goddi

============== Patrick, The first thing I would do is download the latest Beta 5.61 and see what happens. Bring the show into this new version and save it as a different named file. See what happens. Maybe Igor addresses this problem in one of the versions since 5.22. You can, of course, install it in its own folder and keep both versions for testing. Let us know if the latest Beta has any effect on solving this problem. Gary

======================== Patrick, I took a look at the first couple of slides you posted and I had the same problem some time ago. Take a look at the first posting I made here back in Sept. 2008: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....99&hl=goddi The bad thing is I don't know how I fixed it. I think I did a Set Defaults in the Comment tab. Somehow, it went away. I think I was fiddling around with the text size or something and just could not figure out what was going on. But I got the same blurry Comments as you have. Which version are you using? I had the problem with whichever was the latest version back in Sept. 2008. If you do a Set Defaults, it will reset all of your settings back to every Default setting for the entire slideshow. Sorry I don't know exactly what I did to fix it but it seems it can be rectified. See if the Set Defaults button works. Gary

============================= I think I just found the answer to my question about the effect of having the "Auto Spread..." box checked when using the Timeline: "But I am wondering if having the "Auto Spread Slides Along Music" check makes any difference when using these steps. I practiced your steps with a slideshow that was already "Auto Spread...". I assume it is better if it is unchecked but your steps seem to work whether it is checked or not...only dimmed when checked. Though it might not be logical to have it checked, what is the effect of keeping it checked?" I just put together a slideshow trying to transition the images based on the beat of the music. Using the Timeline, everything went well. When I played it in the miniplayer, the transitions were spot-on. However, when I used Preview, the timing was off. After much fiddling, I found that when I unchecked the "Auto Spread...", the timing in Preview was then correct. I think there should be something that would warn the user that if you are using the Timeline to set the images to the music, the "Auto Spread..." box MUST be unchecked in order for the mini-player AND Preview to play as you expect. It has only taken me a few years to figure this out, so a new user might get as frustrated as I have been until he gets this figured out. I am not sure how PTE should be modified to avoid this problem but I think it should be addressed. Am I correct in my thinking here??? Thanks... Gary

============= Peter... Yes...I gave it a try. Very interesting. There are lots of "quirks" in the program that are not so obvious. Thanks for the tip. Gary

==================== Peter... Yet another revelation revealed!!! I was just browsing around and found your posting. I've been using PTE for years and stayed away from the Timeline because I could not figure out what the heck to do with the options it has. Thanks much for shedding some light on this mystery. Now I might even try to do something more fancy with Timeline. And...in trying out your suggestions, I discovered that I could stop/start the miniplayer with the spacebar, which makes inputing the New Transitions much easier. Wow!!! But I am wondering if having the "Auto Spread Slides Along Music" check makes any difference when using these steps. I practiced your steps with a slideshow that was already "Auto Spread...". I assume it is better if it is unchecked but your steps seem to work whether it is checked or not...only dimmed when checked. Though it might not be logical to have it checked, what is the effect of keeping it checked? Sincerely, Gary

============ DaveG, Yes, I understand your point now. However, I try to make my slideshows so that they will play on both the computer and when played from a DVD. So I have the TV Safe Zone appear while I am making the show to be sure that the text does not have to be moved if I happened to burn the show to a DVD. Igor gave a response on how to untick the "Pan and scan" in Custom to avoid having the problem I had with the text being cut off, even though the text was within the TV Safe Zone. And also note that the text is cut off when playing the mp4 on the PC. So the text would be cut off whether you made the mp4 for the PC or for a DVD. Gary Added later... And the fact that I my project setting was 4:3 and I created the HD in 1280x720, probably is part of the problem. But I am 'unskilled' in what happens when you use these different settings. Perhaps if the original show was made in 1280x720, I would not have had this problem. My bad...

