Flying Scotsman

Hi Peter, Thank you for your reply. I did `Synchronise slide to music` as you suggested and it solved the problem so somewhere along the line, I had (probably inadvertently) unchecked the box and not noticed it. Now you can see why I`m not an advanced member and also the effects of old age creeping on. Many thanks and sorry for the stupidity. Very best wishes. FS

Hi Everyone, I have a problem. I`ve made a sequence set to music and set the project to `repeat show until esc...` The first time the show plays, no problem but when the show repeats, pictures are fine but no sound at all. I created the sound as an MP3 file in Audacity and added it via the music in Project Option and I`ve not customised any slides. I`ve synchronised the music to the slides and unchecked `Wait for a key press...` and `Permit control using keyboard`. I`ve not checked anything in `More` as it doesn`t apply to the sequence. Can anyone help? Also, I`ve found that if I run the `review slide show from here` no matter which slide I start from, the music starts from its beginning, but if I run the show from the arrow under the working screen, the music is properly synchronised. Now I don`t know if the two problems are related or if I have two separate instances. Any advice would be very welcome. FS

Hi Peter, Thank you very much for the thoughts. I`d gone through all the possible combinations of mouse and everything else before I posted the problem. Without doubt, it`s the Adobe Elements that`s causing it. I`d thought of all the antivirus and housekeeping stuff but not done any further investigation - which I think I`ll do. My graphics are Radeon HD3470 shared with dedicated memory of 1534meg. And the really good news is; when it comes to money (brass) a Scotsman is a Yorkshireman who`s lost his sense of generosity (so they say)! Cheers. FS

Hi Peter, I`ve 3Megs of Ram installed - didn`t realise Photoshop Elements was that memory-hungry. Do you think I need to upgrade to 4 meg which apparently I can do, or, being Scots and (supposedly mean) live with it and just not open the two at the same time? Laptop is a Sony with dualcore 2 centrino T5800 processor. Best wishes. FS

Hi Everyone. Come across a problem. Found that the `escape` key intermittently not working in PTE 5.6 both with `preview` and `start preview from current slide` and I had to resort to Task Manager to stop the sequence running. I tried all the main show settings and it made no difference. Then by mistake I found that when I had Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 also running, that was causing the problem. It was also causing pan and zoom effects to become `lumpy`. I closed down Adobe and the escape key worked and the lumpiness in the pan and zoom disappeared. Tried to replicate the problem with other programs and everything worked OK. Thought I`d let everyone know just in case anyone else has the problem. Is this a known bug? Can I sort the problem out myself, or do I live with it. My computer has Vista operating system.

Hi Geoff, I agree with Ken Cox`s points. I too installed AVG8.0 and suffered the same problems. Disabling as Ken suggests seems to fix it. Funny thing is, a pal of mine had the same problem with Norton 360 and eventually resorted to the same action. Hope this helps. Toot Toot for now! Flying Scotsman

Hi DaleB, What size are your pic. files? You could try reducing your pic. file sizes. I had this problem and taking the action I suggest eliminated it in 4.48 and 5.5. Large pic file sizes (in excess of 1.Mb) I found the software doesn`t seem to be able to read in the files in fast enough when you want a bit of speed in your slide changes. Or it could be that you have small file sizes already except one early on in your sequence which is introducing the delay and thereafter there is a knok-on effect. I reduce my pic file sizes using Photoshop down to anything between 500k to 700k. Best wishes. Flying Scotsman

Hello Xavier, Thank you for your ideas. You`ve solved the problem. I was using the `run external application after...` in the advanced menu of `project options`. Your suggestion of checking the `run external application...` for the last slide in the `Customise Slide` menu fixed it. I was in the wrong place! Well done and thank you. Best wishes. Flying Scotsman (The first steam locomtive in the world to reach an authenticated 100 miles per hour). Igor has a photo of it.

