Barry Beckham

Eric Theres no point in changing virus software, they all have their moments as we have seen with AVG Tried downloaong tonight and it seems to be coming down OK now.

Just a heads up for anyone interested. Avast brought up a threat detected warning when I opened the link to Media Fire. We know its a false positive, but if you post a zipped version, it is easier to download and deal with the false warning. I have to say its about time you kicked that 5:4 format into touch :-)

I don't have any solutions, even if there is a problem. Just pointing out what I see and what I have experienced quite a few times when I have needed a question asked. (not on this forum though) A question was answered recently by a regular member, but in that case I thought I had a better way to to the same, but it would be more complicated than the answer given. It was fairly obvioous that the person asking the question was knew to PTE. I chose not to add an alternative to those answers already given, as it tends to look like a one upmaship race and may not help the newer user.

Peter - I did remember the language thing and told myself to mention that, then forgot all about it. Thanks for adding it in. Yes it is about how we, on this or any forum, conduct ourselves in respect of the other members and that if we are not careful, in our eagerness to help we can often hinder.

There has been some recent suggestions/questions asked about the instructional information that is available to PicturesToExe users. Despite it being freely available the newer user of PTE will always need to ask the questions we have heard a 100 times before. Once we have a reasonable knowledge of any software we are using, we can sometimes have trouble understanding why the newer user finds some tasks so baffling. I am speaking in general terms, but that is a fact with anything that is being taught and good teachers are those who can bridge that gap for the student. A written instruction manual is a great thing in any software, but it often doesn't answer many of the questions the newer user needs addressed. They are often too technical and fail to inform exactly what needs to be done and in what order. The inherent problem that most people will agree with, is that keeping instructional documentation and/or tutorials up to date is quite a challenge. Both in skill and the time taken to create them. Modern software changes so quickly that by the time the doc/tut has been made and proofed, it's virtually out of date. Sometimes the changes to software is minimal enough that the newer user can bridge the gap that has opened up in the documentation/tutorial themselves, but very many can't. It doesn't indicate a lack of intelligence or ability to learn, its just that we are all different and we all learn in different ways. A 6 step process where the 5thstep has become out of date can be worse than useless for some people. They waste valuable time up to step 5 and then come to a crashing stop. May as well have not started in the first place. This has happened to me, so I doubt I am unique. One of the other issues which is huge for the newer user in any software is the hundreds of options that are packed into that software. There can often be many different ways to approach the same project and the user can't see the wood for the trees. How do they know which boxes are essential to tick and those that are nice to have, but not important to what they are doing right now? Its why default settings are so important. Forums can be a blessing, but they can also be a curse. People generally cannot cope with being given many different ways to do the same thing, they just want one. They are not too bothered if it's not the best, or the quickest way. All they want at that stage is a solution to give them a result. In my experience,its often the simplest method that is best given at this stage, not the best one that you have found after years of experience. Those are often too complex for the user, at that stage. There is a tendency on forums for a number of people to give various different ways to do things and it's done with all the best intentions. However, I think we need to stop and think sometimes and if a new user has been given a solution, then despite the fact we feel we have a better one, we should not complicate things by adding many others. Then we have to accept that there are many different styles of projects that people are working on from the simple to the complex. From a bit of animation fun, a holiday slideshow, to a major competition entry. How do we create documentation/tutorials for all those eventualities? I also feel there is still a little too much jargon and abbreviations used on this and other forums. I often see an abbreviation of letters that make me stop and think, what is that? After a few seconds I can often work it out, but sometimes I can't. You see an answer to a question that says, go to the O&A and create multiple key points. You have to be an experienced PTE user to understand that ! In addition to all this, how do we tell if the question being asked is from an experienced user or not? Often the clue is the question and it can be obvious by the very nature of that question that this request is from a newer user. Therefore, we should structure the answer accordingly and keep the number of different ways to achieve the same result to a minimum. Jargon and abbreviations have no place in a thread like this. We can't even assume the user knows what a slide list is. On top of all this, if this isn't enough, we have the added complication of dealing with the creative aspects of the software. Igor has said , that he didn't envisage his software being used in some ways he has seen. So, for those of us who like to help and answer queries, perhaps we all need to think about the question asked more carefully and how it should be addressed. Can I suggest that you don't assume a knowledge that may not be there and if a workable solution has already been given, resist the urge to add loads of others.

