Ian

Many thanks Igor. Again, lots to look forward to in the next release! Ian

I'm with Jim on this one as I've had exactly the same issue. On a fully synched show, you still have the option of "keep last slide on screen". It should be possible to keep each slide in the sequence perfectly synchronised with the music as usual, and then have action buttons on the last slide. This wouldn't spoil the synch by allowing users to jump out of a show part-way through, but still have all the functionality of using buttons on the "keep last slide on screen" final image. Ian

You may have slightly misunderstood this point - the "safest" option is to use a flattened hierarchy, with no drive letter at all. That way the various exe files called by your buttons will simply be picked up in the root directory of whatever drive the CD Rom is located. It may have been called "D:" on your machine, but could be "E:" etc on someone elses. Omitting any reference to the drive letter will ensure the exe files can be found. Ian

I have several "non-synched" shows made in previous years with an earlier version of PTE. None of them now run properly on my current hardware as the processor I have now is much faster than the one I had then. I could never work up enough enthusiasm to re-do them on the timeline as it would take so much effort to do. With version 4.0 though, the timeline displays the transition duration even on "old" PTE files, so converting them to synched versions isn't as tricky as it was before. I've already converted some, and found that I could do it on just one run-through with minor tweaks afterwards. Ian

Like Maureen, I have an MCPS licence that (hopefully) covers the use of copyright music in the sequences I make. The licence is actually quite inexpensive, and even cheaper if you belong to an accredited organisation like the IAC (Institute of Amateur Cinematographers), RPS (Royal Photographic Society) or PAGB (Photographic Association of Great Britain). The annual fee is something like £7 (can't remember exactly) and covers you for the use of copyrighted material used during the year. Having used the music to make a sequence during the year, it can be shown indefinately afterwards with no further fee payment. The system was originally set up to cover amateur film and slide/tape productions where there was only "one" finished product. How it applies now that shows are freely copyable on CD Roms is a bit of a grey area! If your objective is to send out multiple copies of shows to friends or customers, then this licence probably wouldn't apply. Ian

I noticed exactly the same thing yesterday, but in 3.8 not in 4.0beta#1, so maybe this bug has been around for a while. Right-click paste works fine, its just CTRL+V that gives the error.

The way that GlobFX Composer works is to treat each image as an object. Several images can be stacked on top of each other in a similar way that "Layers" operates in Photoshop. Each image can then be panned or zoomed independently of all the others, and the dissolves are achieved by fading out one image so that the one(s) below are gradually revealed. Its an interesting technique, but relies on the processing power of a 3D graphics card to work. If you've not got one, then the sequence may not even run. I used it for a wen Xmas card - have a look at GlobFX Composer Card This uses pan and zoom effects, and is only about 200k in total. I'll add my vote for a similar functionality in PTE if Igor can find a way! Ian

I'll stick to my earlier point that if you are displaying images on a monitor/projector that is set at 1024x768, it is pointless using images with larger pixel dimensions than this, and will degrade quality rather than improve it. The only exception is if you are planning to "future-proof" your shows in the anticipation that at some time in the future, hardware will have been developed sufficiently to allow an output resolution of 2048x1536. This is exactly double the 1024x768 setting, so when images of this size are shown at 1024x768 all the computer has to do is discard every alternate pixel to display the image. The smoothness of contrasting edges in the image will therefore be almost as good as the original 1:1 ratio. If and when the display hardware catches up, the image can be shown at its original high resolution without the computer having to interpolate any extra pixels. Using any other size image on a current "1024x768" display, like the 2400 x 1600 mentioned by Kim, will degrade the quality by some degree as the computer will discard pixels unevenly, giving the "jaggie" effect that we all try to avoid. Ian

Yep - I agree Ken! I loved that site you recommended www.scantips.com - there is a very thorough piece in there debunking "the myth of 72 dpi" that should be required reading! I come up against the "has to be 72/96 dpi" comments time and time again at AV Days, and its nice to see someone has taken the trouble to explain in great depth why this setting is completely irrelevent in screenshows or web pages. Ian

There are two things to think of when preparing images for projection - the actual pixel dimensions and the level of compression. Pixel dimension: It is pointless to use images with a larger pixel size than the projector or monitor can show them. If your projector or monitor is set at 1024x768, then this is the optimum "1:1" resolution for your images to fill the screen. Anything larger will simple get squashed into the 1024x768 format and you will actually lose image quality as a result. Likewise if your shows are aimed at an 800x600 audience then this is the best image size to use. Compression The higher the compression, the lower the file size - but also the lower the image quality. As Ken says, using something around 80% will usually give an excellent compromise between size and quality. Personally I am not a fan of batch processing images as I prefer to look at each one individually to choose the optimum setting. I usually use 1024x768 images, and aim for an individual file size of around 150 - 180k. The shows have been projected on large screens in halls with an audience of 100+ people and the image quality is excellent, even when the shows are mixed in with traditional slide projected sequences. Ian

Having now had some dialogue with Jim on e-mail, the work-around I suggested somewhere above does actually cure the problem! This is the note I sent Jim: The "Project name" and "File Name" are two seperate items and can be either the same or different. The thing that PTE doesn't do is automatically change the project name when you do a "Save As" instead of "Save". Say you have a file called "Mountains.pte", and a Project Name also called "Mountains". Using "Change Project Name", change the name of the project to "Valleys". The name in the Title Bar changes to "Valleys", but at the moment the working file is still called "mountains.pte". Do a "Save As". The suggested name of the file will now be "Valleys", and if you save it you will now have two files, one called "Mountains.pte" with a Project Name of "Mountains" and one called "Valleys" with a Project Name of "Valleys". At this point, both files will have identical slides and timings, but either can now be edited independently of each other. Whichever you load will either have "Valleys" or "Mountains" in the Title Bar as required. You can actually change the Project Name to anything at all - it doesn't have to match the filename. Just make sure you use "Save As" to save it in the first instance and choose whatever filename you want. Likewise always use the "Create As" dialogue when making the exe or you may find that an earlier version gets overwritten.

