Igor

About Fade effect.opt_FastFade=1 is always used now in v4.30 for more frames per second. But we still didn't decide with second option: opt_SmoothFade=1 which makes Fade effect more soft at beginning and when finished (elusive to catch moment between slides). Maybe it better to add option who prefer this mode of Fade effect. Personally, I like both styles (current and this new) for different presentations. Logo Ok, I've added copyright logo feature to my todo list when it will time to add it. It's minor work. InterfaceWhat you think about moment that now we have so various views of main interface of PTE? Two layouts (and third in progress), additionally thumbnails or table. So many combinations. Personally I'm a little bit afraid that it can be difficult to choose some one view (Aleksey says that it's not a problem) Need you to have views, when Slide list consists from severals rows, or maybe current one line view is better and it is enough to use full screen? p.s. Ron, also it possible to use mouse double-click on a slide to show personal settings.

I recommend you to try with *absolutely* another mp3 music file (from another source, album and place). Also please keep in some place original .exe file with presentation which brings the problem (for testing). If it possible run this problemary .exe file on some another PC. Probably PTE can't play this mp3 file correctly. This case easily can be solved. p.s. by the way, it is v4.20 and not newest v4.30 beta #1?

Dear Steve, We'll try to solve the problem! First, please let me know how our test example of presentation works on your PC. http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Per_aspera_ad_astra.zip (1,5 Mb). Do the lock ups happen with *all* presentations you've created? Tell me more about configuration of your PC. And how another programs work on the PC, especially which work with sound or play video?

Of course! We'll improve and improve the program!

How the light table (by F3 or F4 key) works for adding file or re-arranging slides? You can freely use new beta, because it mainly contains changes in interface only. Or at least it possible to create presentation in the beta and then produce final .exe in v4.20 because these versions has no difference in format of .pte project files.

Thank you, I'll think about feature to rename file! p.s. first beta may sometimes in very rare case freeze up when you start drag-n-drop or multi select with a mouse and thumbs pictures not fully loaded. This problem will be fixed in the next beta. I'd want to inform you about this only one problem of freeze up which I've seen during last month of work. Thumbnails view and seeming classical view are absolutely new component written by our team from "empty" page.

PicturesToExe v4.30 beta #1 is released http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip (1.4 Mb) Dear friends! Main features of this version are new interface, thumbnails view of File panel or Slide list, light table (which will be shown on the full screen. Separately for file panel or for Slide list), waveform. The work still in progress and we'll add new layouts with vertical Slide list and with thumbnails in several rows in Slide list. Also interface of waveform is not ready yet, - it will be reworked. Some earlier announced new features also are not ready. Adding of these functions will take minor time, so please wait for them in the next betas. This first beta may contains various small bugs in the interface of the main window, because it's was vastly reworked. Please read the list below to quickly learn about new major features. To turn on the new interface with thumbnails, visit the Main menu | Options or use special hot keys described below: What's new in v4.30 beta #1: + File panel and Slide list now can be displayed as thumbnails or in its classical view (table) (to switch between these views press Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2 (for File panel or Slide list accordingly), or via small "V" buttons). + There are available second layout style (Slide list in full width of window). Press Ctrl+F1 and Ctrl+F2 to switch between classical and new layouts. Or visit Main menu | Options. + Main features of thumbnails view of File panel or Slide list: > Easily resizeable items in real-time by trackbar or Ctrl+mouse wheel; > Ability to display pictures without text captions (Shift+1, Shift+2); > Resize items by moving new splitter between Slide list and Preview area. + Light table (on full screen). This mode allows to concentrate on adding of new pictures or re-arranging of slides. Press "F" buttons or F3 key to see light table for File panel or F4 key for light table of Slide list. + Multi-select in file panel or Slide list. With mouse, or with Shift or Ctrl keys. Now it works as in Windows Explorer. + Visual drag-and-drop. Dragged items looks semi-transparent as in Windows XP. And it works in any Windows! + Actions with with several selected slides or files. You can easily delete, shift, re-arrange and copy any count of items at a time. + Improved transition effects: Fade effect works in two times (i.e. on 100%) more fast and smooth. So now Fade effect shows smoothly even on old PC with Pentium 233-400 Mhz. + Waveform feature in "Customize synchronization" window. Set the cursor to range of necessary music track on the time-line and then click "Waveform" button or press Ctrl+W. This feature may help you to exactly assign transition points to necessary moments in music. + Improved music player: > Transition effect shown in the moment between two music tracks will not jerk more. > Really random playback when this mode is choosed. Always new track from playlist. > Preparing of slides with sounds works a little bit faster. + Another improvements in the "Customize synchronization" window: > Right mouse button click to show popup menu. > To start full-screen preview from first slide, click "Preview" button when there is no selected transition point. * Various minor improvements. * Fixed several minor bugs.