==================== Igor... Yes, thanks for clearing this up. I did tests in Custom, with and without the "Pan and scan" ticked. When the "Pan and scan" was unticked, the text in the slideshow came out as it did in the original exe. It was not cut off. So, I don't understand why you should have to go into Custom to make the slideshow come out as you would expect it to be (same as the original). Don't you think the 'default' preset should do this??? I think that when someone chooses a non-Custom preset, it should come out the way you might expect it to...same as the original exe. Maybe I am missing something here, but I think that the default for the non-Custom presets should have the "Pan and scan" unticked. If someone wants to make it different than the original look, then they should have to go into the Custom settings to make the change. (And I have no idea what "Pan and scan" means or why one would choose it.) Gary

==================== Igor... Yes, thanks for clearing this up. I did tests in Custom, with and without the "Pan and scan" ticked. When the "Pan and scan" was unticked, the text in the slideshow came out as it did in the original exe. It was not cut off. So, I don't understand why you should have to go into Custom to make the slideshow come out as you would expect it to be (same as the original). Don't you think the 'default' preset should do this??? I think that when someone chooses a non-Custom preset, it should come out the way you might expect it to...same as the original exe. Maybe I am missing something here, but I think that the default for the non-Custom presets should have the "Pan and scan" unticked. If someone wants to make it different than the original look, then they should have to go into the Custom settings to make the change. (And I have no idea what "Pan and scan" means or why one would choose it.) Gary

================== DaveG, I am not sure what you are asking. I only did a simple Create HD Video to produce the mp4's. The PTE show that I was using was produced making sure that the text that I included was within the TV Safe Zone. My point was that the text that was within the TV Safe Zone (in the exe version) was cut off when I made the 1280x720 version, as opposed to the 800x600 version where the text was not cut off. The text was just above the TV Safe Zone at the lower part of the image. As far as size goes, the final size of the 1280x720 was 116 mb and the 800x600 was 32 mb (the exe was 44 mb). So I don't see any problem burning them to a DVD, which I have done, and I have played them on my PC. They will not play on regular DVD player. Gary

=============== Igor, Good news. I was able to create, in Beta 5, an HD of the slideshow that I was having difficulties with in Beta 4. I made a 1280x720HQ and an 800x600LQ. Both looked just fine. One thing I noticed is that I have some text at bottom of one slide. In the 800x600, it showed correctly. However, in the 1280x720, this text was cut off. It was created in 4:3. It might just be the nature of the 1280x720 conversion. But I had the text within the 'safe TV zone' and the Screen was set to 94%. I figured that would be enough not to cut off any part of the slideshow. Is this what should be expected? Thanks... Gary P.S. I noticed also that the Grid features were not improved yet. Hopefully, next go-round, when the C is pressed the orange cross-hairs will automatically be placed in the center of the image window. And the outside orange lines are still not equi-distant from the edges of the image window when 'C' is hit. I do see that only when pixels are set to 102, the left, top and right orange lines do surround the image window. Maybe 102 should be the default?

================ No problem. It sounded like it could solve the problem. Sergey asked for some files and screen prints so he is taking a look at these things. The HD worked with the previous Beta. I'll just wait to see what he comes up with. I've tried several times to make different HD's with this Beta4 but no luck yet. Gary

===================== Peter... Gee, thanks for making some sense out of it. But it really is non-intuitive! I hope Igor will make it so when the 'C' is pressed (with or without the "In pixels" box being ticked), the orange cross-hairs will move to the center. The way it works now, just does not make much sense. And it really seems to only work when you have the "In pixels" box unticked and set at 10. Then the orange lines are on the outside edges of the image window, but no cross-hair lines in the vertical and horizontal centers, as I would like. Otherwise, the orange lines do not mean anything. ("0" gives no grids). I do think it is a 'bug' because it is not doing what a user (like me) expects it to do. And why would you want the effects of unticking the "In pixels" box? What is the measurement if not in pixels? And there should be a box between the two drop-down boxes to sync both boxes simultaneously when you want to enter the same number in each box. Gary

Igor.... Getting away for the moment from the 'original mode' debate, how about a fresh 'bug'? I see that the problem in moving and setting the Grid Lines manually to the center of the image window has improved. However, when I press the 'C' button, I presume that the orange lines will be brought to the center of the image window. It still does not. It is still too far down and a bit to the left of center. Yes, I can use the Offset buttons to re-align it but it would be very nice if the 'C' button would actually bring the orange lines to the center of the image window, if that is what it is designed to do. Thanks, Gary

============= Peter, Yes, I had all the Beta versions installed in their own folders. However, a previous post recommended to remove all Betas and reinstall Beta4. I tried this but it did not help. I tried to download and install the link that Igor says is Beta 3 (in this subgroup), but it seems to link to Beta4,instead. I can't find previous Beta versions to download for testing purposes. Gary

===================== Sergey, I've attached the x264.exe as a zip file. I did create an mp4 with an earlier Beta version, probably Beta3. But I have removed that version so I can not try to create an mp4 with Beta3. Gary x264.zip

================ Sergey... Here are my screen shots of what you requested. Thanks for your help. Gary

