fh1805

Could it be because the Custom Transition editor and the O&A editor are the same code - and so can only do one thing or the other? regards, Peter

Tom, The first effect is very possible in PTE. It is, after all, very similar to a Rubik's Cube (which, you may recall, I have already created using PTE v6). The effect here has more layers but these layers turn about only one axis. The catch would be that the images would have to be pre-cut into the strips. So I guess that means it would have to be a template rather than a custom transition. The second one could certainly be set up as a custom transition. The shutter leafs would be objects that were common to all uses of this effect. The actual images are being used "in one piece" so the problems inherent in the previous effect do not apply in this instance. regards, Peter

Igor, I confirm that your workaround works for me! I cannot check other versions of v7.5 as I have uninstalled all the betas and now have only the official release code (at v7.5.1) installed. regards, Peter

Using v7.5.1 and working in the Slides view, I select a slide in the Slide List (let's say slide #14 at 1m36s offset into the sequence). I then switch to the Timeline view. Slide #14 is still the selected slide but the Timeline display has repositioned itself to show the very first slide. To see my selected slide in the Timeline I have to scroll right. This is very annoying and time consuming. Has anyone else experienced this? Peter

Lin, Thanks for your congratulations. The problem, as ever in the UK, is that of copyright clearance on the audio track. The Copyright Clearance scheme licences, that UK AV workers operate under, whilst giving us freedom to use almost any material form sources that we have purchased, place severe restrictions on the showing of the finished work to the public. In essence, we are restricted to showing them to camera clubs, AV clubs, at AV competitions and AV festivals, and to help bona fide charities raise funds. regards, Peter

Arthur, What you describe here is normal PTE behaviour. The file structure and content of a v7.5 .pte file is different to that of a v7.0 .pte file. So you are warned that saving the file will/may make it unworkable in the earlier version. This is a very different situation to "Access denied" from the Windows operating system. If we are to give you good advice, I think we need to know exactly what your problem symptoms are. A screengrab or two would help make this clear to us. regards, Peter

Gary, I haven't installed 7.5.1 yet but I would have expected it to have over-written v7.5.0. So when you uninstalled v7.5 you actually uninstalled v7.5.1. If I am right then right now you do not have any version 7.5 installed. Peter

Cedric, I do not use PTE to record comments so cannot accurately reproduce your problem. If I add an audio file and then go back to that slide, I no longer have "Add..." as an option, only "Remove..." or "Replace...". If I choose to "Replace..." PTE then replaces correctly. What happens in your case if you "Remove..." the audio file before making the new recording? Does that give you a work-around? Peter

Mike, Why not build up to your finally desired result in a series of smaller "learning bites"? First, learn how to zoom an image. Then learn how to pan an image. Then learn how to introduce a "picture in picture". Then put all three pieces of knowledge to work and build the sequence that you really want. To zoom or pan an image you need to be working in the Objects and Animation window. You need to assign two keyframes: one to specify the start conditions and the start time of the effect, the other to specify the end conditions and the end time. To introduce a "picture within a picture" you need to add an additional image object to your existing image (again working in the O&A window). This additional image object can be animated using the same technique that you used for your main image. As you seem to want to "play to learn", I'm not giving you step by step instructions - just a pointer as to what to do. If this isn't enough detail, come back with more specific questions about the things that still baffle you. regards, Peter

I often click on the blue arrow pointer and then drag that to and fro along the O&A timeline to view the effect of a change. Peter

I don't think you can have a Mask Container as a child of another Mask Container. The two Mask Containers must be independent of each other. They can both be a child of some other object (e.g. an image or a Frame) Peter

The old "Fade In/Out" transition never took one image to black then brought the next up from black. It always did a dissolve. I think that is why it has been renamed. Its name now reflects exactly what it does. As far as I know (using PTE since mid-2005), there never was a Fade transition which did as you describe, i.e. to black-from black. Peter

In the world of film and video, the term dissolve is used when two images "dissolve" one into the other. The term fade is used for a fade to or from black. When slide shows were produced using two projectors and a control unit linking them, a dissolve was achieved by fading one projector lamp down as the other was faded up. The images dissolved, the projector lamps faded. The basic transition between two images should, therefore, be called a dissolve. Peter

Further to my last: if you click in empty space of the File List to set focus there, you can then do Ctrl+A to select them all at once - and then do the drag and drop into the Slide List Peter

Mike, Normal Windows selection techniques work: Click, Ctrl+Click, Shift+Click. Any combination of slides can be selected from the File List and dragged into the Slide List. Peter

Mike, I do not have this problem with my installation of v7.5. What was your previous version of PTE? Did you participate in the v7.5 beta programme and try out any of the beta releases? Right now, I'm baffled! Peter

Mike, Are you working in the Slides View, the Timeline view or in the File List? Peter

Hi petejack, It is probably best not to add a similar problem into an existing topic. It always runs the risk of the discussion switching to the new problem and forgetting about the problem that was first reported. Far better to open a new topic for the new problem, even if it seems similar. If the investigation confirms that the two are actually the same problem, the moderator's can then combine the two topics into one. regards, Peter

I have this feeling that 32-bit application files are limited to about 2GB in size - but I may be wrong. PTE is a 32-bit application - not a 64-bit application. You may need to break your mammoth sequence down into sections and chain them to play one after the other. regards, Peter

Xaver, I lobbied long and hard with Igor to put in a "Quick" option into Project Options - and failed! He argued that it was there if you de-selected every option. That is, of course, true but it's not intuitively obvious for a new user. Peter

Arthur, You do understand the reasoning! As you have deduced, the feature allows the user to have a random selection of transitions - not just from the entire pool of transition types, but from just a subset of the transition types if so desired. Peter

Pete, I cannot speak for iPad videos but today I have been playing around with iPhone videos to run on my Samsung mobile phone. A 1920x1080 project which produced a 255MB EXE file (heavy with embedded video clips and a WAV soundtrack) produced a 50MB video file for iPhone. The only customization I did was during the output to video where I set the width and height values to fit within the native resolution of my phone: 480x320. It is quite possible that I could have reduced the video file size still further if I had experimented with some of the other options. regards, Peter

Eric, I'm still not commenting on a specific technique. From your screen shots I think you are possibly making things more complicated than they should be at this stage of your learning. You seem to have created a slide with a lot of objects on it. You may be better off working "one small step at a time". My suggestion would be to get the video and one still image working as you want. Then add a second still image and get that working as you want, then add the third still image, etc. Working in this manner, one step at a time, I feel sure you will build your confidence in what you are doing. You will also be taking a steady set of checkpoints in respect of your understanding. regards, Peter

Ray, In Project Options > Transitions, when you click on an arrow for, in your example, the Push transition, you are turning that particular direction "OFF" (watch how the background of the arrow changes colour). Things work this way so the user can, if they wish, have random transitions from just a subset of all the transitions. In Customize Slide > Transitions, clicking on one of the arrows, selects that particular direction of motion. (Again, watch the background colour of the arrow) To summarize: in Project Options you turn OFF the directions you do not want, in Customize Slide you turn ON the direction that you do want. regards, Peter

Perhaps it should rename itself "Phoenix AV" or even "Yo-yo AV"?