Igor

In beta #2 we fixed problem with "Complonar vector" message. It's impossible (technically) to resize zero size object.

You can select such objects with 0 value of Zoom usign Objects Tree (right-bottom part of the window in Visual editor)

Jean-Pierre, We found one interesting problem. It better to use only English symbols in names of files if you will publish source files of a project. Because ZIP archive doesn't store files in Unicode format, and when I unpack this ZIP in Russia or in other country with Cyrillic symbols, I'll see damaged symbols in names of file (like problem you found in About window). Specified French symbols will be replaced to specific Russian symbols. So I can not open this project in PicturesToExe. Only WinRAR product with packing to RAR archive correctly packs/unpacks national symbols in names of files. Of course, this problem never occurs with EXE file of slide-show (even packed to ZIP archive).

Jean-Pierre, Please re-download original PteShow I reworked in beta #2: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip and compare with new PteShow_H version

Ken, I forgot to say that if you find some problem in "PteShow_H" test, please compare with this our official demo: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip

Test for modern video cards, where PTE v5.00 slide-show work smoothly: http://www.wnsoft.com/test/PteShow_H.zip Please run this test one time for 1 minute and then press Esc to close. Let me know, if you'll find any problem with music, or with jerks or another problems. We're working on optimal parameters of slide-show and it will help us to find better solution. (This test doesn't have memory leaks. Please don't test this moment.)

Jean-Pierre, Sorry! Please send me your name in Word file.

I forgot to say about grouping of objects. Just add "Frame" object and insert new image to this frame object. Now if you move this frame, inserted objects will be moved too. If you rotate or resize frame, inserted objects will be moved, too. p.s. by the way, did you see new About window in version 5.00?

Mike, It' s a bug in new drivers from Matrox. They just disabled very important function in their new drivers. Please install previous more old drivers. Unfortunately Matrox has very bad drivers for Direct 3D. Lin, It's a very good idea! Thank you. We need time to think and discuss this idea - I thought that we could create manager of templates for quick adding of your Pan/Zoom effects. Now we need to concentrate on current important problems and re-activate "old" PTE functions. After this, we'll work with your idea.

After we changed time of a slide (e.g. from 4 seconds to 7 seconds), we can't proportionally changes positions of keypoints. Because we don't know old time for moving keypoints. It's necessary to do it at same time at one call: change time of slide + change times of keypoints. Because of this: - Or automatical changing of keypoints when we change time of slides. - Or special window in Visual editor via button (to change time of current slide and proportionally move keypoints of objects on this slide). I can't resolve this dilemma already several months.

Robert, So button in Visual editor with appearing of new window where we can enter new time of a slide and checkbox "Proportionally move keypoints"?

Aha, the good question! I've waited when somebody will ask about this moment. We have two kinds of keypoints: - Exactly located at moments of beginning, ending of a slide and ending of a transition effects. These keypoints shown with "+" symbol on the timelines. And they will be automatically moved if you change time of a slide or duration of a transition effect. - And freely located keypoints, you wrote about. We still can't decide how to better do. Proportionally move these keypoints as you described above, or add special option for it, some button in Visual editor?

Ken, No difference between grayscale and color images. Video card always stores images in color (RGB). Performance/Quality option in NVIDIA drivers doesn't affect on quality of PTE 5.00 slide-shows.

OK, I'll check up tomorrow!

Barry, Thanks, I agree. I'll try to add this option already in the next beta. John, - Do you hear music in my PteShow demo? http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip - Apparently you added not MP3 music, maybe OGG/WMA? OGG/WMA temporarily not realized in current beta. We're specially didn't add many usual functions to v5.00 to check up step by step how new graphical engine work without affect of other factors.

Earlier I thought that auto adding of Pan/Zoom are necessary thing. But after looking at result of such machine's work in described product I prefer not to have this function. Excuse me, maybe you will not agree with me, it's my personal opinion only, of course! But I don't like applying of Pan/Zoom anywhere without creative idea when it really necessary and when exact moment requires this. Manual work looks much better with light of true art, more live and viewers will appreciate your creative work.

