Igor

Michel, probably, but no plans while! About one important improvement in beta #7 I forgotten to say that Fade effect works on 25%-50% more smoothly now. Only on very old PCs (like Pentium 233 Mhz with S3 video card) it works not faster, but just EQUALLY as earlier. In the next version (4.30) we will optimize Fade effect more.

LumenLux Many thanks for your this and previous testings! Try this new test, please: http://www.wnsoft.com/beta/pre_beta8.zip The ZIP archive contains three .exe files with different variants. Please make sure in number of version (A, B or C) when you will compare results. For this test use usual set of all effects together (Fade, Hour hand, etc). If the problem won't appear, then compare with beta #6 where this problem always happens. Michel Video output area so difficult, because it's an interaction of PTE and DVD encoder (Ulead DMF2) and video codecs. So sure it can be our bug and just we need to debug this module properly once.

I just checked up. Presentations with this option work fine on PC with two connected displays. And written code also absolutely correct and no more changes are required.

PicturesToExe v4.20 beta #7 is released http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip (1,4 Mb) What's new in beta #7: • Added "Start first transition effect from desktop" option (Project options | Screen tab) • Improved speed of the new Mosaic effect. Also with "Smoothness:" parameter as 100 and "Parts:" 26 x 20 it works exactly as "Hot blocks" effect in previous versions of PicturesToExe. • Fade effect works on 20%-50% more smoothly now. • Fixed rare bug of v4.10-v4.14 when "Print slide" feature didn't work. P.S. What is your opinion concerning "Start first transition effect from desktop" option? Does it look correctly and will it give a good impression in case of careful using of this option? And please use this option in beta #7 only for tests, because I didn't test it yet, how it compatible with multi-displays configuration.

You even can keep all versions of PTE together in one folder Because all inside one apr.exe file. Another files don't special matter (help, translations). You can rename it into apr_v420.exe and it will work even if there will be no files in a folder.

In the next beta "Advanced Hour Hand" won't be selected by default for existed projects. By the way, now you easily can set (un)checked whole group of effects clicking by its caption (e.g. click on "Advanced Hour hand" label).

Oh, you are right! I ought to don't include "Advanced hour hand" effect for *previously created* projects, only when author starts new project. Thanks, I just fixed this moment and new effects will not appear in existed projects by default. (Of course, author can visit Project options and add any new effect which he would like to see in his earlier presentations)

Dear Sharon, I need additional info to solve this problem: 1) As I understood, all worked fast on v4.12. What about current official v4.14? 2) The problem came with v4.20 beta #6 only or it was with previous beta issues, too? 3) What size of picture and what screen resolution? 4) If all worked fine with v4.12 or v4.14, please couldn't you send me two .exe files which can illustrate this difference in speed? (Up to 4 Mb, please. I just sent you email.)

Please remind your version of Windows.

Thanks for letting me know about this moment with Beta #6! Please don't worry, I'll solve this problem. Can I send you special version(s) for tests?

It's not trivial task, for needs of continuous movement all slides should be loaded at the start slide-show and memory will contains unpacked bitmaps of all slides. It's large modification and I'm not sure when it may appears. I'll try to explore in this direction. However! You can use continuous movement for panorama effect right now if you will create your slide show as DVD video.

The problem may occur only with "Hot blocks" ("Mosaic") effect, because we didn't optimize this effect for old PCs yet. The next beta will contain absolutely similar code (speed of performance) for this effect as in previous versions. Please tell me about configuration of your PC and what transition effects you have used and more details.

Dear Larry, It's absolutely not PTE message. Please make a screenshot and send us to support@wnsoft.com (pressing by PrintScr key on the keyboard and then start any graphical editor and click "Paste" action from clipboard). OK, I'll try! But if we were able to realize this feature what do with background. It should be instantly replaced with background of new slide and when? Dana, Now I can say that it will be added in the next version! I've already have some code for it.

It's absolutely not PTE message. Please make a screenshot and send us to support@wnsoft.com (pressing by PrintScr key on the keyboard and then start any graphical editor and click "Paste" action from clipboard).

