davegee

Geoff, Using my Picture Frame as an example: It is possible to "stack" images in the aperture of the picture frame that I made and control their opacity in keyframes. It's a rather complicated procedure but possible! The Aperture in the Picture Frame is a "nested frame" - it is the child of the Master Frame for the Object. The more usual way of using the Picture Frame is to "stack" two images back to back and the rotation of the frame itself gives the necessary change of image. Image one would be "Show Front" (Show Back unticked) and Image two would be "Show Back" (Show Front unticked). Each slide would present two images. To use a STATIC frame and change the image I would put two images into the aperture in each slide. The second image in each case would overlap into the next slide. Re:Opacity - it would be performed on the IMAGE and not the frame. Hope that helps? DG

Bert, Your monitor is a 16:10 Aspect Ratio Monitor. If you set it to 1024x768 you are spreading the 1024 Pixels out along the horizontal and 768 along the vertical. Anything displayed at that setting will be stretched. If you were able to find someone with a 4:3 AR Monitor (1024x768: 1400x1050; 1440x1080; 1600x1200 etc Native Resolution) then you would be able to set it at a true 4:3 resolution in order to see how your show is going to look when projected on the club's projector. When you say that your show "filled the screen" of your 1680x1050 screen when set to 1024x768 are you absolutely sure that there were no black lines top and bottom as there should have been? Did you mean "filled the width" with black lines top and bottom? In which case all is well. DG

Igor, I am getting a regular error with PTE V7 Beta 10 on my Windows XP Desktop. "Assertion failure(C:Worlds\PTE\PteLib2\3DBasics\DXDev3D.pas, line 1206" I am using a single 1920x1200 monitor for both my Desktop and my Laptop via a HDMI Switch and it usually happens when I return to the desktop after using the Laptop with the monitor. DG

Let's patent that phrase Peter - "Nested Frames"! DG

Would it be easier to make both the Image and Video "children" of a frame? That way you can order (and size) whichever way that you want. Use the frame to control any animation. DG

It is not unusual to have guests arrive with just a Memory Stick with PTE shows on. My point to Bert is that he needs to run his shows on a 1024x768 screen to know what to expect. The questions that he asked indicated to me that he has not already done this. If his settings are not "correct" or don't allow for 1024x768 in some way ........................................................ DG

Bert, I would definitely advise that you try your show out on a computer which is set to output at 1024x768. If you can find someone with a 1024x768 monitor!!!!! Mostly in antique shops these days!! DG

As I said previously if you get the chance to see Andy Rouse present I think that you'll agree that there is a place for Video in AV. However sad to say that he is the only one I have seen use it to the level of competence he did even though I think he was using a very simple programme for his MAC. In other words it was the programme that did the clever bits and not necessarily Andy. (Please forgive me Andy if I'm wrong!!). DG

Your laptop will need to be set to 1024x768. Right click on desktop and (depending on OS) you'll see either Properties>Settings (XP) or Personalise>Display Settings (Vista). This will allow you to match the output of your laptop to the projector. Practice!! Your show will, however, be interpolated down from 1920x1080 to 1024x640 by the laptop. You can see the effect of this by setting your laptop to 1024x768 (if it is a 4:3 screen) or the nearest equivalent for a 16:10 screen (1024x600) or 16:9 screen (1024x576) etc. On the night, connect to the projector and THEN change the settings to 1024x768 and make the projector your MAIN monitor. If there is an AR mis-match the computer monitor will SOMETIMES turn itself off. DG P.S. What Ken said!!

Robert, I don't do a lot with video as such but in order to keep abreast of what is going on in PTE I tried to insert an MOV file out of a NIKON compact a while ago and found that it would not work. Igor sorted this for me and MOV files (MPEG2?) out of Nikon L2 Compact Cameras now work OK. I have also inserted H.264 MPEG4 files created in PTE as a trial and these worked OK. The said H.264 files are what I normally use to present shows (from a memory key) via the Media Player in my HDTV. Igor explained his reasoning recently for using 1280x720. I can't say that I followed it closely but I'm willing to bet that if Igor says there's not much difference then that's the case. I intend to try 1280x720 vs 1920x1080 in the near future and I'll report back. I can, however, give you my opinion that a 1920x1080 H.264 MPEG4 Video played through the Media Player of my HDTV is not as good as the corresponding EXE played from my laptop into my HDTV via an HDMI connection. You raise an interesting point about mixing stills and video in PTE - Will they work OK on ALL computers? There was a time not too long ago when 1920x1200 was being proposed as the "BEST" format but I think that we are over that and anything that fits into the 1920x1080 "frame" is now OK. Like yourselves we adopted the 1920x1080 projector a few years ago in Wales and we haven't regretted it! DG

I would have thought, Peter, that the original Font which went missing found its way onto your original computer via a piece of software that you haven't yet installed on your new computer? DG P.S. Note to Community Forum Software - Your almost exclusive use of the ARIAL font is BORING!!

