Barry Beckham

We are running a dedicated AV workshop based around PicturesToExe and Photoshop at the Maltings, in Ely Cambridgeshire on the 25th September 2005. This is an all day event that should enable many techniques and topics top be covered. We have booked the Kempen Room and will limit the attendance to 40 people maximum. Full details can be found HERE Other lectures around the country can be found HERE Barry Beckham

We are running a dedicated AV workshop based around PicturesToExe and Photoshop at the Maltings, in Ely Cambridgeshire on the 25th September 2005. This is an all day event that should enable many techniques and topics top be covered. We have booked the Kempen Room and will limit the attendance to 40 people maximum. Full details can be found HERE Other lectures around the country can be found HERE Barry Beckham

Wedford Forgive me but is it possible to set a certain number of slides in a "loop"? So that if played continually, fast enough, would give the appearance of animation Yes, its called video or DVD Barry

I hope Igor doesn't mind me using this forum to advertise a full day digital lecture that I and David Rowley will be doing in Cardiff on the 27th November. It will be based on Photoshop, but will have a very healthy slug of PicturesToExe in it too. Full details can be found HERE Barry Beckham

Igor I tried another DVD run using your latest beta, but I got the same result. The process seems to start and then I got the microsoft warning message again. I am using an AMD chip, 1.7 processor and 1.5 gig of ram The slide show I tried to make into a DVD was a large one about 17 meg in total size Perhaps I should do it again and take a screen shot of how far it gets, would that be helpful? Barry Beckham

Re Winter Slide show Thanks for your comments, this is one of my favourites. And I was so careful over that link at the end too, I will check it and thank you for your observations. Barry

I tried a 12 slide show and the process was well under way and then I got the standard Microsft message that there was a problem and it had to close. Barry B

I have also been sent Movie Factory 4 and can't write a DVD any more from a PTE show. It worked fine in version 2, theres progress for you. Barry B

I have a simple wish, but it is the same as have asked Scaling of objects so they don't lose position in different monitor resolutions. I like to use PTE as a menu for tutorial CD's and DVD's and the only painful part of that process is the changing positions between different resolution monitors. Hope that is something possible in a future version Barry Beckham

I have a new slide show on my site at the top of the page here http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/freestuffd...fdigslidesw.htm Barry B

Nickles The cheque is in the post Barry B

Ron I am an amateur too, working full time on my proper job, which is a million miles from photography. All One of the great advantages for digital slide shows is that it a great medium to use our work. We can't shoot masterpieces every time we go out, (although we strive too) but we can usually shoot a variety of images that can make an interesting slide show. What spoils a lot of them in my view could be easily put right. Perhaps I can offer some suggestions, but that is all they are and in some circumstances they should be ignored. 1. Sequences that start with a title and credit that stays on the screen so long boredom sets in before an image is seen. A few words of text, usually fairly bold on an opening image can be read in seconds, so get them off the screen quickly. 2. Don't make the sequence too long, we all do that from time to time and if you have to find a second piece of music for your images then think carefully before you add it. 3. Many sequences I see just do not match the music, either in the speed of the slides in relation to the music or the music is just dire. Adding music can enhance images, but get it wrong and it does the opposite. 4. Creating enough images for a reasonable length slide show can be time consuming and I guess that is why some images are in desparete need of a little work and I am not talking of hours of manipulation. Levels, colour, a bit of cloning and sharpening would make a world of difference. 5. Don't mix loads of different transitions within one show 6. Don't over use the black and white to colour effect. I have seen some where the same image is used a number of times, (done it myself) in different colours. Most of the time, unless the image is really powerful it is too much and the image is on screen too long. 7. Don't mix landscape and verticals constantly in a slide show, if you do need to do this, try an oval mask which can improve the transition or use the picture in picture technique. In my view what makes a good slide show is often due to what wasn't shown, in other words be super critical of yourself when selecting the images and when the show is finished watch it twice a day for at least a week. It is not until you watch your own show many times and days later (Well after the original creative mist has lifted) that you can see the faults. Having said all that, make your shows to please yourself and if others like them great, if not, so what. Barry B

Is the address right as it is not working for me? Barry

This issue is an important one, but let me ask this question. How many times have you needed to find an image that you took a long while ago and how many times have you needed to do this? I have been in this position a few times, but can usually zero into the image within a reasonably short time. If you store images chronologically you can usually put a CD in the drive and know the picture you want was taken before or after the ones on the CD and that is how I work. If I spent a lot of time, even with good software cataloguing my images I could die in the process. Next question. Subtract the time spent looking for those odd images from the time it would take to catelogue them all. If you end up with a minus figure then the work may be worthwhile, if not why bother. Do you not think that this cateloging is almost an obsession with some people to the extent that it almost becomes more important than the images they shoot. I have one aquaintance who can lay his hand on any image within seconds, which is pretty impressive. He boasts about how he can find anything he wants, but:- 1. He never has the need for this speed being an amateur. (He is not running an image library) 2. This is a bit naughty, but...his images arn't worth the search! Just wonder if this is all worth the worry? BB

Barry (BJC) Another BJC masterpiece, I almost miss IDIG BarryB

What always occures to me when looking at many slide shows is, forget the transitions and spend some time on the image quality. Many pictures that get used not once, but sometimes, three times (first in B&W then in green, then in blue) shouldn't be there in the first place. They are not up to it and should be edited out. The success of any group of images either hard copies or via a slide show are more affected by what the author decides not to show, more than what they do. BarryB

There are video tutorials at this location too http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/digitalav/...ter/starter.htm There is also a good example of how the time line can be used to match the music HERE Barry B

I have just created a Movie tutorial DVD on this subject using PicturesToExe and Photoshop and you can find details HERE Barry B

Boy am I glad I don't do technical or I would never produce a slide show at all. Barry B

This is all far too complicated and boring, I will risk it Barry B

Ron Bit of a late reply, but no, I don't want to create buttons in Photoshop, I like the ability to add them quickly and easily in PTE. Barry

Redlad The solution is HERE Barry

bjc Are you confusing all these good people with DPI and PPI? Now what did you say again? I don't do technical Barry

Geordie Only just seen your message, but I do a series of movie tutorials for PTE as someone has already suggested, but here is the direct link. http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/digaudvistut.htm Barry

Granot I have tried MMB, but cannot get my head around it and with all my committments can't spend the time needed to learn it. Would love a tutorial on this program I would like to use it to create the navigation around my movie tutorial CD's. Are the files proced by MMB compatible with Mac's? Barry