LumenLux

Thank you Ken. I hope we all have veterans of war and life whom we respect and remember. We are the better for it.

I think this is a great idea and perfectly implemented. Congratulations to you both. While on your site Dom, I found I could not leave a comment. I guess my earlier registrations had been lost again. I have now registered again, because your site is very much worth it - one of the best around. Thank you. Now with the superb cock board (new term to this American) - Are you already working to allow the viewer to mouse-select which photo he wants to bring forward and zoom? Seems like that would be a very nice presentation method too. Thanks for your expert contributions to PTE users!

Personally, ever since the origination of PTE, one of the greatest features has been the lack of a "Presenter" program. Granted, occasionally a recipient of a .zip file will have to be "trained", but I feel that occasional situation is much less trouble than having to deal with a "Presenter" as is the case with several other programs that have come and gone. My very first AV, made prior to PTE discovery, used a very good program. But now, 7 years later, when even I want to see the show, I have to search and hassle how to use the viewer or presenter. I am thankful PTE continues as a readily viewable .exe. Maybe there is some way Igor could yet improve over .exe, but I hate to distract him from other pursuits likely more valuable to you and me.

Thank you each for your comments. Several have caused me to re-watch the presentation myself. A couple of comments have also come via email. I am a great believer that many readers can benefit from such discussions, so I would like to include the following observations I received. 1. Probably your best work...at least to me. Great choice of music...it went perfectly. My only negative would be the special effects shots. For me they took me out of the mood for a moment, and the photography and music didn't need the extra man made effort...at least in my totally untrained mind. It is kind of like when man tries to improve on Nature's wonderful creations, it usually doesn't work. Take this with a grain of salt Robert. I love your work and feel just like you do about the outdoors and the wonders we have close at hand. Again, great job. It is a favorite of mine. 2. Hi Robert Get rid of the awful jerky title and the video bit in the middle. Other than that the rest is brilliant. So, in response to the emailed and posted comments, (and inviting further discussion) - On my PC, the moving title is not jerky, but still questionable worth. Not to "defend", but just to share my original thinking: The ice/water surface "flotation" was so intriguing in real life, that I decided to try to portray that same movement. Even though it turned out quite accurate to the real thing, It still breaks the flow of the presentation pace. I know I am still exploring as to where our V5 power is of real benefit. And actually, I guess those two slides effects were just as possible in version 4 anyway. I thought the title idea might work, but the result seemed too quasi-starwars or something. I'm quite sure I, or somebody could come out with a better implementation of having the title on the (board)walk. As for the "video", I presume the writer realizes the movement results from a few still images. But it makes me think about our definitions of video and how our eyes and minds handle it. And apparently that movement appeals to theDom as animation but does not appeal to the other photographer as "video" in this presentation of otherwise still photographs. As for several slides being "redundant or not as good as the others" - I think that is something many of us have to constantly consider. I continue to make the same observation on many presentations of others as well as my own. I certainly hope I always think about it as I put a sequence together. Sometimes, depending on our purpose of the presentation, I either properly justify, or improperly rationalize including more shots than might be "best." Then there is the "fear" that maybe a potential viewer will appreciate Shot B but would appreciate Shot A even more. But not knowing which, I don't want to deprive the viewer of seeing the one that might, to him, be the most satisfying. Finally, I think the yay or nay decision depends partially whether one is looking for the photograph individually or as a component of a presentation. I bet we could hear some good ideas on this from some of our more passionate photographers and AV enthusiasts? Again, thank you very much for caring enough to comment. It helps us all.

From "Authors Notes" on Beechbrook.com: God's great nature is always evident outdoors. After five weekends of winter threats (snow), a reprieve to autumn is depicted through this mountain walk. This six-minute show conveys a few of my impressions. If you get to Beechbrook before the presentation does, you can download here:Impressions Your comments are welcome.