Yes I appreciate that and thought about that route myself, but I didn't want to risk getting something I then wasn't happy with. I still think laptops suck, but needs must.

Arthur I think the guys here have given you the answer, but a long shot may be to update your graphics card drivers. They usually become out of date, even before you get your PC home, so if you have never updated them, it odds on there will be improved drivers available. There is no guarrantee that this will fix your problem, but at nil cost its worth a try. Over the years it has fixed one or two problems I have experienced. I usually do this through System > Device manager > update driver

I recall needing a new laptop 3 years ago as I was leaving the UK for Australia, so I took a heavily animated slide show on a stick around the stores and ran the slide show on the demo models. I didn't want to part with my cash untill I actually saw the thing working and we tried dozens of laptops. I found that some of the most expensive and high tech laptops didn't perform very well at all, while some lower down the spec range did. You would expect the higher specs to always produce the goods, but it must have something to do with compatability of the componants too. If I were buying a laptop to show PTE shows as I suspect you are, I would want to see it running some animation first. Put it under a bit of pressure and see how it copes. It is clear that the power we want is not understood in the market place. Later in Australia I did exactly the same thing when I needed another laptop.

Steve If you want to make a slide show for both PC and TV (DvD) use, then it probably makes most sense to create your images at a resolution of 1920*1080, which is 16:9 format. You cannot make your 3:2 images fit a 16:9 format screen without cropping them in an image editor, but that is rarely a big issue as long as you know how. Its a fair bet, but not certain that you are working with a monitor of 16:9 format anyway, but your certainly not using a 3:2 monitor, which is the format images your Canon will give you. If you stick to 3:2 format you must have black bars left and right, but I can't think of a good reasons to remain with 3:2 while your trying to fill your screen. If you set a resolution in the Project options > Screen Tab in PTE at 1920*1080. then look into the Main tab you will see that you have 16:9 format. Create your images at that same resolution 1920*1090 and you should be fine. When you create the exe for the slide show, tick the box in the screen tab called Fixed size of slide (in pixels), but when you make the DVD for TV use then untick that box. You can see how different formats will appear on your monitor with the examples in the download I sent you. There is one for 4:3 - 5:4 - 16:9 - 10:10 and 3:2

Steve I am not sure if this will help, but on my web site I do have a slide show that deals with this subject. Might be worth a view to see if it joins some of the dots. Its called Image Size for both PC and Mac http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/slideshows_4.html

I agree with Lin. I also like to create frames, edge effects, drop shadows and a myriad of other effects in my image editor. With the greatest respect for Igor, there is much greater control, variation and creativity open to us using Photoshop/Elements than there will ever be in PTE. The more image editing stuff that gets packed into PTE the more difficult it will become to use. Its quite an important thing to be able to add a Png or a Jpeg image and have the opportunity to apply that Png/Jpeg to every image in the show in one go. However, we still need the flexibility to be able to remove that image from individual slides. Blank images are a good example. I also agree that the tiled image option does need a better name. What about "Apply Background Image" then have the default value set at 100%. If possible could we see a small thumbnail size representation of what we have selected in a preview window, rather like the before and after view in Elements for example.

Eric I always place the base box on the floor beneath the table where I sit, so its conveniently placed between my legs while sitting. From there I have found its easy and convenient to reach the volume. Been ok for literally hundreds of demos and is still going strong. We also use the same speakers every club night to display competition results (via PTE of course) A new system of Ergo speakers have just been purchased by the club, so I don't have to lug mine there anymore. I chose Ergo when I saw them used by Maureen Albright when I visited Aldbourne to do a demo. Concensus between myself and the wife puts that about 10 years ago. What I liked was that all I needed was in one cardboard box. When you do demos its nice to have the confidence that when you pick up the box everything you need is there. All the speakers and all the supplied wires and even the cardboard box is still in one piece. Given the original question I just offer my views as someone who has used them in all types of halls and hundreds of time. What I like about them is that they are good for the odd larger hall too, as well as typical CC rooms. When giving demos or presentations, I found its best to keep things simple, you have enough to worry about so reliable, easy to carry and set up equipment is essential

If your going to give external demos then having an external volume control is essential. I have done hundreds of demos and I play a slide show or two at most of them. All halls are different and the accoustics can play havoc with your sound. No matter how hard I try to get the sound volumes right when making a show, I always find I need to keep my hand on the volume control to either gradually turn it up or down when playing them at a different venues. As I said previously I have used two sets or Ergo speakers, one set I brought to Australia from the UK so its been in use for years with no trouble at all. It has a convenient volume control that you can reach beside you when givng a show and they are easily transportable and the sound is excellent..

