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On http://www.wnsoft.com/download.htm still the previous build (5.51) is indicated. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Sorry Dave, I do not totally agree. To keep it simple, let us consider the standard situation where the show is totally developed in "fit-to-slide-mode". In this case, all images, whose pixel dimensions do not match the ones actually needed, have to be resampled, whenever Preview is started. The question is: what is the best time to do it? Presently, PTE seems to resample the images at runtime. An alternative could be the "dynamic" preprocessing I have already tried to explain. Dynamic should mean that PTE should produce and manage copies which could be used to play the project as long as the resolutions of the copies fit to the actual monitor resolution. In case of a monitor resolution change, PTE should start a background process to go back to the (mostly high resolution) originals and update the collection of preprocessed image copies. A nice additional feature would be color management. This should mean that the preprocessed copies (optionally) are transformed to sRGB if the originals have a different color space (e.g. AdobeRGB). Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello, I think it cannot be recommended to run the shows with images having very high resolution. Let me propose another feature: It would be nice if PTE would adapt automatically to the actual resolution of the monitor or beamer. This would mean that it creates resampled copies of the images, created at the first run of the project file, and which will be changed automatically whenever it is needed. This is not a new idea, in m.objects these preprocessed images are called textures. Another possible feature: When creating an exe-file, it should be possible to enter the resolution of the monitor/beamer where the show is meant to run, and PTE should create the exe-file including automatically resampled images of the appropriate size. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi Peter, For the Del-key the problem arises that its action depends on the view (Slides or Timeline). So what to do in the Slide-drop-down-menu with the keyboard shortcut for "Remove Slide ..." ? Best regards, Xaver Munich

Igor, I know this. Although I do not like this context dependent behaviour very much, I do not regard it as anything important (as I said above). So, don't worry about my comment. Make a change, or leave it as it is! Best regards, Xaver By the way: My pseudonym in the forum is "Xaver", while Munich is the place where I live, located in Bavaria, South Germany.

Hi Ken, I think that the proposed feature would be helpful if you generate several versions of a show which are identical except for the resolution of the images. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello, I would like to see folder options: The user should have the possibility to choose a particular folder (given by an absolute path or alternatively by a path relative to the location of the project file) in which PTE should search for the media (images, audio files). If possible the search should include subfolders (as an additional option). Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi Peter, I thought that "Del" in the timeline means Cut (as it is called in PTE v5.5, kind of shift), not a removal. I myself would prefer a consistent naming of functions: Function x should always give the same result, independent of the context from which it was called (a "Del" should be a removal in any case, and always gap filling or always the opposite). On the other hand, I do not consider this subject as very important! You always see what happens, and you can react in an appropriate way. Best regards Xaver Munich

Sorry, where does the long story come from? You could have used the undo function, read the display time of the slide to be deleted, added this time to the display time of previous slide. Then the gap closing removal would have worked fine. Best regards, Xaver Munich

I think it is a difference to implement a single transformation or to have it in a time dependent form within a smooth animation. Best regards, Xaver Munich