Lin, I just want to thank you too. When this type of intelligent discussion takes place, it helps us all. Even when we think we have known most (some?) of it before. Thanks Kevin for asking questions that extract Lin's knowledge for us all to utilize. I've had the good fortune of taking so many pictures lately, I have not been doing much in the Forum. So it is nice to be able to check in and always find something useful and maybe even be able to contribute as well.

Jeff - I enjoyed your presentation. Perhaps that is the most important comment. Your excellent photography shines through even from the days when you were concentrating on video (If I recall correctly.) I like your slow pace presentation in this instance. Though we all know, the music can so powerfully influence what we extract from good photos. When I watch your presentations, I often have an extra enjoyment that most viewers don't have. In a tour such as this presentation, there are some photos that I recognize to the exact spot. There are also many more that I can't help wondering where they are. Most of the photos "remind" me of similar views that may or may not be even close. Finally there are those totally unfamiliar vista's that remind me how vast and wonderful this western land is. I don't know if people who have not experienced this type of landscape and terrain can even understand what I am saying. But it is my firm conviction that some of the places you walk, as with places I walk, are being touched for the first time by man, even though millions of people have visited the famous national parks or "attractions" nearby. It is a great life and your presented reminder is well taken.

Thank you Neil for your observations. I think you are correct on the out-of-focus condition on several (many?) slides. I have a couple of ideas as to cause. Most shots were taken in aperture mode and I may have carelessly used long exposures while concentrating on F-stops for greater depth of field. Also, I often change the camera's ISO setting and frequently forget to reset it. Finally, I took many of the shots while huffing and puffing or on-the-run and may not have always come to a complete stop before shooting! I guess I should find the original files and see what the exif data reveals on exposure times and other settings. One thing I've wondered for a while - As photographers making such sequences, how many are routinely "sharpening" either via camera settings or in post-processing? I'd welcome some opinions and recommendations.

From the "Authors notes" on Beechbrook: This PTE records a modest attempt to "shape up" a friend who has committed to a yet-to-come major hike but has not yet made any effort to condition himself. So with the help of PTE he can see vividly the current picture. 10 minute show. As usual, I've tried to subtly exploit a few of PTE's extensive capabilities. I'm always interested in any comments of what you like or don't like or notice or don't notice. So please have a look and then have a "say" too. You're killin' me!

I hope maybe Igor or Sergey can respond to this. Reading your comment Limey, reminds me that I too may have needed to go back to an earlier version to get the success I described. I should have documented my efforts better, but maybe Igor or Sergey can focus on the possibility that earlier versions did not encounter, at least not as often, the very frustrating problem.

Congratulations Howard ! Your presentation evidences a wonderful experience for you and your group and especially for the thankful family with the new home! I remember from your comments on shows I've done of our similar experiences in Peru, that you were involved in such great projects. Now it is nice to see your PTE presentation of such. I understand your "reluctance" to post the show, but I'm glad you did. The beauty of PTE is that is continues to be useful at so many different levels and different formats. In your case, the "event" you portray, is what is important. For any presentation you want the show to be watchable and enjoyable, but there are "demos" in great number that we all appreciate for their purpose too. I think you realize, as I think I do, that your intended audience for this type of show "requires" a show so long, that most outsiders (and some insiders) will lose interest. So I think it is a real skill for the show producer to determine the right length for his audience and purpose. I don't think there is a single right answer, but knowing your audience and their interest level must be the main factor. I, like you, have often "used" these "too long" presentations to bring more business to Igor. Right now, I am helping a photographer friend who is a new convert to PTE. He has a group experience of Egypt and Israel that he is wrapping up. This (his first use of PTE) is about 700 slides and lasts just over an hour. Will his group like it? They will love it. Will some sleep in it? Most likely. Regarding a couple of techniques you used - The scrolling list of participants might be better at the end of the presentation. My preference would be to let the "plot" get a running start and then credit the participants at the end for their fine contributions. Your animated text interjections - I like them in this presentation. I think they would be too "gimmicky" for many presentations, but work well in your show for "insiders" and offer frequent "breaks" in a long, predictable, story with few "surprises." Bottom line for me: You enjoyed doing the good work and I enjoyed seeing what you all did. Thanks for sharing.

