Igor

PicturesToExe v4.31 pre-release http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/pte431.zip (1,4 MB) This small update contains small changes in the code and only in modules of AVI video. Please test it and if all is OK, we will announce it as release. What's new in v4.31: ------------------------------------ * Fixed some cases when AVI video output feature didn't work in v4.20 or in v4.30: Improved work with Ulead DVD Movie Factory and Media Player 7; Added compatibility with Adobe Encore DVD, Sonic DVDIt, Sonic MyDVD. + Vastly improved quality of "Sharpness filter" option. + Improved German, Romanian and Ukrainian translations.

I don't know about SHW95DLL.DLL file. PTE doesn't use this DLL and Windows 95/98 have no such DLL. How another .exe slide-shows which you've produced work on your PC? Also please try our example of presentation: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Per_aspera_ad_astra.zip (1,5 Mb)

Thanks for your all wonderful ideas! I'd like to finish small work on v4.31(update of AVI video output) and some feature for future v4.40 and I'll reply in details on your messages!

I like this slide-show! Especially waterfall scene, idea with sound ambient and quality of picture. Thanks, Michel.

We plan to prepare small update - v4.31 which will fix all known bugs with AVI video output feature when it didn't work in some cases (Ulead DVD Movie Factory 2 and 3, Adobe Encore, Sonic MyDVD, DVDit, Media Player 7). All these problems were our and mine bugs. Now I hope it will work fine on any PC.

Also we plan to fix incompatibility with Sonic MyDVD, Sonic DVDit!, and Adobe Encore.

Yes, in v4.20, too. Just it always happened with one especial combination of parameters. I'm happy that it found today.

Today I've finally reproduced rare bug when converting of video to MPEG2 falls on 99% of work in Ulead DVD Movie Factory 2 and 3. "Failed to convert video file Error: ..." We'll try to fix this bug as soon as possible and will upload updated version v4.30. p.s. this bug occured for NON-synchronized slide-shows only.

Dear Bart! I very wish you to pass as possible fast through this difficult period in your life and your mother and wife became to feel better! I always will glad you to see you! With cordial regards,

Thanks for the responses. Of course, there will be no pauses during Pan effect, because just it's large picture which loads wholly and shows by parts. This effect will work very well. In any direction (also diagonally). I'm thinking about the Zoom, because it's the most difficult effect.

How you consider is the recently improved Push effect enough smooth in v4.30? Need it be additionally improved in the next versions, or future Pan effect can be based on current engine of Push effect?

I plan to improve various aspects of "Customize synchronization" window. Also I hope to improve synchronization. I'd like to discuss several moments a little bit later (to find better solutions). Navigation bar (and all concerned functions) will be improved. As usually, after first beta, we will discuss new Navigation bar, if I miss some necessary function. About Pan & Zoom effects. I can't promiss exact date when they appear, because there are many technical difficulties how to realize smooth Zoom effect right now. However I think we'll find optimal variant, and I'll write you! Pan effect is much more easy to implement. We'll try to realize Pan effect in this version, if it's possible. Apparently auto-scaling of objects will be added in v4.50. We've scheduled new graphical engine for it and for another things (it's a long work, which will be started soon). Guido, Please write me more about p.4. Ron, I hope Audacity, CoolEdit, or some another product will more suitable. We will not create own audio editor, but some absolutely another product I'll try to place somewhere button for quick access to synchronization. I plan to add option for embedding of fonts. Solve some cases when AVI video output doesn't work. And many another features. It's far not full list, because all in process! Sorry, I'll reply in details on all another suggestions a little later, because I must carefully process all suggestions and determine when and how they can be realized. I've printed newest version of this topic and working with it. On some difficult questions, I'd like to reply and discuss later (but soon). There are so many wonderful ideas! Thank you.

It should be possible, too. But difficult. I don't know about all PDAs with PalmOS 5, but many devices can play MPEG-4 video (at least, you will need to install player if there was no such support). Windows can't encode MPEG-4 video file, so there are two ways: 1) Find some MPEG-4 codec and encode .avi file packed in MPEG-4 right in PicturesToExe 2) or use some powerful video editor who can encode MPEG-4.