Thanks for all your ideas and messages! I'll try to reply on your messages during next days. The first beta with light table and another new features should be ready soon.

The most best DVD encoding software for using with PicturesToExe it is Ulead DVD Movie Factory and TMpegEnc Plus. They never cause such problem. I think described problem happens because some DVD encoding programs can't automatically recognize correct order of fields of the frames. 1) In this DVD encoding software which you've use, please try to find option for choosing "Field A first"/"Fields B first" or maybe "Top field"/"Bottom field" and change default value to another one and encode DVD again. 2) If this won't help, please make that option in its first state and close DVD encoder. Then start PicturesToExe and try to set "For Pinnacle Studio (Field A first)" option in "Create AVI video" window of PicturesToExe and produce AVI file file again. Then encode DVD. I hope this should help. p.s. also please let me know what DVD encoder sofrware you have.

Thanks, it should be realized in this next version.

Yes, I've already realized multi select in light table and classical table view of this new component. In the next version it should works for re-arranging, copying/moving and deleting. And next features later.

Sorry about my long absence on the forum! I'm very closely working now on new features and wasn't able to switch to another tasks. It's not right, of course! Main part of code of the light table is completed and I'll integrate this component into PTE very soon. Waveform feature is ready. It wasn't too difficult as light table Also I'm working on another features which we've discussed earlier. p.s. I'll try to reply on new messages on the forum.

There are temporal technical works on WnSoft www.wnsoft.com web server. The server may doesn't response for a some time today. The forum server works as usually. Sorry for this inconvenience.

I also want to have ideally smooth push effect, but it's difficult technically. Probably one solution for us it's to making of DirectX based engine. So we're continiously researching all variants and solutions. In v4.20 we've finally made really smooth Fade effect (in 2,5 times with opt_FastFade=1) on any PC and I hope there is some solution and for reaching of smooth Push effect.

It's a strange visual bug. Please try the next special build which probably may help: http://www.wnsoft.com/beta/ptev420a.zip Download this file, unzip, and replace old apr.exe file in the folder where installed PicturesToExe.

Excuse my long absence, just I've fully absorbed in work on new features The main task is light table view. And many another your great ideas which I've added to the todo list. This light table view (or thumbnailer view) should be available for file panel and slide list with full functions. The old view, of course, also will be possible, as usually. I think we'll discuss view of light table once again after a time, to make it as it maximally possible in best view.

Thank you for very interesting thoughts! I just printed this topic and I will work with it on the paper.

Your opinion is very important to find the most important features which should be added now in the next version (or in difficult cases at the nearest releases). I'd grateful if you could suggest your 3 the most expected new features.

Very interesting discussion! Thank you. Bill, I'm not sure about auto beat detection, probably! You're right, often it difficult to find necessary peaks. Ok, I'll leave wave form visualization after completing of another important features. Let me suggest to discuss another important theme. Please see new "The next most important features" topic.

Do we need in Wave display on time-line in the "Customize synchronization" window? We were requested several times about this feature and probably it will help to set transition points more exactly and quickly. We already have some code for this when we've wrote new music player. 1) Is it really necessary or just external program (like Audacity 1.0) will wholly enough? 2) So which priority it has?

Thanks for nice ideas! I've added the idea with shifting of several points on time-line to my todo list, too. p.s. I just tested PicturesToExe with future version of Windows, codename -"Longhorn" Alpha Preview for developers which is dated by October of 2003. This totally new future version of Windows is scheduled to be released at the beginning of 2006. The previous Windows XP was released at October of 2001 (2,5 years ago) as you know. So following by results of the first tests PicturesToExe fully workable under Windows Longhorn, AVI video output works OK. I've tried 5-7 different slide-shows and they all worked fine. Of course, Longhorn is far away of its final state and Microsoft will add very innovative technologies during the next two years of development such as new 2D/3D interface (something like as in MacOS X and even much more powerful, as expected).