Hi Jim I just tried to do what you're after, and it worked. Say you've opened "A.pte". Change the name of the project to "A" and save it. Then change the project name to "B" and save as "B.pte". When you re-open "A" the name will be "A", and likewise for "B" - (unless I've misunderstood the intention!) Ian

oh-oh! You're quite right Jim, in v4.0 there is no longer a button in Project Options. Guido's suggestion is now the only way to change the project name. I got so used to doing it the other way I forgot about the Project menu! Ian

Hi Jim In the Project Options window, you can select the "Change Project Name" button to modify the title that appears in the main Title bar. Ian

Igor - just wanted to add my belated thanks for the transition shadow on the timeline. This is a huge improvement and allows instant identification of any timing errors. Well done! I second the point made about the missing shadow for the first slide, though once you know about it its easy to work around. Also - If you need to move a slide that has accidentally been added inside a transition period, the tail end of the shadow (ie to the right of the slide insertion point) gets clipped and is dragged to the right along with the slide. This doesn't have any effect on the finished show, but looks a bit confusing on the timeline. I guess the best thing is not to accidentally insert slides there in the first place! Ian

Many of the websites that sell CD's of sound effects also have a free download section where samples can be tried out. A google search for "sound effects" will turn out lots of options. Here's one A1SoundEffects.com that has a "television" section where you'll find the type of sound files you're after. Ian

Hello Robert Unless you are planning to record your narration outside of the house, using a microphone plugged into the soundcard is the easiest way to get a digital sound recording of your voice. You mentioned that you have Cool Edit. You can use your microphone to record directly into this, and will be able to see the wave file being built on-screen to get a visual guide for the best recording level. The microphone will inevitably pick up some "ambient noise" such as the computer fan etc, but you will be able to use Cool Edit to filter out the unwanted background and end up with a crystal clear audio file. Ian

The Fade In/Fade Out Duration time only applies to this transition effect. The value in the other box "Effect Duration" applies to all of the others - hour hand, circle etc etc. So for all of your "Fade In/Fade Out" transitions, the value you type in this box will become the default dissolve time. You can still change individual transitions by using the "Customise Slide" option. Ian

Hi Shirley I'm doing a "digital" demonstration day together with Maureen Albright at the WAVES meeting in Bath on 18th January, so please come along We're going to cover the complete usage of Pictures to Exe and also look at other software packages, plus tips on using Photoshop layers to achieve 'third-image' effects in digital shows. Look forward to seeing you!! Ian

In the UK, "diaporamas" are termed "AV Sequences", and there has been a very enthusiastic group making sequences for many years. The UK standard has always been to use two 35mm projectors with built-in triacs linked to an Imatronic dissolve unit. The transitions are achieved by fading one projector into the other, with the dissolves triggered by a pulsed signal on a cassette tape. To achieve perfect synchronisation, the pulse is generally recorded on to track 4 of a cassette so that the stereo soundtrack on tracks 1 and 2 stay locked in position. Over the last couple of years, there has been a rapid changeover from the traditional slide/tape method to the new digital formats with PTE being the most popular software. Currently, most AV sequences are still very much in the slide/tape area, but more and more AV'ers are starting to make new sequences digitally. Ultimately, the digital format will replace the slide/tape. The limiting factor at the moment is the problem of projecting the finished sequence to the audience. As digital projectors fall in price though, they will become more affordable for hobbyist use and this will again increase the rate of changeover to digital. CBAV have for many years marketed an "all-in-one" twin projector/tape/amplifier system called the Royale, and have now launched a digital "plug'n'play" version that combines a custom-built micro PC, data projector, amplifier and speakers that is a very portable unit. Having said that, the Slide/Tape medium is very much alive and kicking, and still has an active following in many European countries. Ian

There was a flurry of correspondence a few weeks ago about Pro Show Gold, which has the facility of writing VCD files and also outputting to MPEG2 for DVD players. Did anyone try out this facility? I downloaded the trial but didn't have time to play with it and its now expired... Ian

An excellent idea Igor. Making it the default option will be very useful. Ian

You should be able to get it from this link http://beechbrook.com/pte/index.asp?page=4

When building a sequence it is possible to jump to specific slide by temporarily placing action buttons on the first picture that link to pictures further down the list. Make sure that your mouse is enabled, and that auto-synch (if you are using it) is disabled. It won't give you a "real" vreview of the show as the music playback doesn't jump to the new slide, but it will give you a better feel for the dissolves than the preview gives. Then remove the buttons when you are finished. Ian

Okay - I understand the query now. If you have several objects on a page, use your mouse to draw a box round them all then press the "Group" button. This will preserve the relationship between them when viewed on different resolution screens. Ian