I was recommened a set of speakers for this purpose by Maureen Albright years ago and for various reasons have used three sets since then. One for home use, one for demos, perfect for even a larger hall and one set just purchased for the Camera Club. The point is over the past 8 years or so I wouldn't buy three sets unless they were good and they are http://www.radianceav.com.au/prod50.htm

Just for my own interest I have been keeping a tally and the last 12 slide shows I have watched 3 had the nav bar on, 9 didn't. 12 shows may not be considered a large enough number to draw conclusions, but it bears out my expectations.

I must congratulate you on your previous post. I agree with every word in it, but its not easy to put it as well as you have. I take my hat off to you mate

It works a treat

Aaron That ISO option you have been given will probably do the job. Its what I used to do sometime ago if ever I had an issue with a DVD. However, I have found another problem that you might want to look at at some stage PTE does create temp files sometimes and if you look in this address you can delete anything referring to pte C:\Users\Barry\AppData\Local\Temp\ In your case the word barry will reflect something else of course. I found that there were some temp files left which interferred with me writing a DVD. Once I cleared them , then the DVD was created OK

Our screens have difficulty in showing fine detail sometimes and you will not see those divisions when the slide show is viewed at 1920*1080, but as you point out they may show if someone plays the show back on lower resolution. Nothing much can be done about that I fear apart from make them at a resolution where there is little chance of that happening. You could make your show 1023*768 so the 1023 is divisible by 3 and as long as that size is reflected in PTE, it should be fine. Alternatively make the centre three shapes 1 pixel larger. Do the shapes really need to be exactly the same size to the pixel? Regarding screen printing. In this scenario I have no wishes to deprive anyone of the ability to do that. Its simply that I use a template to make slide shows and it is a part of the template that I just forget about. If it helps I can pass you a link to a show where the print restriction has been removed, but I am not sure how that will help you. Sorry about the file size, but there are 4 images and quite a bit going on in two of them and they are fairly big. With regard only one Executable file, you can make as many copies as you like or download another from the link I posted. I am not sure what the issue is here and it is nothing I have done, I wouldn't know how. In addition, and if the technique demonstrated was something like what you are aiming for I will give you a link to a tutorial, but you never said what you wanted to do with the 9 oblong shapes. However, the creation of them may be useful to you

Greg Yes, that is nothing new, but someone did ask recently about making artwork in Photoshop with 9 equal oblongs. I had time on my hands and well, this is it. Creating the artwork isn't difficult or timeconsuming, but it does demand a reasonable knowledge of layers.

http://www.mediafire.com/?6xecavqywfv9yg7

caperucitaroja My apologies, I seemed to have asked the wrong question about screen resolution, which I now regret asking. Please forget I ever asked.

What features do you mean Eric? I see they have made a few good improvements to Elements 10 apart from one. In earlier versions you could collapse the palette well on the right hand side and it cleared the screen for the image. Now they don't allow us to do that and a whopping great palette well sits there all the time. I don't know, but suspect they are taking advantage of the fact that most people are working on larger wide screen monitors and they must feel that its OK to have the palettes there all the time. Shame, but a small point I suppose. They now have content aware built into the Spot Healing brush and it and the standard Healing Brush are extremely good, as good as Photoshop. If you havn't found them yet, the Healing brushes are like an automatic clone to some degree and blend in the pixels you paint, very clever and make dust spots able to be dealt with at 2 per second. You will enjoy Elements 10, its pretty good

Lin It think it was a reasonably assumption to make based on my gut feeling that most people are using higher resolutions. That seems to be backed up by one or two surveys I have seen that quote 80+% of users are using a resolutions above 1024*768. I think its also reasonable to assume that if the same survey was carried out among photographers the figure would be at least 80% and probably higher. I don't mean to insult anyones choice, just thought the task that was asked may have been a little easier at a higher resolution.

Judy. Generally software defaults to what is likely to be the most used, which is common sense really. I don't have any figures to prove it, but my gut reaction is that more people turn this feature off than leave it on. Hence my view that its currently set the wrong way around. This has been compounded by about 3 people contacting me for ways to turn it off and one posted on this forum. Being able to set your own default or make templates is OK for the initiated, but not a great deal of help for the newer user.