I use good ol' ARIAL almost exclusively - boring! DG

http://www.picturest...cturestoexe-70/ This might help? DG

Peter, All that you should have to do is replace the "missing font" from your old machine to the new one. (C/Windows/Fonts) If you cannot access the old machine tell us what Font you are looking for - perhaps we could send you a copy? DG

If you spread a video clip over X number of slides (Single Video Clip Mode) you can then mute the Audio on alternate slides. Use Quick Transition. That'll do it! DG

As stated above - turn off your laptop screen by going to Control Panel > Display and choosing the TV only. This is the beauty of the HDMI connection - it is automatic (on my now ageing 1280x800 Sony Laptop). I have just the one 1920x1200 monitor and, by means of a switching unit share it with my desktop computer via HDMI. Switching is is automatic and I never have to go to Control Panel. Same goes for the TV. HDMI also carries the sound from laptop to TV. Another factor: Before I got my existing TV I had a 1366x768 display which was great with a HDMI connection but when using VGA it was limited to 1280x768. My shows were then interpolated down from 1920x1080 to the TV res. Barry's suggestion is true for DVDs but for Computer/TV connection you have to match the output res of the computer to the res of the TV (or projector). If Bert has not done this he is getting exactly what I would expect - a 1280x800 pic in the middle of a 1920x1080 screen. If the computer screen is 1280x800 and you don't have TWO graphics cards then you cannot feed different resolutions to different screens. His graphics card is capable of 1920x1080 but his laptop screen isn't. It is possible to have a two screen configuration but the MAIN monitor is then 1920x1080 (or 1920x1200) while the laptop shows just a 1280x800 PORTION of the output in which to put windows. In Bert's case it has to be 1920x1080 and as he rightly said he will then get black bars each side of the screen. If the TV is new: explore the possibility of it having its own Media Player and USB connection. Full res 1920x1080 MPEG shows can then be played from a USB Key. IMHO there is a slight difference between the Media Player route and the Computer HDMI connection in favour of the HDMI connection but the convenience of "no wires" overrides the quality issue. DG

Start off your suggestion - "As a new user, I would like to see..............................." When you are used to navigating around PTE it is sometimes difficult to understand why the new user has a particular difficulty. A new user is sometimes more qualified than an "old hand" at spotting such things? DG

One step at a time. Create a folder to contain EVERYTHING related to the project - Images and Music. Set up the workspace so that you can see all of your images on the left hand side. (VIEW - Horizontal View - Tick File Tree - Once you have navigated to your folder File Tree can be turned off) Drag them all (or one at a time) into the bottom horizontal slide area and you have already created something that you can watch by clicking on PREVIEW. The rest is getting to know "PROJECT OPTIONS" and "OBJECTS and ANIMATION". Tackle one problem at a time! Re: TV - Do you propose to use DVDs or can you connect your computer/laptop to your TV (preferably via HDMI)? Does your TV have a BUILT-IN Media Player and a USB connection? DG

+1 for the second option. The logistics of the preparation and quality of a 15000 pixels wide image are too much to cope with. It's not impossible but why bother? Unless you are making the show in ONE slide the 15000 pixel wide image would have to be loaded and precisely placed for each of the slides. DG

(Specific) Suggestions to Igor on a postcard? DG

No, You can install V7 Beta 10 alongside V6.5. (It is an UPDATE and not an upgrade). At the end of the installation Untick the top two options with regard to file association to keep them seperate and avoid opening projects in the wrong version. To open a project in V7 you would then open PTE (V7) and choose OPEN from the file menu - if you double click on a PTE file in EXPLORER it will still open in V6.5. An existing project opened in V7 and SAVED will not then re-open in V6.5. However, V7 Beta 10 is stable and can be used with confidence. DG

Hi Robert, Presumably, you have a singe source for any video which you want to insert into PTE such as your Canon 5D or perhaps your Nikon 5100? Igor has requested samples from various cameras so that he can test and has promised that a converter will be built in at some stage. I sent a short clip from a very basic Nikon L2 compact and he "fixed" that for me. If we start from where you are, will your existing camera's video allow it to be inserted WITHOUT conversion? If not, why not send a VERY short clip to Igor and ask for his comments? I recently saw Andy Rouse at the Hay Book Festival and he showed some remarkably professional looking still/video combination shows (albeit from a MAC!) and the source video came from his D3's. If you have a chance to see him anywhere I can THOROUGHLY recommend that you go from a photographic and entertainment point of view. I know that he is booked for Abergavenny CC's annual lecture in November. Further details and other possible venues at his web site. DG

Does this Template help? Transfer to your HD and Extract. Open PTE Project in V7 Beta 10 (or later). DG Rose Cross.zip

We look forward to trying it out Igor!! DG

Igor, When using "Customize Slide" and "Loop This Slide" I take care that the start point and finish point in an animation in the slide are "very precisely" the same. Even so, I am noticing a slight hesitation between the end point and start point of the slide when it loops. There are no large file sizes involved. The largest object in the animation is 360K. Can you offer a possible reason/solution? DG