By the way, did you notice two vertical blue lines on the beginning and ending of the timeline? It's range of visibility of a selected object. Drag this vertical lines with mouse cursor. Object will not be visible when it keypoint located outside this range.

Robert, I downloaded 22 MB version and it works flawless on my PC! Several moments: - If it possible, please re-build your slide-shows on newest beta #2 - I've noticed that 3rd, 4th and 5th slides are overlapped. And transition effects of 3-4 slides are longer on several seconds that own slides. It may causes described jerks. In beta #2 we automatically crop transition effect longer than time of slide. Ken, ATI Radeon 9250, X300 work with 100% load of video card and for Pan effect on large images we may see that problem. Robert used large images about 2600x2000 pixels. Sometimes even 2 such larges images on one slide. The load of video card when we show moment between two slides are high and only more powerful video card like Radeon 9500 or Geforce 5600 and higher can show it flawless. Of course, we're still working on optimization and I know that there are some moments to improve to increase smoothness. You're right. JPEG will be unpacked to bitmap in the memory and loaded to video card. So no difference between various values of JPEG compressions. Size in pixels is only significant factor.

Ron, I believe we'll solve this problem! We're still working on improvements. How my "PteShow" demo example works on your new video card? http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip I just wrote you email with request. Please reply me.

Jean-Pierre, The second future CPU based graphical "engine" will work with same speed as v4.48 and same fast loading of images. I'll explain why images load more long in v5.00 with hardware accelerated graphical engine: - If load images with maximal load of CPU and priority - we'll see noticeable jerks on Pan/Zoom effects. - The second reason - we need to additionally copy images from main memory to memory in video card. This copying is slow process, unfortunately. I still don't understand how we got it to work. Many times we thought it's impossible to solve next technical limitation.

Yes, v5.00 will be dual-engine. You choose for every project necessary engine. Because of this I'm sure that v5.00 will replace v4.48 in all purposes. As I wrote earlier, new Windows Vista requires powerful video card. So Intel, SiS, VIA are already working with Microsoft on increasing in several times speed of their future integrated video solutions. If PC, laptop or media center with integrated video card designed for Windows Vista, they will play fine slide-shows created in PicturesToExe v5.00 Please look here. It's official Microsoft web site with screenshots of Windows Vista: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/pdc/gallery.mspx This new graphical interface of Windows rendered in video card with hardware acceleration. It's another question - real need of such step which did Microsoft. Personally I don't like many changes I've seen in first public beta (maybe sometimes you think same about new beta of PTE ) of Windows Vista. But it seems to be reality of next day.

I really apologize that not all video cards can handle slide-shows created in PicturesToExe v5.00, but I very hope that time will improve this moment. Of course, AVI video produced in PTE will play ideally smooth for any large images (next betas). In final version 5.00 will be two ways: - New graphical engine with hardware acceleration - if you create slide-show with Pan/Zoom (for modern video cards). By the way, modern video card very well intended for 2D graphics. For this task, it works in hundreds times more fast than even modern CPUs. - CPU based graphical engine - for Fade, Circle and other effects (for ALL PCs) (Which works so fast as v4.48, but also suggests scalable objects, and other improvements of v5.00)

Ken, Of course, Pan/Zoom with small images work faster on old video cards. (On modern video no difference) Try my "Flowers" slide-show which works even on NVIDIA TNT2, or Matrox G550. Three years ago even Fade effect worked not enough smooth in 1280x1024 displays on modern PCs. Now all PCs shows this effect fine and we additionally optimized Fade effect. Same thing with Pan/Zoom now.

Version 5.00 created together with Aleksey Elin. He fully created system of objects for new Visual editor and he wrote main part of the new graphical editor. Also Pavel Koshkin wrote many system libraries which are very compact and reliable - EXE file of slide-show is only 165 KB.

Of course! Your current Geforce MX 440 is not enough powerful for v5.00 unfortunately. So jerks occur with large Pan images. But Geforce 6800 in 20 times more powerful than your current video card.