With great respect, I cannot totally agree. Just going back to the original often will not be of great help. If you really want to avoid any losses, you need the aspect of non-destructive editing, as well (see my post from above). But in practice this will not work, anyway. Assume that you made significant modifications in PS, you cannot go back to RAW. If you sharpen the image or apply Highlight/Shadow or other irreversible functions, you also will have losses, storing in PSD or TIFF will not help. You must live with the compromise. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello capricorn36, If you want to generate an exe-file and run it on a PC, I am sorry to say: the answer is to you question is YES (no integration of videos); if you want to burn a DVD using VideoBuilder the situation is (hopefully) better (I haven't any experience with VideoBuilder). Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi Allan, I wonder if this feature is feasible. In PTE, all transformations of objects (rotations, scalings of coordinates, translations (pans)) even if they are applied to objects in parent/child relationship, lead (mathematically spoken) to time dependent affine transformations (see here, if you like). Such an operation combines (at any point of time) a linear operator and a simple translation and it always maps parallel lines onto parallel lines again. A rectangle may be distorted, but the result will always be a parallelogram. So, the transformation that you would like to have has a totally different characteristic, and I fear that it is not easy to achieve. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi DaveG, In my understanding, a tool works non-destructive, if it opens a particular object (image, sound, ..), allows changes, saves the changes as meta-data, but does not overwrite the original input. You can open this combined object (data and meta-data) as often as you like in order to make new changes or go back to an earlier version. At each stage you can export new versions of your data, typically not overwriting the original. If the export format is lossy, you will have some loss, but you have it only once, independent from the number of export actions. I think, this is the way how Audacity works. You may start with an mp3-file (having some loss), and in several sessions you make 30 changes to your Audacity project, each of which can be exported. If your export format is mp3 again, the final version has some additional loss, but independent from the number of changes, sessions, save and export operations in between. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi Alan, Can you explain in some more detail what kind of application you are thinking of. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi Argonaut, Your method (keeping raw images plus metadata) may work under the condition that Lightroom or ACR, version 4 (with similar functionality) provides all what you need for image precessing. But this method will fail if you like to apply particular filters (e.g. Nik), make enhancements using the Lab space, use selctions, transformations, masks, layers, particular blending modes (whatever a powerful image editor will offer). Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello Ian, Thank you for this information, and let us look forward to this new feature. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello Peter, You can use a tool like Total Commander (http://www.ghisler.com/) in order to compare the contents of your files (file menu > compare by content). I think that the tryout version of TC never expires, but it will show a nag screen at startup. Once purchased, all updates are free. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi Lin, I think that your "carrot strips problem" could easily be solved if we had clipping frames (see here) or mask objects (see here, proposed by thedom) in PTE. By the way, a similar feature is contained in Wings Platinum (Bildfeld-Clipping). Constructions like the zoom in a window with moving background (as shown in "Dis, La Nostalgie" by JPD) could be realized without much effort, as well. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello Peter, It is may impression that this is not what Bobo wants to have. He just dislikes to open and close the Customize Slide Window again and again, which he has to do if he does not want the same settings for all slides. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello, This is not a new idea, but I would highly appreciate if it could be realized. Frames should have a clipping option in addition to the existing features: If the clipping mode is chosen, for all descendants (children etc., animated or not) of this frame only the parts inside the frame should be visible. Parts outside should be clipped. Best regards, Xaver Munich

I would like to have this feature, as well. I think it would be nice to have this feature with the additional option that the inserted object is the parent of anything else. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hello Bobo, The backup in zip really is a good, existing feature. Do you have any suggestion for the next version? Best regards, Xaver Munich

Hi Lin, I only used version 5 of DiaSow XP from AquaSoft without being satisfied. In my opinion, this company hesitated to long with the step to use DirectX. I gave it up to use this product about a year ago. Version 6 is said to have smooth animations, but the product, although released, seems to have the characteristic of a beta version with lots of bugs. It still will take several months until it might become a recommendation. As I am quite happy with PTE I do not have any motivation to return to AquaSoft. A problem with PTE in Germany is the fact that it is "too much English". Many amateur photographers belong to the elder generation, and they prefer a German product with a German documentation, and a German forum etc. Maybe that AquaSoft will raise its market share in the German language area, and gain customers from Wings or m.objects. Let's see. Best regards, Xaver Munich

Sorry, I am a PTE enthusiast within a world of m.objects users. But this statement is definitely wrong. m.objects has been using HW rendering for more than 4 years (for particular reasons in combination with simulated full screen mode), and it produces fine executable slideshows. Anyway: I think it is wonderful to have an affordable tool like PTE playing in the league of highly expensive programs like Wings and m.objects. There are other tools using HW rendering: ScreenAV, Aquasoft (version 6). Best regards, Xaver Munich