Apparently it's a bug of PTE. I didn't see any similar bugs for years (in final releases), but mistakes with message "Expection EAccessViolation in module..." can be easily fixed. Most likely it happened because of some combination of parameters of this slide-show. Please only send me this .exe file to I was able quickly test it. I've wrote you email with my address.

Thank you for the ideas! I've printed this topic and working on it now to reply a little bit later.

Maybe this info can be useful. Today I've experimented with PocketPC on Windows Mobile 2003. It can smoothly play 320x240 video with 30 frames per second. 1) I've choosed "DVD-Video disc" option then clicked "Create custom AVI file" and modified size to 320 for width and 240 for height and 30 frames. 2) "Create AVI" button. 3) There is Movie Maker program in Windows XP (or Windows Me, too) . It allows to import AVI file and then add it to the project. Then "Save video" button. 4) And in 10 seconds I've received 530 Kb of .wmv video file. It contains my "Per aspera ad astra" slide-show (1-minute, 320x240, 15 frames, Medium quality of video compression). It played fine on PocketPC (especially in landscape layout). 1 minute video 320x240 with 30 frames and high quality will take 1,5 Mb. So it's a very quickly and simple to make and play slide-shows on PocketPC with Windows Mobile 2003 (and maybe on previous PocketPC 2002). 30 frames give smooth playback of transition effects. By the way, virtual AVI video output in PicturesToExe allows to produce video with any size and FPS. For any future video formats.

I thought about this moment many times, but personally I don't love message which will ask about necessary monitor. Almost always probably it better to run slide-show on the main monitor, but when it's necessary to show it on a LCD projector it can be enough to assign second video output output (projector) as main monitor, or use special utility (thanks to your advice, Shooter!).

Please suggest your 3-5 the most expected features in v4.40 of PicturesToExe. We've started work on this version. I'll add all suggestions to my todo list. Thanks.

Hello! Please don't worry! I just sent you email and we'll solve this problem.

Please explain me in more details. You can show next or previous slides using arrows keys. Home key to show first slide, Pause/Break key to Pause show.

There is a small technical problem to realize it in Preview mode. Curent work of Preview gives maximally possible fast work of Preview exactly as in EXE file. By the way, you can press Ctrl+F9. It creates an EXE file (as "Create" button) and then automatically runs it. It should helps in this case!

Yes, I plan to add this feature with improved Navigation bar in v4.40!

I know that almost all DVD players in Russia (I consider that absolutely all) can play DVD discs in NTSC standart, because there are many films in the 1st zone which are NTSC only. But there is another problem - for NTSC format TV should show 30(60 Hz) frames, PAL requires 25 (50 Hz) frames. At my home I could play DVD discs on TV only when I've connected DVD player to TV via SCART connection and choosed "sRGB" format of video signal in the menu of DVD player. However all modern DVD player (at least, made during last years) can transcode (and do it by default) NTSC video and show it in PAL format. But as I've seen on my DVD player, it works bad - motions look are twitched (because it seems that DVD just skips 5 frames to adapt 30-frames of NTSC to 25 of PAL). Because of this, I use another above described way. As I know almost all European countries also use PAL standart. NTSC is mainly used in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, etc. If it possible, use usual EXE files which plays fine in any country Or at least, prepare DVD with two variants: for NTSC and for PAL.

Brian, interesting info! I also read the long list of programs which don't work partially or at all with SP2. Microsoft also added some important and necessary changes to this SP2. I hope no problems with PicturesToExe under SP2. We have tested slide-shows and they work fine and don't require any reworking. The main program of PicturesToExe also works now even on Athlon 64-bit with new NX protection technology.

I just uploaded updated build of v4.30 (23.08.2004) which fixes the problem with running of PicturesToExe under PCs with AMD Athlon 64-bit CPU on Windows XP with installed Service Pack 2. This problem happened only with PicturesToExe (main program), not with .exe files of slide-shows. We've updated only registration mechanism which protects PicturesToExe, no another changes. Please download this updated v4.30: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr.zip p.s. owners of PCs with Athlon 64 with Windows XP, please leave here your responses, I'd grateful to you for testing of the updated version.