Hi Everyone, Can anyone help? I`ve just got going with 5.5 deluxe and think it`s very good indeed. But I have come across a niggle which I didn`t have with 4.48. When I use `run application after last slide` I cannot get a transfer from the existing file to the new .exe without the computer delaying for about 2 secs, before the new .exe file kicks in, the result being that I get my desktop showing between the two .exe files. As I said I use this feature a lot and have had no problems at all with 4.48. I`ve set up the whole thing as I do for 4.48 (same folder etc.) and switched off the 5.5 D3D hardware accelerator in both .exe files. I`ve also disabled all my antivirus scanners (see below), but the problem persists. I have a Sony Viao PCG-K series laptop with Pentium 4 and Radeon separate graphics and RAM increased to 1 gig. Windows XP with service2 pack etc. On another issue, I noticed someone asking about AVG 8.0. I downloaded it and it played merry h..l with my sequences (AVG 7.0 was OK) using both 4.48 and 5.5. So, before I start any work or shows I go into AVG and disable all the bits that are running and that seems to have solved the problem. Friend of mine had a similar experience with Norton 360 - same remedy. What seems to be happening is that all these upgraded anti-whatever bits of software that scan all files as they are accessed and used are slowing life up and making sequences very unpredictable in their running. Hope this helps.

Hi JK, I have a Nikon D70 and got some dust grains on the low-pass filter. My local photographic store recommended and sold me the SpeckGRABBER which is a stick with some very fancy stuff (copolymer plastic, whatever that is) on the tip which means you clean off the muck without applying pressure and it will not leave any deposits - the instructions tell you not to touch the tip with fingers as you will contaminate it. You get alcohol preparation pads to clean the tip. I have used it twice and it works very well indeed. Made by Kinetronics who have a website. Hope this helps.

Hi Igor and everyone. I`m still having problems with PXE4.48 and hope you can advise. WHen I run a preview without music, pressing the escape key to terminate the preview works every time - not a problem. WHen I add music and synchronise and then preview, hitting the escape key occasionally works i.e. returns to the main screen. Most of the times, however, the music stops and the slide is frozen on screen. Doing a control+alt+del shows the project and PXE program as not responding. Doing the `end task` bit etc returns me to the main screen. Checked my computer, there are not viruses. Reloaded PXE several times - no change. No other similar programs on somputer except smoothshow which I never use. Any ideas would be most welcome as it`s driving me crazy!! Best wishes, Flying Scotsman.

Latest. If I use the `pause` in timeline, when I quit `timeline` I get back to the main screen. Hooray!! Using `stop` give me the problem. But after using `pause` when I preview the first sloide in the sequence is not shown and I get a black screen then slide no 2 appears as normal and on time. But when I `escape` to stop the preview the music stops and the picture remains on the screen (Control+alt+del to fix). Hope this is a clue. Best wishes FS

Hello Igor again. ABout the problem. Have scanned and no viruses, and no other programs (as far as I can see) behaving in a peculiar manner. Have again downloaded 4.49Beta1. From starting a project all is fine until I actually hit `play` in timeline, then when hitting `ok` the `not responding` occurs and I have to Control+Alt+Del to enter task manager which results in the PXE program terminating and my desktop. Also, when I add music and preview without visiting timeline, if I hit `escape` to stop the preview, the music stops and the picture freezes on screen - solved by control+alt+delete and ending task in task manager but this time I get back to the PXE screen. I apprectiate this is a very weird fault and on a previous reply to you I included the error message. One last thought, could it be something in the music files? I download from a CD using Media Player and have tried converting WMA files to MP£ using a free convertor software called Switch. But I have removed Switch and the converted files thinking that may have been a contributory factor - but it appears, no. I have also tried system recovery and gone back about a month, but to no avail. Have you any other ideas? If not, I fear I can no longer make AV sequences which would be a great disappointment. WIth very best wishes. FS

Hello Igor. I`m beginning to think it may be a little something my computer has picked up - thanks for the comment - I`ll check it out and get back to you. Meanwhile as part of my action I`ll remove 4.48 etc and 5.0 + all project files and start again. WIsh me luck!

Hi Igor. reinstalled 5.08R as you suggested. Same problem occurring. Any ideas? Best wishes. FS

Hi Igor. Thanks for your 4.49 Beta1. I installed it and the first time I used the timeline, everything worked OK. Went into timeline again after running a preview and the problem came back. Here is the error message: szAppName : p2e_prev.exe szAppVer : 0.0.0.0 szModName : hungapp szModVer : 0.0.0.0 offset : 00000000 Will try the 5.0 beta 8R as you suggest. Thanks for your help thus far.

