goddi

Greetings, I just posted my latest PTE slideshow. Many of the images are from slides that I had to scan. The quality did not turn out so good. I left the ragged slide edges to give it the 'old' slideshow look. A few of the images were captured from video, so the quality is really not too good. I left out a few trips where I could not find any images. But the PTE show is a compilation of images that is more of a tribute to my wife who will travel just about anywhere and anytime. No hairdryer needed. Gary Added later: http://www.beechbrook.com/pte/ (Will be hosted for 30 days.)

Peter... You said "What is "synchronization" about if not about working with both the images and the audio at the same time? If you have no audio you have nothing to "synchronize" against." When I talk about 'synchronization', I am only talking about just spreading the images over the length of the inserted music. Perhaps, there should be two different terms, 'synchronization' and 'spreading'. Synch'ing is like moving the images to appear to the beats of the music; 'spreading' is arranging the slides to be spaced out evenly over the length of the music. So maybe we are not talking about the same thing??? To make it more complex, I think selecting the 'Synchronize music and slides' keeps the music spread over the length of the slides, no matter where you start the show. The way I see it is that you can have music without 'synchronization'--using the 'spead' definition. So, the 'Arrange All Points' is just moving the slides to be spread out over the span of the music. To me, this is not an 'audio' function, since you are not doing anything to the audio you already have inserted. You are just 're-spreading' the slides equally across the music. I think the problem is that when 'Auto spread slides along music' is checked, it does not really keep the slides equally spread along the music. If you later add more images, you have to go into the Timeline View and click on 'Arrange All Points' to insure the slides get re-spread across the music. I think it would be nice to have the 'Arrange...' button also in the Classic View (so you don't have to get into the Timeline View). When I try to explain to a novice that you have to check 'Auto spread slides along music' but it does not really spread images that are added later and you have to go into the Timeline View and click 'Arrange All Points' after each time you add more images...it does not make sense--especially if the person does not need to use any of the other more advanced functions in the Timeline View. Gary

Peter & Lin... Thanks for your replies. I have read them a couple times but it has not sunk in yet. I will print out your steps and give them an actual try once I get some time this week. I appreciate your responses. Gary

============= Peter, I could never figure out what 'Frames' were supposed to do. Now you have shed some light. Thanks. I think I understand a little more. I have looked through the Help/Tutorials but I am still not clear on how/why to use them. I think I see that it is useful to separate the animation that one might put on 2 or more images(?) in one slide. But I am not clear on the sequence to do this, or maybe even why I am using Frames. Do you first import the image; then add the frame; then do the animation? I have played around with this and when I add two images with frames, I can not seem to be able to select the keyframe to add animation to it. And, once I add a frame, many time I can then no select it. But then sometimes I can get it to animate...I am confused....nothing new. Maybe it is because I just don't understand the sequence for the image/frame/animation...??? Can you give us a Frames 101 with a little more detail? Thanks... Gary

====================== John... I don't consider this problem with "Arrange All Points" to be an audio issue. To me, it has to do with 'synchronization'. When I am in the Classic View, I don't want to have to get into the Timeline View just to re-sync the slides to the music. I'd just like the button to do this to be up front right in the Classic View screen. In fact, I'd also like the Classic View to have an indication where the audio files start and stop. This would leave the Timeline View to the more advanced users but allow the Classic View to offer an indication, if you have more than one audio file, where the audio begins/ends in relationship to the images. One step further would be to bring in the waveform vertically into the Classic View window. That would make me very happy. I just don't feel comfortable in the Timeline View when I am only trying to sync the slides with the music. My main point was that I don't think one should have to jump from the Classic View to the Timeline View just to re-sync the slides to the music. Gary

================= Peter, This requirement where you have to go into the Timeline to click on "Arrange All Points" is a real bug-a-boo that I find with PTE. It seems there are many questions just like this where a less experienced user finds that the music ends before the slides end, when they are trying to have the slides sync'd with the music. If one has all the music and slides sync'd, but then adds more images, the only way to re-sync them to the music is to go into the Timeline and click on the "Arrange All Points" (even if you have 'Autospread...' checked). I have made many shows and I frequently forget to do that step to re-sync'd the show after I have added more images. I have mentioned this before and suggested that this step be moved next to where the O&A button is located, for example. Maybe I am incorrect in my thinking because I have not received any agreement with this suggestion that I have posted before. Wouldn't this help out??? Gary

============ Dave, Thanks... I made progress with you help. So now I have created the file. What do I do with it??? I tried to Open it but Windows does not recognize it and, I guess, I don't have the appropriate program to run it. It is only to be run on a website, or can I actually play it in Windows? Thanks... Gary P.S. And the file I created does not have an extension. Should it have an FLV extension??? Added later: Ohooooo... I just added the .flv extension to the file I created and it now plays in my Winamps player!!! Got it. Thanks... Nice file size reduction, 305mb to 14mb.