John, the solution is now clear. Just take me on the cruise and I will take care of everything for your presentation! But if that is not reasonable, try this. Your 1.2 gig .iso file may be all you need. In Wnsoft (PTE) Video Builder, main window, upper left corner: File/Burn ISO image/ Will open a dialogue box with browser type window to select the .ISO file you want to burn to the DVD burner drive you select. I have had some trouble with using Video Builder to burn the .iso file, but have also had success. Yesterday I tried several times where the process would show no progress on the % meter, and then within 10 seconds say it was complete, but nothing was done. It was late last night and I am not sure what I did to overcome the tempermental behavior. But I did re-install PTE and Video Builder, installed new firmware on my HP burner (probably not relevant) and ended up successful last night and today. I did all my trials with very small pte shows, (maybe 2 minutes long.) Once I got it working, I then had no problem with my real project. My real project, was actually a very large show of a friend new to PTE who also had files much larger than I would recommend. His show is one hour, 700 slides,(500+mb) mp3 file of 175mb. The successful burn to DVD in PTE took about 3.5 Gb. I have then burned mutliple copies from the .ISO file as described above. If you do run into problems, similar to what I had, maybe someone else can help us narrow down the cause. but I think you may find that you can now successfully use PTE Video Builder to burn the .ISO file you have. Good luck, and please let us know your results.

Try your DVD burning first with a very short show with a few slides and one piece of music. If you are successful at that level you can start trouble-shooting why your larger show is failing.

Thank you very much Nathan and Brian. Nathan's link turned out very useful for this problem and likely for future use of the linked site. The cause in my case was not exactly as described on that site, but the info there led me to realize it was a faulty installation of (my normally favorite) Firefox. Brian, I had thought I had that Outlook Express box unchecked, but sure enough when I followed your instructions I found it was indeed checked, and now of course un-checked. Everything is now functioning as desired. Thank you both again. Related query: Do most folks who use Firefox browser also favor Thunderbird for email?

Paul, the "noise" you describe is immediately apparent when I present your downloaded file in PTE preview! My first guess is the problem is coming in the raw conversion somehow. I think your Nikon conversion program is famously good (?) but I have never seen a nice photo show that kind of degradation as a result of PTE! I will be interested when Lin or you or someone nails it down. Editing my comment above to build on Ken's comment. Using Irfanview, I resized your image to 1024x752. Saved in Irfanview at Quality 100 and Quality 70. Running the three slides in PTE preview, one after another, the grain is gone in both Q100 and Q70. I see no downgrading on my system vs. your original size file. It almost makes me wonder if PTE is "too good .vs the other viewers in showing what is really in the file/image? I guess the bottom line is, I would not consider the undesireable result a ''fault" of PTE, but a condition you can handle to suit your taste.

I have just noticed I can no longer open any links that appear in my received email. For example, a link posted in this forum will open just fine. But if that same link is copied into an email to me, it will not open. When I click on the same link in an email, there is absolutely no response. Is this a security setting in Outlook Express that I have inadvertantly changed? Or is it a possible malware intrusion? Or do I need a Windows XP repair?

I think that would work fine in many situations. I felt that using PTE to handle it would be more versatile. If for instance I wanted to use the movement as a recurring transition, I could simply swap the "carried" image for each new slide. Also, some of my possible uses are still rather vague. Thank you for pointing out this method.

Thank you Harvey and Lin. I sometimes think I have more success by accident with V5 than I do on purpose. Your solutions are a help. When I substituted my own slides into your pte files, I found that Lin's method produced exactly what I had in mind. Harvey's produced a different result that might also be useful.

This should be simple, but I can not do it ! (yet) Can someone please make and post a short .pte so I can see how to do this? In Version 5, I want the following on a 1024x768 screen. Image "Black" covers entire screen. Image "A" is vertical 512x768 (so half of screen width). Image "B" is 1024x768. I want image "A" to enter from left and move across the screen and exit on the right. I want image "B" to follow same path, as if it is "attached" to trailing edge of image "A" When image "A" completes exit, image "B" remains such that it covers entire screen.