Thanks Alrobin for replying - hope things are well in Canada. Sorry for lack of information, this was due to my writing about the problem in a great hurry. Up to now, I have done a fair few sequences without any problems whatsoever. So, here we go; I`m using PXE 4.48 on a Sony Viao laptop fitted with Pentium 4 processor and 512mB of RAM and graphics by ATI Radeon. Working on your question, if I go into the timeline and no music file then exit without doing anything - OK. If I have a music file entered by way of Project and go into timeline and exit without playing the music - OK. IF I go into timeline and play music without adding any transitions - problem occurs. One thought occurred to me; working on the principle that problems are caused by change, I didn`t seem to have this problem until I downloaded PXE v 5.8R to have a look at it and once I`d looked at it, I removed it from my computer - don`t know if that is of any significance. I also re-downloaded PXE 4.48 thinking that somehow my program had got corrupted, but that made no difference. Otherwise I cannot think of anything else. Help and thanks for taking the time to reply. Cheers.

Hi Guys, Need a bit of help. I`m loading an MP3 music file and when I`ve set the tranisitions on the timeline, all ok. When I press OK the programme freezes - control+alt+del tells me PXE is not responding and I have to kick out of it and start again. All other aspects of the PXE programme seem to be working OK. Also, no differenc when using a WAV or WMA music file. Any help would be very welcome? And a Happy New Year to on and all.

Thank you Igor. Very helpful as ever. Have a good New Year. Fyling Scotsman

Hi Guys. The PXE software (4.48) I have, I downloaded on to my laptop. I now want to use the software on my desktop computer as well as my laptop. This means copying the software over. How can I do this, or do I have to purchase new software?

Hi Joe, I`ve had the same problem and I am using 4.48 - very irritating. However I`ve got round it very nicely. When I`m assembling a sequence and using the text etc. I go into control panel and set my computer resolution to 1024x768. WHat this does is set the size of the object editor and you can then place your text boxes within the limits displayed. That way, when you come to do your show, they will not have moved. Great thing is, when I show on my laptop screen at full resolution, the objects do move, but revert to their designed positions when you connect to a projector or whatever - double whammy!! My laptop is a Sony Viao (or however you pronouse the damn thing) with a wdie screen, Hope this helps. Give it a go before desrting the ship to P..........D

With regard to mouse and manual control etc in a show, I have used PXE dozens of times to give illustrated talks using my laptop with complete success. Here`s how: First distinguish between a slide show and an AV sequence. FOr the purposes of this, take a slide show to mean you are showing a series of slides with total manual control to enable you to advance or retard a slide when you want and to hold a slide for as long as you wish. Run the show as a PXE Project using the Preview button - but you need to set it up: In Project Options - Main, Uncheck the music synch box. In Advanced - Uncheck all boxes and set the mouse buttons as you wish. I set left hand to `Next slide` and right hand to `Pevious Slide` and I select the `hide mouse cursor during show`. In Effects - Check the Enable box. and I use the fade only. This keeps the show simple and looking professional - have you ever heard of `Death by Powerpoint` when a presenter has had a superb presentation only to be completely riuned by overuse of transition effects and audible whizz-bangs)? And there you are. There is no need to customise any slide unless you want to. Now, with your sequence sorted out you start your show by pressing the Preview button and using the mouse to control it (I use a radio remote presenter to enable me to stand at one side and away from the computer). A good idea is to have a blank slide to start your sequence (I use black). That means you can have a black screen as your soon-to-be-amazed audience assembles. To get a blank black slide - easiest way is to take a photograph with the lens cap on then copy it as many times as you want in Windows Explorer. At the end of the show, also put a blank black slide and set the `When show ends keep last slide on screen` box. This will leave you with a blank screen to finish - again looks very professional. I keep about twelve blank slides, all numbered, in a separate folder and simply copy them over to my PXE project folder as I need them, renaming them as I go. You can also use the blank black slides as title slides - insert a slide where you want and set up the title in Object Editor. And believe me, for a straight forward slide show where clever graphics and not required - PXE beats PowerPoint into the middle of next year!! Hope this helps.