Thanks for reminding me about option which will embedd external .exe files into one .exe file! I'll try to make it. The second ability to run several differents apps could be added, without a problem, I think! About separated parameter field. Please give me example to see how it can be used. Usually I can specify parameters in the one RunApp field. E.g., notepad c:\todo.txt

Who have difficulty with Ulead DVD MovieFactory2 please try the next test: a) Download AVI MPEG4 encoder: http://www.wnsoft.com/beta/mpeg4.zip (136 Kb) After downloading unzip into some folder, click right mouse button on mpeg4fix.inf file (in Windows Explorer) and select "Install". Confirm. c) In AVI video dialog, click "Video codec" and select "Microsoft MPEG-4 V2" and choose maximal bitrate in "Options" window. d) Now PTE will create fully stand-alone AVI file, which please try to add to Ulead DVD MovieFactory2 and encode DVD. (Also to save your DVD-R/RW discs, just set to create ISO image of a disc.) It's not best way to encode DVD disc with maxiamal quality, but this as a test. Also, please I very don't recommend to distribute slide-show as this AVI Mpeg4 video file, please take usual .exe file with slide-show. p.s. I've quickly checked up newest Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3 Trial recently and it works OK as previous version 2.0 with PTE.

PicturesToExe v4.20 is released http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr.zip (1,4 Mb) Dear friends! I very much grateful to you for all help! And I happy to work together. With kindest regards, What's new in v4.20: + AVI video output feature. Now you can produce your presentations as AVI video file and then (using special software) burn DVD-Video, VCD, or SVCD disc. (Please read chapter in the help about work with video output.) + Improvements in transition effects: > Added new transition effect - "Advanced hour hand" (with variations). This effect has special "Offset" option for fine customization. > Added new "Push" and "Slide" transition effects. We recommend to show these effects or quickly (500 ms.), or slowely (3,5 second and longer). > Vastly improved quality of smoothing line in all effects. For existed projects please increase thickness from old 40 to 60 points. > Vastly improved "Mosaic" transition effect (old name "Hot blocks"). This effect has new smooth view. Available 3 parameters for fine customization. (Note: with "Appearance:" parameter as 100 and "Parts:" 26 x 20 it works exactly as "Hot blocks" effect in previous versions of PicturesToExe.) > Added "Show first transition effect from desktop" option (Project options | Screen tab) > You can quickly select/deselect groups of effects clicking on title of effect (see Project options | Effects tab). > Fade effect works on 20%-50% more smoothly now. ! Fade effect is turned on by default now (in Project options). + Improved synchronized mode of presentation. Now you can fully control presentation in this mode; go to any slide; use Navigation bar; Pause feature. To activate this mode set checked "Permit the control" (Project options | Main tab). + Vastly improved MIDI playback on old PCs (Pentium 150 - 400 Mhz). + New improvement in "Customize Synchronization" window: > Added auto scrolling when you move transition point outside of visible part of time-line; + It's possible to adjust thickness of smoothline in the personal settings of a slide. (E.g. you can set 40 pixels of smootline for 1st slide and 80 pixels for 2nd slide). + Added customizable shadow for picture objects (Visual editor | "Properties" window of an object). + Improved Print function (in presentations). Picture or slide fits on full page now. + Added support for 32-bit .bmp images with alpha channel (for use as objects). + Added "Disable mouse wheel" option (Project options | Advanced tab). + Added .wma and .ogg support in sound comments for slides. + Various small improvements. - Removed "Use smoothing" option, because smoothing is always turned on now. when if it's necessary to fit large picture on the screen. * Fixed two bugs in Visual editor of objects which caused show of messages about error. * Fixed rare bug of v4.10-v4.14 with incorrect work of "Print slide" feature. * Fixed old small visual bug in "Customize synchronization" window. * Fixed several minor bugs. p.s. please don't forget to check up for presence of opt_FastFade=1 string (in the apr.ini file after pte_SoundInitDir= string), because this option will be turned on by default only in the next version automatically. This option will make Fade effect in two-three times more smooth especially on old PCs. Before editing of apr.ini file please close all copies of PTE.

Thanks, I've understood now. I think it can be realized in the next version when we will work on it.