News of development. November 24th

[Igor]

Road to final release of v5.00

Beta #8

Due to optimization rendering of video will work in 2 times faster for slide shows without Pan/Zoom effects.

DVD Builder as part of PicturesToExe Deluxe almost ready. We solved all important problems with compatibility and now PicturesToExe Deluxe creates 100% compliant DVD-Video discs.

Small improvements.

Full compatibality with Windows Vista of main PicturesToExe.

(Slide shows already fully compatible with Windows Vista)

I should say that it was very difficult to fix various visual bugs. It's totally another Windows and I'm afraid many programs will have same problems.

Beta #9

We fully finished second CPU based graphical engine which will be automatically used on PCs that don't have modern video cards. This second graphical engine works exactly with same speed and quality as v4.48 So Fade effect, Circle, Line, Hour hand and other effects work very well as usually and you will able to produce slide shows that work anywhere.

Now we're working on all modes of sound synchronization and all related features. Also you will able to control show of slides (Left/Right key arrows).

Windowed mode.

Beta #10-11

- Navigation bar;

- Buttons, hyperlinks, text objects with real shadow as in DVD Builder menu or in Adobe Photoshop;

- Textured background;

- Importing of objects from old v4.48 projects;

- Support of EXIF rotated JPEGs;

- Adjusting of speeds for Pan/Zoom/Rotate objects.

And that's all - final release of v5.00

At this moment we hope that it will be ready in 2-3 months.

[ronwil]

Thanks for the progress report Igor. It is looking good.

Ron [uK]

[LumenLux]

Thank you Igor for telling us your plan. That is generous of you and helpful to many of us.

[Guest guru]

Grunt... still three months before the final release?! You don't work enough, Igor!

(I hope you understand I'm joking...)

[Igor]

I'm really sorry, Guido! But we had many unexpected difficulties.

Aleksey and I - main programmers/developers of v5.00

Sergey is working on DVD Builder for PicturesToExe Deluxe.

And two programmers (Pavel and Artem) are writing various parts of code for PTE.

[Guest guru]

You are sorry... Me too!

But I think I will forgive you and all the WnSoft team...

[alrobin]

Igor - it's nice to "see the light at the end of the tunnel".

I have an appreciation for how difficult some of these changes must be - solving some very tricky timing and logic problems, getting everything to work harmoniously together, and making everything compatible with each of many different combinations of hardware and software out there, and still keep an eye on future developments within Microsoft.

Thank-you so much for all the hard, conscientious work by you and every member of your team on our behalf! I hope everything comes together smoothly from now on, and I am confident that you will produce, in the end, a product which will be the envy of everybody else in this business.

[thedom]

Hi Igor,

Thank you very much for this roadmap.

For once, an editor doesn't answer "released when it's done" and I really appreciate your position.

Do you already have an idea of when you gonna include "Start external application" and "select a sound file for the current slide" ?

Thank you.

[potwnc]

Igor,

Can you say anything about release dates for each of these beta versions?

Thanks,

Ray

[dagrace]

Thanks, Igor for the update. As others have mentioned, it's nice to know what's in store. We all know you're working hard on this and the results show! Thanks again.

[sanewcomb]

Hello Igor and the WnSoft team.

I am very appreciative of your hard work and excellent skills in implementing PZR

effects through 3D video card functions. But I am troubled by the focus the last few

months on features that are ancillary (incidental, minor) to the production of high quality

slideshows for computers while important features are left unfinished. We were told

months ago these features were quick to add and would be as soon as the 3D engine

was finished. Looking at the timeline I see there will be little opportunity for feedback on

some of these features that will only be added to the final beta.

I ask if you can move the implementation of the features that were promised to be in the

final version (such as text objects, comments, music sync, external apps, etc) to the

next beta, number 8, instead of continuing to work on difficult problems that don't

directly affect the creation of high quality slideshows such as creating DVD movies and

the 2nd graphics engine.

Additional comments below.

Again, I am thankful of your hard work.

Sincerely,

Steve Newcomb

Tucson, AZ USA

Road to final release of v5.00

Beta #8

DVD Builder as part of PicturesToExe Deluxe almost ready. We solved all important problems with compatibility and now PicturesToExe Deluxe creates 100% compliant DVD-Video discs.

I don't think this is an accurate statement since this version of the code has not been

released and tested on user's computers. Based on the current release, there will be

additional problems that need to be worked out.

Full compatibality with Windows Vista of main PicturesToExe.

....I should say that it was very difficult to fix various visual bugs. It's totally another

Windows....

This is a whole new can of worms (new set of problems) as you have stated yourself.

The operating system upgrade to Vista will be filled with all sorts of new problems for all

developers, particularly with drivers, as every update has been and it is one reason

many users are waiting a fair amount of time to upgrade existing computers. If your goal

is to hold back the release of P2E 5.0 final until all the bugs related to running it on Vista

are solved, you are talking about many more months. Remember there is a big

difference between running a new operating system on a newly purchased computer

versus upgrading an existing computer with older hardware.