============ Lin, I downloaded the program and tried it. I was able to Open an AVI file and play it in their window. Another AVI, only showed a green screen. I am assuming that I should be able to open an AVI and convert it to a FLV file??? I know it is not your job to explain someone else's program but, if you can help, what can I do with this program??? Seem neat but I just don't seem to get it. I selected Output and chose FLV...but what next? Thanks for any insight you can give... Gary

================ nobeefstu and Peter... No problem. I really appreciate you both taking the time to check this out. I had not started yet to work on the 'missing errors' you first stated. I wasn't really sure what to do anyway. But thanks for telling me to ignore it and all is OK. But I still wonder why these 'main' images unexpectedly expanded, more than once. Gary

==================== Peter.... Noooooo! Don't admit defeat!!! But you have explained very well everything that I have done. The text comment numbers were added just to identify the slides during this diagnosis, but they were not there originally. I see what you are saying that each image that enlarges, is a 'main' image in a slide where I have 3 or more images, all resized to be smaller in that one slide. That seems to be the only consistency that pops out. I hope Igor reads this and analyzes what might be going on. I wonder what would happen if I unchecked 'main' for that one image in each slide??? What is 'main' supposed to do??? Thanks for looking at it... Gary

=================== Peter, I always hit the Close button to get out of the O&A window. I know that I had set these images reduced to the size that I wanted. I went on to do editing in the rest of the show. After each change I made, I was sure to do a Save and Create. I reviewed the show dozens of times and the images were just fine. Then, later when I can back to take a look a the show, these resized (reduced in size) images in the upper left hand corner expanded back to just about their original size. The pte file is 53k but the zip of all the files is 4.5mb. Maybe I can take out a few more of the slide to make it smaller. I will try this. (Just removed all images except for the 3 images and the zip of the show is down to 2.3mb, still too big to attach. Do you think if I just put in 2 image, that you can still diagnose the problem??? That brings the file under 2mbs. Ok, I will try to attach it here... Gary Cris_Portraits_test_Oct1_2008_8_45_59.zip

====================== Peter... Well, it happened again. I worked on the file today. Everything was fine. Later today, I opened the file and noticed that 3 slides have images that expanded to a larger size than what I had previously set them to. Each of the slides that has this problem, has 3 or 4 images that I imported and made smaller (using the handles on each image) so that they all fit. There are no special changes made to the slides. Very basic. I just brought in the several images, resized them in the slide, that's it. The only thing that seems consistent with these 3 problem slides is that the upper left image is the one that expands. I tried to run the PTE Project Reporter to see if anything popped up. I didn't see anything different between these 3 slides and any other of the slides. I tried to save the Project Reporter file but each time I tried, the program failed at about the 67th slide. Tried 3 times. Failed 3 times. So I don't know what to do to diagnose this problem. Any suggestions??? The exe is about 45mb so it is a bit too large to post. But maybe I can dump all the images and music except the 3 problem slides and a few around it to make it more manageable. Thanks... Gary Added later: I reduced the show down to just 14 slides and no music but the file is still too big to attach here. It is a bit over 4mb and the max that an attachment can be is 2mb.

=========== Lin, Thanks so much for the tutorial. I will play with it. Jean-Claude, A English version would be great!!! Thanks all... Gary

================== nobeefstu... I have not changed any of the defaults. Mouse buttons: Left=none; Right=next slide. MouseWheel=disabled. Permit Control of Keyboard=checked. I hope it happens again so I can take more time to see what might be going on. Thanks... Gary P.S. One thing I have noticed is that this problem occurs always right after I have made an adjustment in one of the slides. I make the adjustment and I immediately want to see the effect so I run the Preview from a slide. However, lately, after each change, I do a Save and Create first, then do the Preview. It does not seem to happen when I have done this.

================= Mary... I would give it a try but my expertise with Photoshop is limited. I know what you are talking about but I don't know exactly how to make that slide. But I will poke around and give it a try. Thanks... Gary

======================== Lin... I seem to be good at having problems that no one else has. I know for sure that my hands were not anywhere near the keyboard when this happens. Perhaps, my mouse is what might be inputting something strange. When it has happened, to try to get it to unfreeze, I have tried every key on the keyboard to see if anything would work. Only the right mouse key seemed to have be able to 'unfreeze' the problem and let the Preview play. Strange but true. I will keep my eye on it when/if it happens again. But as I said earlier, with my luck, after posting this problem, it might never happen again..... Just venting the problem seems to help! I'll report back... Thanks, Gary

========== Mary... Thanks for the heads-up on this issue. No rush. I know it is easy for me to say but it would be so nice if the Screen effect can magically be a 'mask'. Thanks... Gary

==================== Peter, How cool it is that you had the same problem!!! So I am not toooo crazy. But, I know for sure that I have not hit any key to put it into a 'Pause' mode. It has happened way too many times and I am sure I would have caught myself doing it. I think you did just what I did...you found a key that would bring it out of the freezed-up mode. In my case, it was the right mouse key that sometimes worked. I just tried several time starting the "Preview from current slide" and hitting the space bar, but it would not cause the freeze-up. So maybe it was not your hitting the space bar that caused the 'Pause'??? But thanks for recreating the problem.... Thanks, Gary

