davegee

It occurs to me that with all of the talent available at this forum, definitive tutorials on the methodology for PZR could be PINNED to the top of the forum. This would save newcomers the job of having to search every topic for hints and tips. Some of us read every topic while others just want the info. Similar definitive tutorials on other aspects of the software could also be pinned as they are produced. DaveG

Igor, Please forgive me if this has been mentioned before (I don't visit the forum as often as I used to). When you are finalising the Beta would it be possible to have, as well as "Put To Centre" and "Cover Screen", an option for "ACTUAL PIXELS" in the Objects and Animations dialogue? If this were possible, in conjunction with the re-activation of "Windowed Mode" and specifying the size of the window, it would assist in the prevention of "over-zooming" of images. Many thanks for a truly amazing product - I never cease to be amazed at the quality of images obtainable with the latest Beta. DaveG

Hi Igor, Thanks for your reply. I mistakenly thought that I should have expected an improvement in the quality of the DVD produced in DVD Builder over other methods using 3rd party software. DVD Builder is very user friendly and although I have not tried to do it I can see that putting multiple shows onto a DVD will be much easier. I am pleased that you have included the facility to write to either a "Folder" or "ISO File" or even MPEG as this will reduce the number of burn failures. If the folder is successfully created then there is no reason not to go ahead and burn to DVD. I too, eagerly await the re-instatement of music sync as do most of your "fans" and this will be an event to look forward to. How many more BETAs do you anticipate before it is achieved? DaveG

Hi Igor, Perhaps I can re-phrase. I have been able to create a DVD using DVD Builder and the Folder option and also the MPEG2 option. I also used the "normal" AVI method and my usual technique of creating a folder and burning that folder in Roxio 8 with the same PTE. When I compare the results on my TV I cannot see a significant difference between the "old method" and the "new method". Should I be able to see a difference? The advantages of using DVD Builder are enormous and I applaud you for this new option, but should there be a difference in quality in this BETA? Best wishes, DaveG

Hi Igor, As I mentioned above I cannot see a significant difference between the DVD burned from an AVI and the DVD burned from an MPEG2 - am I doing something wrong ? In options I have left the BITRATE set at default (7000?) - what should it be and why? DaveG

I did a quick experiment last evening and found that a DVD burned from an ISO file would not play on my HDD/Recorder. However a DVD burned from a FOLDER created from the PTE worked OK. (I never burn directly to the DVD). I used a DVD+RW for the experiment . Personally I could not see a dramatic difference from a DVD burned the old fashioned AVI route. More experiments today. DaveG

Bill, Apologies - I did not read your reply to Ken correctly. Jason is correct in that you will need another programme to author the DVD, such as Sonic MyDVD or Roxio etc. Nettleton, Whilst Sonic MyDVD has never failed me when writing to a folder before burning the DVD, Roxio will also do almost the same thing by writing an ISO file to your hard disc for future burning. If you have a bottomless HDD you can keep these folders or ISO files for burning DVDs without having to resort to creating the AVI from PTE every time you need another copy. DaveG

Bill, The following may be of help: If you were doing it the other way around i.e. creating the DVD in a DVD Recorder then normally an "un-finalised" DVD would NOT play on your computer. If your computer software gives you the option to finalise then I would definitely finalise. Another tip: When doing trials use a Re-Writeable DVD for your tests - it saves a lot of anguish and not a little cash! You can always erase and try again if something goes wrong. If it works then make the DVD. Another thing - I have noticed that both of my DVD players seem to like DVD+R better than DVD-R. I use a programme called SONIC MyDVD which allows the writing of the Movie to a folder - the logic being that if writing to the folder is successful then you can go ahead and make a successful DVD by writing the data in the folder to a DVD. I hope this is of SOME help? DaveG

I plug PTE at every opportunity at the www.NIKONIANS.ORG site in the Postprocessing section. If any of you are Nikon users the site is a good source of info about all matters relating to Nikon equipment and the Postprocessing section is a good place to browse for info on Photoshop and Nikon NX RAW Conversion software. The question of which AV software is best crops up from time to time and I would appreciate some back-up when I recommend PTE. Thanks, DaveG

Hi Nicky, I have just checked my Help file and the USER MANUAL is not there, probably because it is a BETA version. However there is a guide to creating DVDs. Look in the forum for some of the independent tutorials and download those. You could also download there most up-to-date Version 4 in which there will be a User manual albeit that the new features in Version5#6 will not be there. Your version 5 key will also work with version 4. dave

Lin, Are you speaking for Igor, or just expressing an opinion?

