goddi

Greetings, I just started creating a new slideshow. I am a bit perplexed on what is going on...or not going on. Using Ver 6.04, I dropped in a bunch of images and some MP3 music files. I also set it to 'Auto Spread' and 'Sync Music and Slides' as I normally do. First question is that the Auto Spread does not seem to be working. While the music lasts for 5:38, the Timeline shows 6:03. The music stops at 5:38 (at the end of the last song) and there is no music from that point until the 6:03 point. So it is not Auto Spreading the images over the length of the music, 5:38. Then I notice that in the Timeline, I don't see the 'Timed Points/Arrange All Points' menu. I used to be able to use the Arrange All Points to insure all the images were spread to the end of the music. The Timed Points menu is not there anymore. What happened? What am I missing? Gary P.S. I do notice that the images are spread to the end of the music when played with Preview but not when played in the 'miniwindow' (correct name?). In the past, I thought it would play correctly in both. And I do see that there is a note under the Auto Spread that says "..applies to created slideshow only". Why can't it show the correct Auto Spread in the miniwindow???

Greetings, I've made these suggestions before but never received a thumbs-up from Igor yet. Since 6.5 is coming soon, I'd like to bring up these suggestions again. 1-Put an icon for the Desktop with the C:\ D:\, etc. 2-Fix the problem that Wav files will not play in the Mac executable file. 3-Fix the problem where text will shift unexpectedly. (This occurs when you have text in one slide; then you copy and paste that slide with the text as the next slide. You then make the text in the second slide to zoom. That text in the second slide will jump up or down very slightly just before the zoom. Others have concurred that this happens.) Thanks... Gary

============= Ronnie, I had already viewed your really well done PDF. It is just unfortunate that my 'Nero Vision 5 Essentials' (that came with my Nero 8) just does not have the AVCHD capability. Maybe it is a crippled version since it might have came with my PC. It is strange that the Nero people told me that if I purchased Nero 9, I'd also have to purchase a plug-in to get the AVCHD capability. Not real sure what the truth is yet. You're lucky that your Nero 9 has it. Gary

====================== Hi Ronnie... My Nero 8 does not have the menu to create an AVCHD file. After reading your previous postings, I had called the Nero tech people to find out what was going on. They told me that Nero 9 would have this capability but I would have to purchase an 'AVCHD plug-in' for $9.99 to make it work. And this 'plug-in' would not work with earlier versions. I did download the trial version of Nero 9. If I remember correctly, the AVCHD did not work...maybe because I did not purchase this plug-in. I did not like the behemoth size of Nero 9 or the need to buy a plug-in just to be able to try out the AVCHD process, so I just dumped it. Maybe Nero 10 would go smoother but I'm not ready to jump on board with it yet. Please let us know your experience if you do. I'll have to research it a bit more. Thanks... Gary

====================== Greetings Lin, I put your Alley Cat shows on a memory stick and brought it to my computer store. I compared the MP4 format and the Mac format. I did see a difference. The Mac format was smoother. The MP4 was good but in comparison to the Mac, I could detect a perceptible difference; the MP4 was not as smooth. (I played it on a 2GB Ram, 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor MacBook). My PTE shows are not as complex as your Ally Cat so I have not detected any difference with them. But this is good to know and understand. But I hope Igor will sort out the problem with the Wav files causing a problem in the Mac format, if it can be done. Thanks for the demo. Gary

============= Tom and Peter, I think we have figure out the problem. The problem is with the Wav files in the PTE show. I went back into several PTE shows and removed all of the Wav files. Some were put in the Music tab and some were in the added to individual slides with the Add Sound icon. I went back to my computer store and played them on the MacBook. After all the Wav files were removed, and I created the "Executable Show for Mac", they play just find on a MacBook. (I thought that one of the shows quit while playing it on the MacBook but my eyes were getting glazed over during these test. I played it again and it played through without stopping. So, I am not sure what happened. Maybe something similar to what Peter had happen?) Anyway, it is clear to me that the Wav sound effects files were causing the problem. When I play the same shows on the MacBook that were created as an MP4, with the Wav files, there are no problems playing the slideshows. So I hope Igor will figure out how to resolve this problem. Thanks very much for helping figure out what was going on. Sincerely, Gary

=========== Thanks Tom. I will make a couple more Mac files and take them to the computer store just to see what happens. I will make sure these don't have any Wav files, only Mp3s. Gary

================ Tom and Peter, Thanks for getting into this problem. I would not have expected Wavs would cause any problems. Most sound effects files are in Wav format. I hope that Igor will take a look at this sound problem (and the missing blue box icon file). Sincerely, Gary