Thank you, I'll keep this one handy. But I have also had viewers think the shimmer is cool on certain photos.

Yes, that is it! Thank you. It took a music man like you to nail it. I was remembering "dreadfully over-played" instead of "second and third trombones overblew disgracefully". And now I know it had nothing to do with Sarabande and Handel.

I am surprised no one has answered this. Ken, do you have an answer to this inquiry? I remember a PTE presentation on Yellowstone some years ago that was quite popular at the time. I don't seem to find it among those I have kept, but I really think someone here probably has it, even if the author is not currently here in the forum.

I have been searching the forum without success for a comment, that I was quite certain had been posted within the last two months. I am wondering if for what ever reason the comment was edited or removed. As I remember, the comment was about a particular PTE show which was posted and discussed. The comment included an opinion that the particular rendition of the music used was dreadfully over-done, or over-played by the orchestra or conductor or similar. Since reading the comment, I have run into several versions of Sarabande by Handel. As I have heard these different renditions, I began to wonder if that was the piece that the opinion was about. But I have now re-read all the posted comments about Neil's Baron Hill presentation and find nothing like I remember. Hopefully someone will remember the comment and direct me to it. The comment may have been pertaining to an entirely different presentation and music score - but I can not locate it.

Hey Cagney Jeff! As usual, it was/is a pleasure to view your latest wanderings. I agree with others' comments of fine photography and the "feel" of that portion of our grand earth. And of course when you wander over the border into my "homeland", I start recognizing locations, or wondering where you are when I don't recognize. I first recognized Little Wild Horse Canyon. Nice skillfull, technical work in getting pleasing photos there. For the sake of those not familiar with the canyon - it "ain't always easy" to get the shot you can see. We hiked up Bell Canyon and down Little Wild Horse a year ago. Best I can determine, we were there about 2 weeks later than your week. I don't know where you found the wonderous patch of purple flowers? You scooped me on that one! Now your nice photos of that area have motivated me to take a look again at my own photos. I know I did not do a PTE sequence of the area except of Goblin Valley as I was eager to try our early Version 5 Beta in my Strange Land show of Goblin Valley. Now I must ask - is Melting Canyon your own moniker for your location on/in Lake Powell? Not recognizing the name, I googled quickly and found only your references. Where did you run into the very deep fissures in the dried mud? I certainly don't profess to be a Lake Powell expert, as it would require a life time of nothing else. I did have the privilege almost fifty years ago of riding the river for a week before the dam/lake. Thus I am especially interested when I see photos from you or others of old locations once again born out of the receding waters. If you would care to share any info on your routes in the area, I'd really be interested. Bringing this back to PTE - A couple of years ago I found a somewhat different personal use for PTE. I had purchased a nice book on the pre-Lake Powell Colorado River. The book included a cd of wonderful history and photos. With PTE I was able to make a "front page" interface which made the whole presentation much more navigable for me. Just another testimonial of the flexibility that we all find in Igor's contribution to our happiness. Thanks again for your contribution of your photographic interpretations.

This may be why the occasional "serious" photographer I run into is usually "solo" hiking. But as anyone who hikes, tramps, walks, wanders, treks, or journeys, knows - hiking alone is deceivingly dangerous. But only when it matters. There may be people who don't hike with me because they have grown tired of what you mention. But most the guys I hike with are content to let me drop back and catch up. Or they will stop and talk if they think I am too far behind. If I we are hiking where the course is not easily detected, I am more careful to tell them when I am stopping. Occasionally I will run ahead and turn around for a quick snap of the oncoming hikers. But this results in many blurry shots as I am still moving or huffing and puffing as I snap the shutter. But in spite of any flack I take for the frequent stops or slow-downs, I know that most my fellow hikers are really thankful they can rest without admitting they are the one who needs it!