Beta #9

We fully finished second CPU based graphical engine which will be automatically used

on PCs that don't have modern video cards. This second graphical engine works

exactly with same speed and quality as v4.48 So Fade effect, Circle, Line, Hour hand

and other effects work very well as usually and you will able to produce slide shows

that work anywhere.

I have never understood why so much effort is being made to implement the PZR effects

on the previous 2D graphics engine. As has been stated, it will result in a much lower

quality, will include the same problems all the other slideshow programs have following

this route, and will lead to confusion when the same slideshow EXE file is distributed

and some people say "wow, that was an impressive slideshow" and others say "it was

OK, but quality not so good" because of the two engines. This also undercuts your goal

of providing the best slideshow program available.

I think there is more benefit to including a simple system check and reporting the

minimum hardware necessary than showing a poor quality version seemlessly.

Thought in a different way, the wonderful visual experience your 3D engine provides is

a positive way to encourage people to upgrade their computers to the technological

potential that exists today (and it's not Windows Vista, it's the video card).

Now we're working on all modes of sound synchronization and all related features. Also

you will able to control show of slides (Left/Right key arrows).

Please move this to beta #8

Beta #10-11

- Navigation bar;

- Textured background;

- Importing of objects from old v4.48 projects;

- Support of EXIF rotated JPEGs;

- Buttons, hyperlinks

Assuming your goal is to enable all the previous features, here are additional feature not

mentioned in your post (from a previous post of Dom's)

- start external application

- association of a sound to a slide

- association of mouse buttons with an action (next slide, prev slide, exit, etc...)

- show copyright logo

- automaticaly start PTE when double clicking on a .pte file.

- show transition effect from and to the desktop

In general, if it's simple to enable, move these features to beta #8. I would like to address

three specific features that I personally have been waiting for many months and that I

think are important for the ease of use and visual quality of P2E computer slideshows.

- comments (not in the list you posted)

I think adding comments or captions in an easy and attractive way is important in

creating slideshows to share with friends and family and a feature that has been poorly

addressed or non-existent in most previous slideshow programs (for years). I have

never used pre 5 P2E versions, but from recent posts on this board and a brief look at

4.48, the way it was implemented is not up to the new standard set by the 3D engine.

"Pasting" text generated using system fonts onto the pictures will look bad and not be

useful.

I don't know what your vision is for implementing this feature and I am distressed that

your current plans are to add it to the last beta, with little time for feedback and

debugging. Despite claims by others that it is easy to add text using Photoshop or other

graphics programs, it is not if there is anything more than a few added objects. It is also

a bit much to ask potential customers to purchase these programs for just adding

comments/captions. I hope your plans are to add them as text objects and allow for fade

in/out, how long they are displayed and when they appear on the slide.

A final point about captions. To me the comment/caption is associated with the picture,

not the slideshow. I spend a lot of time adding comments/captions to my image files

because I know I will have these files for as long as I live, but will have many programs

for creating slideshows. It is the modern day equivalent to writing on the back of a

photograph. It is important to me and very useful if the slideshow program correctly

extracts this information from the image files, and I can imagine there will be some

effort/debugging in making sure this works with the various methods currently used

(JPEG comment, EXIF description and/or comment, IPTC fields).

- text objects with real shadow as in DVD Builder menu or in Adobe Photoshop;

Again, not sure what this means in terms of implementation. For example, will this use

system fonts and require those fonts are on the end user's computer? In terms of visual

quality this sounds like what is needed for high quality text with the 3D engine. Ideally, P2E would generate a Photoshop quality image object that could be used like a PNG file with graphic text is used in the current betas. And the comment feature would essentially create a text object of this type and have the main variables (placement, opacity, timing) set in a dialog box.

- Adjusting of speeds for Pan/Zoom/Rotate objects.

We have exchanged emails about the problem with the current implementation. Any added feature such as acceleration/deceleration (speed) would require correcting the basic function first or it will produce unexpected and confusing results. This will probably take more than one iteration to accomplish and should be put in an earlier beta.

And that's all - final release of v5.00

Sorry for the long post, but I am concerned that you have gotten off track. I very much look forward to the final release with all the necessary features enabled and implemented. But as it stands now it seems the final release with an uncertain date may or may not have these important features working well. I am able to produce the type of slideshows I envision with the beta as it is today, but the amount of work to do so limits how many can be done, as well as significantly reducing the enjoyment of the process due to the large amount of tedious work and record keeping.

Keeping my fingers crossed your efforts can be refocused on the main innovation you have created, a wonderful visual application for the 3D GPUs in modern video cards.