Our public address support@wnsoft.com received 1500 emails with virus Sobig every day during past August Michel, These are emails from users who ever wrote you and now infected by MyDoom/Navarg virus. If you start new email box, you will give your new address to all again and in a next epidemic you receive viruses again. Probably it better to have patience during this period. Changing of email address inevitably when email box receives many spams (but we can't replace support@wnsoft.com which receive 100-200 spam emails every day).

Thanks for your responses! Of course, Slide and Push effect are very CPU dependent. It better to show them or very quickly (lesser than 500 ms.) or slowely (3500 ms. and higher). Mainly I imagine usage of the effect for menus, for animation of textes. An image file size doesn't matter for effect quality. It depends of graphical size of the image and size of screen. The uninterrupted sequence from several slides can be realized in DVD/SVCD video. Ok, I'll think about this moment for the next version! Interesting moment! To OGL 1. Please try Push and Slide effects with above suggested duration. 2. Smoothness of Mosaic effect will be improved in the next betas! (By the way, try 8x8, 10 and 1500 ms.)

PicturesToExe v4.20 beta #6 is released http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip (1,4 Mb) What's new in beta #6: + Improvements in transition effects: > Added new transition effect - "Advanced hour hand" (with variations). This effect has special "Offset" option for fine customization of its view. > Added new "Push" and "Slide" transition effects. > Vastly improved "Mosaic" transition effect (old name "Hot blocks"). This effect has new smooth view. Available 3 parameters for fine customization. > You can quickly select/deselect groups of effects clicking on title of effect (see Project options | Effects tab). > Fade effect is turned on in Project options by default now. + Added .wma and .ogg support in sound comments for slides. + Added "For Pinnacle Studio (Field A first)" option in AVI video dialog. Use this option if you will convert produced AVI file into DVD-Video or SVCD in Pinnacle Studio software. * Fixed several minor bugs. I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to present new Navigation bar in this v4.20. It's doesn't look as I'd like. I need more time to develop it with all scheduled features. I hope the new gamma of effects (4 main and 25 variations) will became some compensation For new Mosaic effect I know as least 4 wonderful combination of paramaters which produce absolutely new effects. Also I think we'll a little optimize speed of this effect. p.s. I'll try to set lesser cycle of development for new versions, and more often release them. So the first beta of v4.30 will be with new Nav. bar.

Again I'm glad that we have separated server for the forum! p.s. I just talked with the administrators of our web hoster and they promised to solve the problem with www.wnsoft.com within short time today.

Please don't worry. We're transferring our Web site into new dedicated virtual server. I didn't inform you because I thought that this process will be inconspicuous, but they turned off old server before DNS records were updated to the new server. Sorry to trouble you! Also we're near to show next beta version of v4.20 with new features, and new transition effect (with variations). Probably new Navigation bar also will be ready in this beta #6. Thanks! And please excuse me for my long absence - I had various hard work during first part of January.

We'll think about this idea for the next future versions. I consider it's interesting idea.

Ray, If you use Pinnacle Studio 8 please try this new build: http://www.wnsoft.com/beta/pte420preb6.zip And set checked up "For Pinnacle Studio" option in AVI dilog in PicturesToExe. This build will solve flickering.

There is no such transition effect earlier. We could add it now, but this effect doesn't look smooth (on many technical reasons). However it's suitable for title or finish stages of slide-show (e.g. text appearing). Probably it better to realize it in personal settings of a slide only? p.s. Thanks!

Even if you don't have DVD writer you can burn SVCD video on usual CD-R disc on CD-R/RW writer with near to DVD quality. I've tried with creating SCVD discs and it gives me almost same quality as it could be DVD video. So it better never create VCD video which will looks very blurred and shows terrible transition effects. And DVD or SVCD will make maximally possible for TV details and smoothness of transation effects in your presentations. SVCD video disc can be played on any PC with CD-ROM or DVD-ROM and software for playing of DVD video disc. Or on most of stationary DVD players connected to TV.

Alan, what usual graphical size (in pixels) and file size (in Kbytes) of the image of a slide? And what version of PTE you have used to produce all those slide-shows?