In my case it was simply a matter of re-installing (an earlier version of) Roxio. All is now well. One thought - does the Codec reside in different places in different versions of Windows XP i.e. Home, Media, Pro etc? DaveG.

I think that I have the same problem. My method of creating a DVD in the past (on my Laptop running XP Home....) has been to create the Temp file, open ROXIO 8 and then create an ISO file from the Temp file for later burning to DVD. This always worked successfully. On my new desktop (running XP Media .... and everything else the same) I get as far as trying to create the ISO file at which an error is encountered and stops the process. I can play the Temp file but cannot create the ISO file. Any help greatly appreciated. DaveG.

I think that you will find that a PNG file created in PP will not be transparent so there is little point in that. Just go with the JPG option. DaveG

Powerpoint will allow you to save slides as JPEG or PNG but unless I am mistaken they will not allow transparency in the PNGs. If you make the PP slide white text on a black back and use black as b/g in PTE the white text will appear to animate on the black b/g. It might work.

Lin is correct, The Left/Right arrows on screen allow navigation between keypoints but the Left/Right keys on the keyboard only work after you have mouse clicked on a keypoint. The strange thing is that once you get the Left/Right keys activated they work for all slides in the show not just the slide you were working on (if you use the Next/Previous slides arrows). However if you come out of O&A and return you have to "Activate" the Left/Right keys again. DaveG

If your Keypoints are in the right places then you should see the "outgoing effect" merge with the "incoming effect". Give the guys here more detail? DaveG

I'm With Al. Show by default. DaveG

Forgive me if this has been covered elsewhere - perhaps I missed it. I think that I know all of the different ways in which I can distort an object/image in the O&A dialogue (except one). Is it possible now or will it be possible at some time to be able to control each of the corner points of an object/image independently of the rest so as to produce perspective effects? I am thinking of turning a rectangle into a trapezium (or vice versa) while zooming in or out. This type of control would need three variations, I think. a. Completely independent control of each of the four corners. b. Control of two corners in the horizontal plane c. Control of two corners in the vertical plane. Something for Igor to consider, or is it possible now? DaveG

Hi Igor, Many thanks - that worked. You were correct that I set Windowed Mode when I created the Beta 2 show. I will await Beta 4 for the reinstatement of Windowed Mode and synchronisation of music functions. I looked at all of the new features and agree with Jeff about the renaming of "Ignore Objects Not Selected". I will find this more useful than the "Transparent for click" but I can see a use for both. I quickly found that some of the new features (e.g. file names in Objects Pane) are not applied when opening a Beta 2 project in Beta 3 but apply to all new additions to the project. In the "Project Options" there is some loss of text in the line: "Permit control of show …" The Time Range is a very useful feature but gets a little difficult to interpret toward the end of a long show. Could it read out in Minutes / Seconds and parts of a second? Thanks for all of your work and long hours (!). DaveG

Hi Igor, Regarding Windowed Mode - I guessed that it was not available. But why is my show appearing at the TOP of the screen with no black line above and WIDE black line below. It was not this way in Beta #2? The show appeared in the centre with the same thickness black line top and bottom. Why has this changed? Will I have to go back to Beta #2? DaveG

Hi Igor, In Beta #2 when running in "Windowed Mode" and a 1280x853 show my show was displaying full width in the centre of the screen with black line top and bottom. In Beta#3 it is showing full width at the top of the screen with a large black line at the bottom. This does not look right????? Also I cannot select "Windowed Mode". My show is Custom:1.5 and 1280x853. Is this a problem? Is there something I have missed? DaveG

Hi all, I have posted a Photoshop Action which will cut up any image into 10 equal parts so as to allow the Venetian Blind effect. It works for both horizontal and vertical blinds. You can download here. Please let me know of any difficulties downloading or using the Action? DaveG

Doesn't the Synth have a different volume control in the MASTER VOLUME display? It is possible that Ken and Ron's Synth Volume is down in the Master (compared to the rest)? DaveG

In the OBJECTS window in O&A right click on the image you want to change the order of then click on ORDER and all of the options are there. DaveG