Igor

Brian, Version 4.49 still available on our website and anyone can download it and buy a license key. For new version 5.xx we've developed a brand new slideshow's engine which can work in two modes: - Using hardware acceleration of a video card (for smooth playback of Pan/Zoom effects). - Or using only CPU for all graphical computations, like v4.xx. To turn PicturesToExe into the second CPU based mode you have to disable "Use hardware acceleration..." in Main menu | View | Advanced options and in Project options | Screen tab. In this mode PicturesToExe utilizies almost same memory volume as the old version 4.49. All effects (excluding Mosaic with 300x300+ parameters) work with same smoothness as in v4.49. We couldn't realize only "Transition effect from/to desktop" option, because it works not enough well even in 4.49 under Windows Vista. I think other changes appeared in v5.xx has improved PicturesToExe: Ken Burns effect, Undo/Redo, scalable objects of a slide, creating DVD-Video discs, etc. To successfully compete on the market, we had to do these changes and improvements. I admit that we could release two products, but it complicate things, I think.

Ron, Did you try previous beta releases of new version 5.5? And what current version of PicturesToExe you use successfully? Please let me know about version of Windows and video card. Such problem may points that there is a problem with drivers of video card. Download and install latest one.

Brian, It's impossible to include v4.49 engine to v5.xx. Sorry.

Not yet. I have an alternate variant, but it would be better if ATI could fix it in their drivers. I'm trying to convince a person from ATI that it's necessary, but no success yet. They understand and confirm this problem but have no time to fix it.

Beta 4: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip (5 MB) * You can add transition point during playback with preview and music doesn't interrupt. * Fixed small bug of previous betas - added images display with bold font in File list. * Fixed bug with incorrect display of tiled background in previous betas. * Fixed bug of mini-player when error message "Exception EInvalidOp in module apr.exe" could appear in previous betas. This beta allows to add new transition points on the fly. Colin, Please try now with Beta 4.

Colin, Thanks, I've reproduced this bug. Will fix it in Beta 4.

Andrew, I know, we're working now on modified mini-player which will allow to add new points on the fly without interrupting of music and with preview. It will be ready not earlier than in a week.

Peter, Thanks, I just corrected this text for next beta.

Silvia, Please try Beta 3. This problem should be fixed now.

Beta 3: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip (5 MB) + Displaying of pixel size of main image has been moved to status bar. + Improvements in Objects and Animation window: - Added "Cut" button to the top toolbar. - Reworked view of Delete, Undo, Redo, Copy, Paste buttons. * Fixed bug of previous betas with displaying of some images in "Original size" mode. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed bug of previous betas when "Permit control of show using keyboard" option didn't work. * Various small improvements in the main window.

John, Please install Beta 2. It was a bug in Beta 1.

I have moved displaying of image pixel size to status bar in future Beta 3. It's because preview window displays real slide (with objects) and image size over picture disturbs to work with mini-player. Peter, Use Ctrl+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out Timeline, or Ctrl+F11/F12, As John recommended use drag'n'drop to insert new slides to timeline. Or double click on any image in File list, or press "Add" Button.

Alan, Can you reproduce this problem again? If start a new project, add several new slides, switch to Timeline mode and click "Remove" button (NOT "Cut transition" as I've understood) to delete first slide? John, I have increased size of Sound button in next Beta 3. I think that Picture button can't be without a text at all, but I have vastly reduced its size. I'll move it to status bar near the filename of a main image in Beta 3.

Barry, As I wrote in previous message, we will fix the problem with preview and/or interrupting of music. Solution may take one week or so, please wait for next nearest beta versions. Beta 2 does not represents a final state of version 5.5, please don't worry.

1) I have fully understood problem of adding new transition points on the fly in playing mode. In beta 1 it works with music interrupts, in Beta 2 without preview. We agree that it's very important feature and we're working on solution now. It will take some time to modify slideshow's engine. The serious change. 2) Deleting transition points in previous versions and now. In v5.5 Beta 2 "Cut All Transition Points" function does almost same job. It shift all points along timeline to end of music (you can call this functions several times if necessary). And then you can set transition points at empty space of the timeline. Press "New transition" buttons and you'll see that it works as before. If I missed some important moment, please explain. Put the triangle cursor where you want and click "New transition". Keyboard shortcuts: Del key deletes selected slide, Shift+Del cuts a transition point.

Thanks, you're right. It's a bug. I have fixed it right now and solution will be in Beta 3.

