alrobin

Hi, Davis, Welcome to the Forum! Like most everythng, the answer really depends on several things. If you are using fades and dissolves, and want to distribute your show and allow the majority of pc users to view the show smoothly, it is best to keep the image sizes small (e.g. jpeg file sizes no larger than 150 to 200 kb, using images no larger than 1024 x 768 pixels, and compressed to no larger than 50%, as a "rule of thumb".) Again, it depends on just how well you want your show to run on older, processor-challenged pc's. If you don't care about the low end pc's, and just need the show to run on your own or your friends' high-end computers, then the sky is the limit, depending on how "powerful" the pc's are. As long as your fades are very slow, or else quick "cuts", and you have a good video card, with lots of video RAM, you can go up to 1600 x 1200 pixels, with very high-quality jpegs, and still have a well-performing show. Also, if you are not synching to music, you can get away with larger image files. Maybe you should provide us with a little more information about how you intend to use PTE. And don't be afraid to experiment! Hope this helps.

Hi, Oli, The best way (maybe the only way) is to split the show into two parts. You can use my Adjustor model (download here) to re-adjust the timing of the two shows (i.e. to remove the long time at the beginning) and save having to fiddle with the timeline. Then create a single-slide introduction show, with 2 buttons, each one pointing to one of the other two shows. Set the button properties to "run application or open file". (don't exit). This way the show will return to the introduction after running any one of the other two shows. If you have trouble with Adjustor, send me an email, and I can probably help you, or you can email me your ".pte" files (without music or slides) and I will run them through Adjustor for you. Good luck!

Granot, As I said in the other thread, the fault was all mine - I neglected to create the "Files" folder and move the text files there as per your enclosed instructions. By the way, I am using Win Me. Sorry for the confusion.

Hi, Boxig, Sorry, I missed the part about putting the text files into a separate folder. I had just unzipped everything into one folder, and that's why it didn't work. Now that I have created the sub-folder, "Files", it works fine. Now can you make it automatically move to the next file when the next slide comes up in PTE? Then you would have something really useful. Thanks very much for providing this utility - I'm sure someone will find it useful.

Granot, Even the help file shows up as the pathname to the file, not the text itself! Maybe it's just my pc acting up?

Granot, See my comments in the "PTE 101 Tutorial" thread.

Granot, Thanks for doing this, but I would prefer to put the narration text right on the slides themselves, as the "open space" on the slides is different on different slides, and one would be continually having to move the text box around or minimizing and maximizing it in order to see the underlying tutorial slide. It would be quite easy to put the narration right on the images, (in a different font or colour to make it stand out), if one were organized and could do it at the time of image creation. One way around this, of course, is to increase the resolution of one's screen, as the tutorial is in windowed mode, so can be moved to one corner, with the text in another, but this would not be suitable for the "elderly" people who apparently like to have their shows seen at maximum screen size. Some things I found when I opened your utility: When I load it, the "help" file is included in the list - not sure if this was intended. Also, instead of the text showing when I click on "Slide No. 1", etc., the pathname for each appears in the text window, not the text itself. Lastly, it would be more convenient if the overall text window could be minimized to the top centre of the screen instead of to the top left, where it covers up the name of the main tutorial window. This utility may be useful for people who are hard of hearing, or where the narrator's voice is difficult to understand (like mine, perhaps), or for persons of different linguistic backgrounds, in which case a translated text could be used.

Thanks to Gérard Desroches, there is a French translation of the narrative document for the PTE 101 tutorial HERE on his website. Thanks, Gérard, for making this available for the convenience of French-speaking Forum members.

Jim, You might be able to use a transparent GIF with a border, instead of a button. It can also be programmed for different actions.

Terri, The "glitch" is that there are so many ways to get around the PTE protection that it is hardly worth using it. The only advantage is as a small deterrent to some people who may not know about these other ways. (namely various screen-capture techniques). When it comes right down to it, one can still photograph the screen with a digital camera and have a fairly respectable image, although the resolution and contrast suffer somewhat. As Bill says, if you must use high-res images, a watermark is the best protection, but even this can be circumvented. A large watermark across the entire image is best, but not so appealing to your clients. There are watermark techniques which look transparent, but can still be seen. However, we can't "have our cake and eat it too" in this case, as the saying goes. There are various techniques for embedding a code in your digital image so that even if it is cropped, the code can still be detected. This adds a bit of noise to your image, and is really only good as proof that someone has "stolen" your image if you catch them later. It might act as a deterrent, though, depending on what your clients are doing with the images they take. (see Digimarc - it is a plug-in filter in Photoshop now. ) A last resort might be to place a note at the bottom of each photo saying "This photo is protected against theft by the new Robinson auto-internet-notification system. If you attempt to copy it, a message to the website of the photographer will be automatically initiated."

Terri, You're welcome! Glad you find it useful.

Hi, Keith, It can't be converted yet to an "avi"-type video yet, but Igor is working on that, so maybe in the future sometime. This is a big programming project for him. You can find many past articles on this subject by searching on the keyword, "video". Try HERE as a starter.

Granot, I could use this button, too, to run a "help" file with narration text. Now if there was also included some intelligence which would allow the program to select which part of a large text file to show, depending on the slide number, that would be great. But, just for tutorials, I think Igor would not be interested, as there would not be enough demand for such a feature. Your idea about a programmable navigation button is a good one, though.

Thanks, Granot. Good idea! Now if there was a "help" key for each slide separately ...........