==================== Lin, Thanks for your explanation and offer. But I don't think I would want to go this route. I am currently working on a slideshow with about 170 slides. If I understand you method, I would have to include this mask 170 as an object in each slide. And if I change my mind in size, color or gradient, I would have to do it 170 times again. I would prefer to be able to do it within PTE so I can see the changes right there. It would be nice if Igor could come up with a mask within PTE to do this, that works just like the Screen but is effectively like the mask you discuss. Thanks... Gary Jean-Claude, Thanks for that video tutorial. My French is zero, but I will get my wife to translate it. But it looks like you are using a mask created as a PNG and inserted as a copyright logo. That, I think, would help in making it easier to insert the mask into all slides with one click. Thanks for the help. Thanks...Gary P.S. Just had a thought. What would happen if the slideshow was viewed at a different display resolution than what you had created it as???

Greetings, When I make some of my slideshows, I like to have the Screen set around 95% so that a boarder surrounds the images as they play. However, when I zoom in an image, and the image gets larger, the image will cover the boarder. Is there a way to keep the boarder that I created in Screen so that it does not get covered by the image when I zoom in? Also, this problem comes up when I reposition an image so that it covers the boarder created with Screen. Say I move them way to the left or right to put on several image in one slide. It would be nice if I could control the 'Order' of the boarder to tell it to 'Bring to Front'. Is there a way to do this now or should this be a request to Igor??? (I am sure there is a way to make a frame in Photoshop and bring it into the show for each slide but want the flexibility that we have now within the PTE program to make the adjustments to the boarder as to size, color and gradient.) Thanks... Gary

Greetings, Ok, Peter. You said you had all weekend and needed another 'special'. Another strange thing has been happening to me. After I make a change in the show, I Right-Click my mouse to 'Start Preview From The Current Slide'. I see it start the 'Running Preview...' but before the Preview starts, the program freezes. It just sits there. The keyboard has no effect on getting it unfrozen. Usually I have to hit the X to close PTE and open it again. Sometimes, hitting the right mouse button gets the Preview to then start. This has happened many, many times with different PTE shows. Any thoughts??? Gary P.S. Now that I have posted this, it will probably never happen again!!!

Peter... I was hoping the problem would reoccur so I could analyze it. But nothing yet. I'll keep checking it out. The PTE show I am working on is getting over 45mb...a bit large for posting it. But if it does happen again, maybe I can pare it down to a reasonable posting size. I'll let you know if/when it happens again. Thanks... Gary

==================================== Peter... Glad you are enjoying my 'specials'! When I saw the 'expanded' images, I just fixed them (changing it from child to parent), not thinking that it would happen again, so I did not pay too much attention to it. But I am pretty sure that, for the images that had 'expanded,' the images were 'parent' and each had a 'child' image attached to it. Hope I got the terminology correct. I didn't do anything beyond defaults. Modes are 'Fit to Slide', no animated keyframes, no unusual parameters, etc. I just plopped in the images and resized them. In each slide that had the problem, only one of the images in the group of images was a child to one other image...by mistake. I try to not do the parent-child thing with images or text, so there are less complications involved. I have another 'special' brewing but I have not had time to post it. Stay tuned... Gary

Greetings, Something strange has been happening with the current slideshow I am working on in 5.52. In a few of the slides, I have put 3 or 4 images. I resized them to fit using the handles on each image. On several occasions, when I went back to look at them in O&A, I found that one of the images 'expanded' to a larger size. I thought at first it was just me doing something I did not catch at the time. However, I have found that this has happened at least 3 times with different slides that I have 3 or 4 resized images. Only one of the resized images in a group would be expanded. I had to resize them down manually again. I don't believe that I have been doing it inadvertently. So I am wondering if anyone else has come across the strange event. Thanks... Gary

================ Peter... Thanks... I have used the method you state that works in PTE: using a black background, dumping the image, inserting another image, adjusting the image's size, leaving the black background as the boarder. However, I was interested in putting black frames around images, when there are 2 or more images together. So when a part of one image rests on the part of the other image, a black boarder shows up on the image that is on top (with a black background). Your Method 1 works for me. However, I have Photoshop V8. I fiddled around and found the steps to be a little different. Here is what I found: Select/All Edit/Stroke/Width:50x/Color:Black/Location:Inside/Mode:Normal/Opacity:100% If there are better steps, please let me know. Thanks... Gary P.S. But I was not successful in getting the black frame to be placed outside the image, only inside. So the image gets cropped a bit. Any way to get the black frame to be placed outside the image??? P.S.S Oooooohhhh... I just discovered another way, using Canvas Size. This is good because it does not crop the image. It places the frame to the outside of the image: In Photoshop v8: Image/Canvas Size/Height:50 pixels/Width:50 pixels/Color:Black This works just perfect. Thanks for getting me to work this out... Gary P.S.S.S..... More Oooooooohhhhhssss... Another discovery... I made the Canvas Size an Action in Photoshop, using 50px. So if I want to make it bigger, I just run the Action a second time, or a third time. Super neat!!!!