============================== Peter, As far as the music goes, I do have an Mp3 music file, and I also have 2 sound files that are Wavs. Maybe they are what is causing the problem? Thanks for looking into this. Attached is the Mediafire link. http://www.mediafire.com/file/urzzqnqiug0/Wild Thing-16x9z_Mar18-2010_14-51-09.zip Gary

==================== Tom, Thanks for taking a look at it. I just got back from the Mac store at a Mall. I tried the files (made fresh new ones) but, again, the same thing happened. It played the first image for only a second and the music was garbled. Then the slideshow shut down. The Mac guy at the store took my thumbdrive to the back to consult with other Mac people. They could not figure out what the problem was. I am using PTE 6.0.4 and my OS is Windows7 (32 bit). They told me to just use the MP4 file because all Macs should be able to read it. It appears from this Forum that some people are able to play the PTE shows created for a Mac but I don't know if they are using the "Create Executable for a Mac" (as a ZIP) process or the MP4 file. Gary

======================== Tom, Sorry...I think I didn't get the entire link. Let me try this one. http://www.mediafire.com/file/tnmmojqmjin/Wild Thing-Mac-16x9z.zip Gary

========================== Thanks Peter, Yes, that works too. I think it would be nicer if we were able to just delete the Rectangle and insert our own image. But the work-around works, too. I didn't think of the copy/paste trick for the buttons. Music capability would be nice. Just had another idea about using this feature. In the Forum discussion about "A Suggestion About Titles", information about a slideshow could be placed in a button called "Info" (just rename the "Help" button in this Start-up Window). Your suggested information example, such as: "Topic Title: Carnival of Venice, Topic Description: 17.4MB, 3m42s, 4:3, 1920x1280, Camera clubs and AV groups" could be placed there, also. Gary

================= Greetings, But why put a lid on the pot? If you can cook, you might spice things up! Gary

============================ Greetings, Thanks for revealing another neat option that PTE has. I just never got around to playing with this feature. But a question... I'd like to replace the 'rectangle' with an image and keep the other objects. If I delete the 'rectangle', everything gets deleted. Is there a way to replace the 'rectangle' but keep the text and buttons? I know I can insert in image and bring these items to the 'front' but I am hoping there is an easier way. Is there? Maybe if Igor would change this so that the items under the 'rectangle' were not 'children'? Also, is there a way to add music to this Startup Window? Thanks...Gary

===================== Hi Peter, Tom, Brian and others, Thanks for the offer. Below is the MediaFire link to the Mac ZIP file that I had brought to the computer store. The salesman did click on the file and it created a couple other files but, like I mentioned before, the first image played only for a second and then it shut down. I'd appreciate it if you would play it and see what happens. http://www.mediafire.com/file/tnmmojqmji I can understand that quality is the goal here. I am surprise to hear that the Mac ZIP file is higher quality than the MP4. When I play the MP4 on my PC or my 40" LED, the quality is equal or better than the PTE's exe PC file. Have you made a comparison like this? If the Mac ZIP file eventually works, I see its smaller file is an advantage. For example, the upload I just made of my slideshow is only 8Mb for the Mac ZIP and it is 30Mb for the same file as an MP4. Thanks...Let me know what you find. Gary

================= Hi Bill, I see that you are viewing the PTE slideshows in the Mac format. I am a PC user and want to send a PTE slideshow to a friend who has a Mac. I took a test slideshow that I created with the "Executable file for Mac, in ZIP" to a local store that has Macs to see what would happen. It would not play (played only the first image for a second, then shut down). I don't know why. But the salesman said the Mac needed a 'Zip player'. Anyway, I also tried the same slideshow that was created in PTE in MP4 format and it played just fine on the Mac. So my question is, can you play MP4 files on your Mac? And, if so, would you, as a Mac user, prefer an MP4 file or the 'Executable file for Mac, in ZIP' format??? Thanks... Gary

============================= Hi Peter and others... Yes, it should be simple. However, it has not been. I'm using PTE 6.04 and I am using the 'Create Executable for a Mac' (as a ZIP). I created the Mac ZIP file of one of my shows. I just brought it to my BestBuy story that has Macs. I played the Mac ZIP file at the store but it played for only a second. At showed the first image for a second then it stopped and kicked out of the show. It was being played on a MacBook. The salesman said something like 'it needs to have a ZIP player'. Is he saying that MacBooks can't automatically handle a ZIP file??? Then, I tried playing one of my MP4 shows that I normally play on my PC. It played just fine on the MacBook. So....I don't know what is going on here. If Macs play MP4s, why bother with the 'Create Executable for a Mac' (as a ZIP)? Gary

=================== Greetings all and thanks for the replies, Yes, I don't want to play the Windows version of PTE on a Mac. I want to create a Mac version. However, here is where I get confused: Tom says "The Mac OS must be 10.4 or higher and his Mac must have an Intel cpu. A dedicated graphics processor (nvidia/ati) is better than the integrated intel gma950 gpu used in the older Macbooks and Mac minis." Henri says "In PtE you can make a 'Mac' exe-file that perfectly runs on a Apple computer with Intel processor. Are you saying the same thing? To me, it does not seem to be. From what I have read in the Forum, it appears that you have to have a "Mac", not an Apple; and the operating system on the Mac has to have a particular upgrade... What don't I understand??? Thanks... Gary PS I just had a great idea. I should take my Mac-executable-zipped file down to my local Apple/Mac store at the Mall and just see what it plays on and maybe I see what happens there?