============== Peter, Thanks for the info. I now see why there is so much commotion about this feature. I could never really grasp exactly why it would be so useful. Now I see. I don't know how to use it yet but I see that it can be a very helpful tool. I will wait to see the outcome of this debate. Thanks... Gary

=============== Ray... I uninstalled all 5.6 Betas, including Beta 4. Reinstalled Beta4. I reduced a slideshow that worked before down to 10 slides and no music. I tried an SD 800x600 low. Same result. I got all four 'Done' indications; there was no 'Time to end' displayed. Got nothing. Gary

Greetings, I have been successful in making an HD file with one of the previous 5.6Beta versions. I just tried to make an HD file with a new slideshow with Beta4 and I am not sure if it is working as it should. This show has about 90 slides and 2 music files (about 44mb). I get the Progress Window and it shows the audio extracting going but then I see all Done's and then only the Elapsed Time meter going. I attached an image of what the progress window looks like. I let it run for almost 3 hours but then I stopped it since it did not seem it was really doing anything. A similar show (maybe a bit smaller) only took 10 minutes before. Is 3 hours too short to wait or should the progress window be telling me something more that it is? Gary

================= Greetings, I have been reading all of the "original mode" postings and have been trying to understand them, without much luck. When I read JPD's postings, I think my head exploded. I have always used the default setting, "fit to slide" so I have no experience using "original mode" and don't really comprehend why it is useful. I would appreciate if someone could give me a very simply and as non-technical explanation as possible why and when someone needs it. I am trying not to be too dense but I am missing something. I think it has to do with playing the show on a PC or projector that would have a different screen size than the original, but it escapes me what the problem is and what the solution is when all of you are saying we need the "original mode". Many thanks in advance if someone can educate me... Gary

================ Peter, Your above post made me just learn something and resolve another confusing menu item. Customize slide When I see this menu item, it has always made me think that I have to customize one slide at a time. I now see from Peter's comments above that if I highlight a bunch of slides, I can apply the customization to a group of slides all at one time. So...my suggestion to clarify this is to change name to Customize slide(s). This would let a user know that he can customize more than one slide at a time. Gary

Igor... Main menu's Slide vs. Slide List's right-click menu items. Here is one suggestion that I have not see mentioned before. It has always been a confusing menu setup. The Slide choice at the main menu level has only some of the menu items that you find when you right-click on a slide in the Slide List. And some of the menu items that you see when you right-click on a slide in the Slide List appear in the Slide choice in the main menu level. I think that all of the choices you have when you would right-click on a slide in the Slide List should be in the Slide main menu list. This would make it easier for a new user to find such menu items as Start Preview from the current slide. And upon further thought, shouldn't the menu items in the Slide menu affect only the slides in the Slide List, as opposed to the slides in the Directory List? If so, the name of Slide in the main menu level should be changed to Slide List and all actions should be directed to only the Slide List. Gary

Igor... Rename Synchronize Music and Slides. This is a confusing menu item. Not use exactly what the best way to rename it, but here is one suggestion: Keep music spread over Slide List when 'Start Preview From The Current Slide' is used. Gary

Set Defaults button: I have put this in the New Ideas forum but it really is a confusing button: Currently, when in Project Options, the Set Defaults button resets every setting you have made in every tab back to the default settings. (Peter pointed out that there can be Factory Defaults and User Template Set Defaults. This needs to be addressed too). I suggest that the Set Defaults button be changed to Set All Defaults and a second button, Set This Tab's Defaults Only, be added so that it will only reset the setting in the tab the user is currently in. (Not sure how to handle Peter's Factory Defaults and User Template Set Defaults). Gary

Igor... (For the current Beta 561) Here is one of the confusing buttons of PTE that has bothered me from my first use of the program: Set for existing slides The button Set for existing slides is in the Main, Comments and Screen tabs. When I see this button, I ask myself, "...existing slides?...what other slides could it be for?". Redundant? It makes me think I have a choice of existing slides vs. maybe one slide. I suggest that it should be changed to Update Project. This tells me that after I input my choices, the entire project will be updated when I press the Update Project button. Also, in the Screen Tab's Additional Options section, separate the 3 possible actions with thin lines. The Color outside slide area does not need the existing Set for existing slides button to be pressed. So Color... needs to be separated from the other choices that need the Set for existing slides to be pressed. And, by the way, I can not figure out what Color outside slide area does, as opposed to the choice for setting the Background, in the same tab. What's the difference??? Gary