[silvia1]

Hola

Donde puedo obtener las ultimas versiones Beta 10 / 11

I bougth the version 4.48

Gracias

[jevans]

Igor,

I would like to add a small comment to those in Steve Newcombe's post. The lack of a number of features in the current beta version of PTE 5 is a little frustrating but the item that many of us want to see implemented in synchronisation of sound files with the slide show. The lack of this feature is preventing (or making much more difficult) slide shows with commentary. I hope that this feature can be implemented as soon as possible.

Jeff

[Guest guru]

Hola

Donde puedo obtener las ultimas versiones Beta 10 / 11

I bougth the version 4.48

Gracias

Hola Silvia,

the last beta available is #7. Be patient, please!

[denwell]

Igor

Just to strongly support Jeff Evans' & Steve's comments about sound synchronisation and running external apps.

I have a number of shows waiting (gathering dust) for these features to be returned to V.5, and have missed several important deadlines because I'm not confident to produce them with the current lack of synch accuracy.

I fully appreciate the huge amount of work involved here and do not wish to detract from the progress made so far - but can these functions be restored sooner rather than later?

DEN (NE UK)

[bharkins]

At present, I am not using v5.0 for slide shows until things settle down. Too many betas to keep up with so I'm happy with the "old" version until final release.

[Guest Techman1]

I would like to thank Igor and team for providing us with their rollout plan for the remainder of this Beta of Version 5. While I appreciate that others are wanting specific items in this beta right away, we need to remember that this is still a BETA. It's not like Igor and team removed anything from us. We are all still able to use the existing version 4.48 and can still create beautiful slideshows. The items listed here by other members ARE important, but we don't know the complexities involved with implementing them into this beta version of PTE. I think we all must keep in mind that this is almost an entirely new program being rewritten from scratch in nearly every area. Further, Igor has always been open to suggestions on what we want and is very involved with discussing our needs. This is so unlike many other developers out there. Most developers simply release something and you hope it works and meets all of your needs. Plus, typically you would be paying significantly for the upgrade. We need to leave the decision of which parts are rolled out in what time schedule to the WnSoft team, especially when it comes to a Beta version.

I think we all should appreciate PTE for what it does currently and look forward to what it can do in the future. Version 5 is going to be an excellent product (and is currently), but we have to wait patiently for it to be finalized. I look forward to testing the new beta releases as they are rolled out over the next several months.

All my best to the WnSoft team and the PTE Forum members,

Fred

[Ken Cox]

FRED

HEAR HEAR

KEN

[jevans]

I would like to thank Igor and team for providing us with their rollout plan for the remainder of this Beta of

I think we all should appreciate PTE for what it does currently and look forward to what it can do in the future. Version 5 is going to be an excellent product (and is currently), but we have to wait patiently for it to be finalized. I look forward to testing the new beta releases as they are rolled out over the next several months.

All my best to the WnSoft team and the PTE Forum members,

Fred

Yes Fred,

I agree also. just hoping that we can use Version 5 as soon as possible. I have done a few shows with the current beta and there are so many exciting things thta you can do that I guess I am just a little impatient. But I support your comments fully.

Jeff

[alrobin]

Fred,

Well said! I, too, agree wholeheartedly with your comments, and would like to encourage everyone to be patient - as Fred says, we have an excellent program already, and v.5 b.8 is on the verge of being posted, with several improvements which will allow us to actually make professonal-looking animated AV sequences and render and burn them to dvd's, probably in time for Christmas. All within PTE Deluxe!

Igor and Sergey and the rest of the team have already made a lot of progress in this project and only they know the best way to proceed. Life is good!

[RayC]

Fred,

Very well put and I fully support everything you and the others say its a fantastic program

as it is but will be better still soon.

Thanks to Igor and the Team Well done.

RayC

[Guest guru]

...we need to remember that this is still a BETA. It's not like Igor and team removed anything from us. We are all still able to use the existing version 4.48 and can still create beautiful slideshows

Well said, Fred.

Let Igor work as he thinks it's better. I can well understand the requests made by Steve, Jeff and Den, but we must let Igor work on the program's code according to his plans. And I'm sure that, if it's possible, he will hear what forum members ask.

[Maureen]

Your words echo my thougts & sentiments too Fred.

Very well said.

A huge Thank You to Igor and his team for all they are doing for us.

Best Wishes

Maureen

[Cèlou]

Beta 8, 9, 10 ........... all that makes me turn the head and it delays me to see arriving all these versions which I am on will satisfy much among us.

3 months that seems interminable and runs at the same time, but that progress achieved since the first versions of PTE.

Will know dear Igor that we will not be able enough to thank you, you and all your team.

Thank you still

[Gerdi]

Is anything known about the time-schedule of the new versions? Does anybody know for example when the pause-function will be implemented? I know the roadmap, but my question is, if there is a realistic time-schedule for this work?

Thanks a lot

Gerdi