Greetings, I want to create a PTE show, using my Windows PC, that will be playable on a Mac. I have read through the Forum on this subject but I did not find an answer, at least one that I could understand. I don't have a Mac to test things out on so I am at a disadvantage. 1st question: What is the difference in choosing "HD Video for PC and Mac (MP4)" and "Executable file for Mac" when you want to create a slideshow to play on a Mac? 2nd question: I don't know the difference between a Mac and a Big Mac. So, can you tell me exactly which Mac these files will play on? Which Mac OS is needed? The person that I want to send it to says he has a "Mac". He is hard to reach so that is all I know at the moment. Thanks...Gary

================== Peter, Speaking of getting the best out of this Forum, I'd like to ask a question about the Search function. Many times I have tried to search on words that are 4 letters or less in length, such as "MP4". But I get the warning: "One or all of your search keywords were below 4 characters or you searched for words which are not allowed, such as 'html', 'img', etc, please go back and increase the length of these search keywords or choose different keywords." Is there a good reason for this restriction? Can it be removed? It really puts a crimp in trying to find information. Thanks...Gary

Greetings, Sad, indeed. When I would read one of his postings, I hardly could grasp what he was up to. But I knew he was pushing PTE to new heights, new possibilities, new discoveries. I marveled at his understanding of PTE and his devotion to make it better. What a loss. Sincere sympathies to his family. Sincerely, Gary

================= Peter, I, too, would like to keep my filenames short. But as I have progressed in learning and in technology, they are getting longer and longer. For example, when I started using PTE, it was simple. I created an exe with an aspect ratio (AR) of 4:3 for the computer screen. So the filename was “filename.exe”. Then, I got into making them with an AR of 16:9. So the filename was “filename-16x9.exe”. Then, I did not like the black bars on the right and left sides. I decided to zoom in on each image to extend the images left and right to remove the black bars and crop off the top and bottoms of each image to get the full 16:9 effect. So the filename was “filename-16x9z.exe”. Then, I got into making the MP4s. I use the 16x9z exe file and choose ‘HD1920x1080’ and ‘Low Quality’ (I see no difference between HQ and LQ, saves space) and turn off the ‘Pan and Scan’. The filename is now “filename-16x9z-HD1920x1080LQ-PSN.mp4. This is the only way I can keep track of what is going on and remember what the heck I did while I am converting all of my previous versions. Gary :blink:

============================ Yachtsman1... Yes, but there are limitations on how small you can make them. I'd rather not have the second file panel taking up any space at all. I just need a quicker way to get to the Desktop. Thanks...Gary Nobeefstu... Bingo!!! I think that just adding an icon for the Desktop would be very useful and a simple way of addressing the problem. It would not change the current setup but would add functionality. I hope Igor is listening. Thanks... Gary

======================= Greetings, I have tried your settings. What I don't like is that 'Show Tree' inserts a second window that takes up space. I don't see why we can't just get the full file/folder listing without the second window. I now see that Peter had the 'Show Tree' checked, so he also had both file panels opened. It seems logical for me that when you have the C:\ chosen (without Show Tree checked), that you should be able to click on 'One Level Up' and get the Desktop. Or, we should be able to get the entire hard drive's file/folder listing in file panel. The 'Show Tree' takes up too much monitor space. I now see what I have to do to get to the Desktop (without using 'Show Tree'), but I don't think it is user-friendly or intuitive. Thanks...Gary

================== Peter, Thanks for the screenshot. Interesting. When I look at my listing, it only shows the folders in C:\ (down to the Xilisoft folder). But no drives or Desktop. So I must have something set differently from your settings. So, I went into 'View' and clicked on 'Show Tree'. Ok...I get the full tree listing with all my drives and Desktop, etc. (down to the Xilisoft folder plus the drives and Desktop). Great. But...it keeps the other first file listing too. How can I get rid of the first one listing and keep the second one, so it looks like yours??? Take a look at my attachment. You will see the 2 listings. The one on the right shows what I usually get; only the folders in C:\. The file listing on the left shows what I get when I click on 'Show Tree'. How do I get it to look like your single list of files and drive and the Desktop? Thanks... Gary