the sermon level, I could select the aspect ratio for all my slides in that sermon! For example, I am a pastor of 3 churches. 2 of those churches use projectors (4:3 aspect ratio), while the other one uses TV screens (16:9). I see that each slide can be changed manually, but what would be AWESOME is if I could simply change the aspect ratio on the entire sermon and be able to re-export all my slides to powerpoint depending on which church I will be preaching it at! :)

    This would also be great for creating a projector version and a TV version of some of our best sermons so that we can have the powerpoint files ready to go no matter where we get invited to preach it at. Does that make sense?

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    It would save me TONS of time if on the sermon level, I could select the aspect ratio for all my slides in that sermon! For example, I am a pastor of 3 churches. 2 of those churches use projectors (4:3 aspect ratio), while the other one uses TV screens (16:9). I see that each slide can be changed manually, but what would be AWESOME is if I could simply change the aspect ratio on the entire sermon and be able to re-export all my slides to powerpoint depending on which church I will be preaching it at! :)

    Changing the style of all the slides at once is a planned feature for an upcoming release.

    Until then, if you change the first slide when you first open a sermon, it should use that slide as the new default for the rest of the sermon:

    1. Click the slide next to the sermon title.
    2. Choose "Edit".
    3. The Media tool will open. Choose 16:9 aspect ratio.
    4. Click the "Update sermon" button in the Media toolbar.
    5. This is now the default style for slides in your sermon.

    Also, if you use Proclaim, this is very easy to change after you export. 

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 879 ✭✭

    If you export your sermon to Proclaim and have a church group affiliated with your presentation group, you'll also get a church bulletin automatically created with the contents of your sermon! This will include anything marked with the handout style. Check out the bulletins tab on your church's Faithlife group to see what it looks like (make sure to hit Preview).

    Here's a test sermon I created:

    https://faithlife.com/example-community-church/bulletins/19689

  • Tim Taylor
    Tim Taylor Member Posts: 506 ✭✭

    Eli Evans said:

    Changing the style of all the slides at once is a planned feature for an upcoming release.

    Until then, if you change the first slide when you first open a sermon, it should use that slide as the new default for the rest of the sermon:

    1. Click the slide next to the sermon title.
    2. Choose "Edit".
    3. The Media tool will open. Choose 16:9 aspect ratio.
    4. Click the "Update sermon" button in the Media toolbar.
    5. This is now the default style for slides in your sermon.

    Also, if you use Proclaim, this is very easy to change after you export. 

    [Y] Awesome!! You guys are the best! I'm super stoked about this Sermon Editor feature! This is going to save me so much time and enable me to serve my congregations more thoroughly. Keep up the good work!

  • Samuel Leiro
    Samuel Leiro Member Posts: 1 ✭✭

    How do I create a document in the Sermon Editor? Pretty sure I'm done updating.

  • Tim Taylor
    Tim Taylor Member Posts: 506 ✭✭

    How do I create a document in the Sermon Editor? Pretty sure I'm done updating.

    Open Document Menu -> New -> Sermon

  • Randy Radke
    Randy Radke Member Posts: 22 ✭✭

    Fredc said:

    There was a discussion about font controls during the beta period. Several requests were made to add the ability to control font size, type, etc. Bob indicated they were hesitant to add full control, but planned to provide several different options for larger or headings, text, etc.

    It's too bad they were hesitant to add full control.  I realize it might be a huge undertaking.  But every pastor has their own preferred style of formatting that works for their unique needs.  One size definitely does not fit all.  The ability to create the manuscript, handout, and screen presentation in one step is a fantastic idea - so much better than creating 3 separate documents.  But if I have to export what I produce in the Sermon Editor into other programs so that I can format them, I may as well just produce them in those programs anyway.

    Another helpful addition would be spell checking.  Since the presentation and handout are created for public consumption, I end up having to export to Word anyway just to make sure that my lousy typing doesn't result in distractions for the congregation while I'm preaching.  Sometimes a simple typo can be what prevents someone from hearing a key point in a sermon.

    The Notes function offers font controls and spell checking, so it must be doable.  I'm hoping it will be seen as a worthwhile enhancement to make to a tool that has a whole lot of potential but is being limited by the lack of user control.

  • David Price
    David Price Member Posts: 6 ✭✭

    Editing the font size, colors, format etc is a must if this feature is to be useful. Otherwise might as well stick with editing in Word or Pages. 

  • Fred Chapman
    Fred Chapman Member Posts: 5,899 ✭✭✭

    Another helpful addition would be spell checking.

    Spellcheck was also discussed during the beta period. FL said this would be added in a future release.

    The Notes function offers font controls and spell checking, so it must be doable.

    FL will have to speak to this issue. I don't have the knowledge to argue for or against it. As a user I am for it.

  • Richard Wardman
    Richard Wardman Member Posts: 1,359 ✭✭✭

    Eli Evans said:

    Until then, if you change the first slide when you first open a sermon, it should use that slide as the new default for the rest of the sermon:

    1. Click the slide next to the sermon title.
    2. Choose "Edit".
    3. The Media tool will open. Choose 16:9 aspect ratio.
    4. Click the "Update sermon" button in the Media toolbar.
    5. This is now the default style for slides in your sermon.

    Eli, will there be an option to have a default aspect ratio for ALL sermon slides?

    Thanks!

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    Eli Evans said:

    Changing the style of all the slides at once is a planned feature for an upcoming release.

    Aspect ratio is part of the style, so yes. 

  • Mike Tourangeau
    Mike Tourangeau Member Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭

    First of all, let me say that this tool is worth the upgrade alone. It is awesome, I love how the sermon is integrated into Logos.

    I copied a recent sermon into it and I am working on tweaking the format.  Not to be difficult, but is there a general idea when we will be able to send it to our iPad?