Igor, I agree with that suggestion - if the creator has the ability to program the use of these keys, then it makes sense to also give him or her the option to disable them as well. Or, if they are programmed, it might be useful for the user to also be able to disable them if he or she finds them awkward. I prefer to see the control over how the show runs left up to the creator of that show, wherever possible, especially where the show is being used commercially to sell one's products - you want things to appear just so on the client's pc. Even with artsy-fartsy shows - one hopes the user will be viewing one's show as one created it. But I guess there are exceptions. As long as the maker has the option to make things run a certain way if he or she desires it. Jim and Stu, I'm all for programming the scroll wheel. Whenever I remember to use it, I find it very convenient, and it could be useful in number of ways in PTE, especially once Igor makes the upcoming changes to the nav bar and offers more control over compiled shows.

Thanks, Granot. I like the idea of an option where one could select text if he or she wanted it. But it is still quite a bit of work, and I am moving on to other projects at the moment. Even better would be an option which one could select at the beginning of the show, and then whenever a new slide came up, a text frame would pop-up, too. (Never thought I would ever ask for "pop-ups"!!!) That would be less work than going back and modifying every slide where there is narration. Let me think about it.

Thanks, Granot! And your previous note is still there - right above my second-last post. Maybe you need to do a "refresh"? Re updating it every week, it will be worth it if Igor gives us a new feature every week! Not sure I follow your request for text. Can you not follow along in the "doc" file? Do you mean adding the text in "Comments", or as a text "Object", or do you have a special utility to attach text files?

John & Rick, You are most welcome! And, thanks for the kind comments! Nice to hear the show will be useful. Rick, I realized in glancing over your note that I left out one step in the narration clean-up process - after I "eliminate" the noise, I put the sound clips through a graphic equalizer filter (see Oleg's excellent description in his latest tutorial on Beechbrook for details). In the case of my own voice, however, I tone down the high frequencies instead of emphasizing them. While I understand the process, I'm still fairly inexperienced at this, however, and experiment with the settings until I get something that sounds better. Nearly everything is an improvement!

Hi, Terry, The reason for your images appearing small on your client's screen is most likely because the pixel size (resolution) of her screen is set much higher than the size of your images. You have probably reduced the size of the images too much. At the risk of being included in with Bill's "ultra-perfectionists", my advice is that you should enlarge your images (by either re-scanning, or re-photographing at a higher image size (in pixels) unless, of course, you still have the original un-compressed images and they are larger than the size you have used in your show). To what size did you resize the images? The show should still run with images at up to 1024 x 768 pixels, unless there are other reasons for it not appearing smooth, such as other programs running at the same time, running from a slow CD, trying to run transitions too close together, etc. Alternatively, you could ask your client to please resize her monitor so she can see your beautiful images in all the clarity and detail that they deserve. It won't help to use the "fit to screen" feature here, since, as you have already stated, the images on your client's monitor appear "really small".

I'm not sure that one is translated into English yet!

Jim, I presume you mean "different colours", in addition to the white-coloured border already there?

Hi, Vid You understand correctly - no PTE for Mac users! Re what is available, try some of the Mac forums, or do a search on Google. When one doesn't use the Mac, one doesn't keep up to date on what is currently available for them.

Thank-you, Oleg, for such a detailed explanation. Your English is very good - I understood everything. I guess I should read my user manual more thoroughly and find out more about dynamic compression as I suspect it's a topic you can't explain in just a few lines here on the Forum. Thanks again for giving us a better feel for it, though. Don't bother with the details in Russian, though. You saw the way I translated your other all-Russian note a few days ago! Your English is much better than my Russian! And I studied Russian in University and also grew up with many Russian-speaking kids in school. The problem is, that was far too many years ago!

Hi, Thomas, Welcome to the Forum and to the "Club" - we've all been through this ourselves! Like most things with PTE, there are several options. First of all, you can calculate roughly the length of music you need, based on the average slide display time and the number of slides, and then, using a sound editor like Audacity (free) or Audition (expensive), cut the music at approximately that length (wherever there is a sort of natural break point, like the pause between verses, or the end of a bar, and use the editor to fade it off gradually at that point. Then make fine adjustments to the slide duration times in the customize menu for several slides in order to get the end of the music to coincide with the slide transition you want. This works best for shorter music selections, as with different computers, the positions for music and transitions do not always keep in sync. The best way to accomplish this is by synchronizing to the music, once you have prepared it in the manner above in a sound editor. Then you can add it in the "Project options" / "Music" dialogue box, and in the "Main" tab of "Project Options" click on "Synchronize to music duration". Then, clicking on "Timed Points" / "Add arranged points" you can spread the slides over the music, and then adjust the individual transition points to suit the desired synchronization. It takes a little "jiggery-pokery" to get it right, but after experimenting with the controls a little, you should achieve what you are trying to accomplish. Good luck! Let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments, and I'm glad you appreciate the effort in making this a useful tutorial. Now for the bad news! Like every large work, there is always room for improvement. I found that I had left out two important features: using "new transition" to add slides to the timeline (how could I forget that one?? ), and setting the default slide duration time. I know they are obvious, when you look at the appropriate dialogue boxes, but still the tutorial was incomplete. I have uploaded a revised tutorial, but I see no reason why one would have to download another copy just for these two additions. So, I have also included on my web site a separate copy of the script, with the changes highlighted, so you can use it as a sort of errata sheet for the show until such time as it is worthwhile downloading a new version (i.e. when Igor makes some more improvements to PTE ) You can access it HERE. Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is probably not the last of the additions or improvements. I will try to keep you informed about them as they come along.