I just uploaded Beta 2: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip (5 MB) + Added "Cut All Transition Points" function to "Timed points" menu. + Various improvements in Timeline mode. + Added missed in previous beta language files for VideoBuilder. * Fixed bug of previous beta when text macros didn't work. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed bug of previous beta with displaying of some images in "Original size" mode. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed bug of previous beta. Hue parameter for Navigation bar didn't work. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). Barry, Concerning adding of new transition points on the fly when it's playing. I have done it in Beta 2, but preview doesn't update at right-top part of the main window. If you would like to see just added transition point music will interrupt for 1/3 of second. I have also added "Cut all transition points" action to "Timed points" menu (instead of "Delete all transition points" of previous versions). It should allow to work almost as before. John, It's possible only if you turn on old view of this preview window (simple images). Alternate variant: click "Picture" button at the top part of main window (near to Sound field) and you'll see size of main image in appeared dialog. We'd like to make main window of PicturesToExe more simple, if we leaved old view and added mini-player it really could look too complex and scruffy.

Andrew, This option exists as before and applicable when you work in Slide list mode. If you find some bug with it, please let me know. I re-wrote all code related with manipulation of slides in Slide list and Timeline.

About ATI gamma fix. I'm still thinking about this feature. Please give me a little more time. We have decided keep an old slideshow engine for created EXE files in v5.5, because a new slideshow engine with this fix still in work and will be ready for v5.6 (summer or earlier autumn). Andrew, You can easily switch between thumbnails and table views by pressing Ctrl+2 or from Main menu | View | Slide list as Thumbnails. I consider that the main window looked too complicated with many buttons.

Mini-player/viewer works like you watch burned DVD-Video disc with a slideshow. It ignores manual advance mode, impossible to click buttons/hyperlinks.

I understand your concern, Barry. I'll look what I can rework in the timeline mode.

As I announced earlier on January, we're working on Mac version of PicturesToExe. But it's a long work - we have to vastly rework the program. I think we'll add creating of native "EXE" files for Mac at the end of this year. PicturesToExe for Windows will able create both kinds of executable files: for Windows and for Mac. Fully functional PicturesToExe for Mac will be ready in one-two years. Sorry for this long waiting.

Thank you for your responses regarding the new version! I'll reply step by step. Barry, Concerning behaviour of transition points in Timeline mode. Now all slides should have corresponding transition points, because timeline integrated with Slide list and secondly because of mini player. - "New transition" takes latest transition point and puts to the place you pointed. - "Cut transition" cuts transition point and moves this point to the end of show. Both functions don't change order of slides. In fact it works almost as before. You asked about "Delete all transition points" function which doesn't exist anymore. I missed this moment, sorry. I can add new function called something like "Cuts all transition points". (How it will work? Select all transition points (press Ctrl+A) and then click "Cut transition".) In fact this function shifts all transition points to the right, and you can re-add transition points as you worked in previous versions. We forgot to include all existed languages files for VideoBuilder. Will be fixed in Beta 2.

Sorry for the problem with extracting of the ZIP file! I just repacked it with well-known program we have used for all previous versions: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip (5 MB) Jean-Pierre, If it possible, please send me your slideshow where you see the problem with objects in mini-player. Interesting facts about version 5.5 Now as you see we use same slideshow's engine in main window of PicturesToExe - in Slide list and in mini-player. In both cases we use hardware acceleration of video card - DirectX 3D mode. Slide list uses even more interesting technology - we used all power of video card - pixel shaders for post-processing of images to draw small images in Slide list with more details.

We're glad to present PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.5 Release Candidate 5 Download link: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip (5 MB) What's new in version 5.5 + Timeline is integrated to the main window now. - Pressing "Timeline" button switches between Slide list and Timeline. - You can drop new slides to Timeline from File list. - Parameters of the timeline mode are located in Main menu | View | Timeline Options. - Waveform now displays mixed left/right channels. But you can turn on independent view of left/right channels waveforms. See timeline options in Main menu. - "Autospread slides along music" option moved to Project options | Main tab. + Slide list displays pictures of real slides. (See Main menu | View | Advanced Options | "Show real slides in Slide list" option) + Preview displays real slide at top-right part of the main window. (See Main menu | View | Advanced Options | "Show real slide in mini-player" option) + Added mini-player to the main window: - You can quickly play your slideshow in this small preview window (press Play/Stop button) - Quick access to any part of a slideshow. - Left mouse click for Play/Pause. - Right mouse click for fullscreen preview in both states: when paused and when it plays. + Main window now displays duration of a slideshow (in minutes and seconds). + Other improvements in the main window: - Picture/Sound/Comment fields are moved to the top part of the window. - Reworked pictures of a folder, improved view of a selected slide. - Reworked view of a drag'n'drop cursor in Slide list. - Other small improvements. + New version includes official User Guide in PDF format: http://wnsoft.com/apr/help.htm + New Welcome screen (when you first time starts PicturesToExe). + Visual improvements in Music tab of Project options. + Added support of media keys on a keyboard: Play/Pause, Stop, Next/Preview slide * Fixed problem with black screen on encoding of DVD-Video disc or AVI file on some PC/laptops with Intel integrated video cards. * Fixed crashes of PicturesToExe (main program only) and VideoBuilder under Windows Vista with DEP protection (NX-bit) option enabled for all applications. * Improved burning of DVD-Video discs. Previously discs couldn't be burned on some PCs with previous versions. We're still working on this version and will improve Objects and animation window in the nearest beta releases. This version 5.5 will contain slideshow's engine from previous version for created EXE files and you can create reliable EXE files even with this beta. The new engine for future version 5.6 already in work (with Masks objects and other improvements). Beta 2: + Added "Cut All Transition Points" function to "Timed points" menu. + Various improvements in Timeline mode. + Added missed in previous beta language files for VideoBuilder. * Fixed bug of previous beta when text macros didn't work. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed bug of previous beta with displaying of some images in "Original size" mode. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed bug of previous beta. Hue parameter for Navigation bar didn't work. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). Beta 3: + Displaying of pixel size of main image has been moved to status bar. + Improvements in Objects and Animation window: - Added "Cut" button to the top toolbar. - Reworked view of Delete, Undo, Redo, Copy, Paste buttons. * Fixed bug of previous betas with displaying of some images in "Original size" mode. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed bug of previous betas when "Permit control of show using keyboard" option didn't work. * Various small improvements in the main window. Beta 4: * You can add transition point during playback with preview and music doesn't interrupt. * Fixed small bug of previous betas - added images display with bold font in File list. * Fixed bug with incorrect display of tiled background in previous betas. * Fixed bug of mini-player when error message "Exception EInvalidOp in module apr.exe" could appear in previous betas. Beta 5: * Fixed bugs of previous betas with displaying of some images in "Original size" mode. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed small other bugs in Slide list. * Fixed bug with error messages because of mini-player on some project. Beta 6: + Updated some language files. + Click on time label (0:14) in mini-player sets the cursor to very beginning of the show. Click on slideshow duration label (7:77) moves cursor to the end of a slideshow. + Faster work of the timeline on very long slideshows (one hour and longer). + Light table (F4) can be used in Timeline mode. + You can adjust end of a slideshow on the timeline (dragging vertical green line after last slide). Beta 7: + Added Grid (Ctrl+G) to "Objects and animation" editor. You can adjust parameters of the grid and enable "Snap To Grid" option. + Added "Set End of Last Slide at End of Music" command to "Timed points" menu in Timeline view. * Fixed bug of previous betas when "Shift points" operation mistakenly shifted selected and not selected transition points. * Fixed bug of previous betas when "Opacity" parameter of button's background didn't work. (It didn't affect on created EXE files). * Fixed small visual bug of Beta 6 in the timeline with mouse cursor. * Fixed bug of previous betas when changing of "Blur" and "Edge antialiasing" options didn't update view of an image in the editor. Beta 8: + Effective usage of screen space in Slide list for 16:9, 4:3 and other formats of slides. + Updated language files. + "Repeat Music after Playing" option is turned off by default in a new project now. * Fixed minor bug in mini-player (stuttering of picture in several seconds after switching to a fullscreen mode). * Fixed some bugs with "Snap To" option of the Grid (Objects and animation) in some cases. Beta 9: + Added "Auto Save Project every ... minutes" option. (See Main menu | View | Advanced options). + Faster work of Undo/Redo if a project contains slides with many objects. + Changes in hotkeys: Del key performs "Cut transition" and Shift+Del removes the slide when you work in the timeline Beta 10: + Minor visual improvements. + Updated languages files. * Fixed bug with deselecting a keypoint in the timeline when Ctrl key pressed. Beta 11: + Added Farsi language. + Various minor improvements. * Fixed bug when PicturesToExe could work incorrectly or show error messages if PC was locked by user (Win+L for example). Release Candidate 1: * Improved reliability of PicturesToExe (main window). * Improved quality of text objects displayed on small slides in the Slide list. * Fixed bug with displaying of textured background when hardware acceleration disabled in Objects and animation editor. + Updated languages files. Release Candidate 2: * Fixed bug when in some cases Slide list displayed old images after opening of another project.