PGA

Perhaps, if potential respondents read the posts more carefully, there would be fewer unnecessary and mis-leading replies. In post#1 it was clear that the view in question was the timeline view. The version of PTE is use was clearly stated as being v7.5.10. In the post in which advice on changing the height was sought, the reference was clearly stated as being the "timeline". Also, the topic title is "How to zoom in on timeline?". The user is interested in manipulating the visual appearance of the Timeline view in v7.5.10. In my opinion, references to the visual appearance of the Timeline in versions earlier than v7.5 are unhelpful, to say the least, and potentially confusing. regards, Peter

Hi jt, Just to supplement Gary's answer... If you select a slide in the timeline and hover the mouse pointer over it whilst you do the Shift+Ctrl+MouseWheel, only the slide part of the timeline display is altered in height. Click on an audio file, hover over it and do the Shift+Ctrl+MouseWheel and only the audio files have their height changed - but all the audio files change height by the same amount. In the current version it is not possible to adjust the height of just one audio track (as far as I know). regards, Peter

Eric, Sorry but I don't understand your alphabet soup. I interpreted the original post "spread farther apart" to mean along the horizontal axis, i.e. to see the timeline at a finer granularity. Hence my statement about not knowing of a "drag" technique to extend or collapse the timeline along the horizontal axis. If such a technique exists, I do not know it. regards, Peter

By today's standards, that is a very low performance card indeed! You may not be able to totally eliminate the shimmering. If it is still a problem, running the Pan or Zoom slightly slower might help. regards, Peter

I don't know of a "drag" technique for the timeline but Ctrl+MouseWheel does the same job as Ctrl+F11/Ctrl+F12 and doesn't require the hand to leave the mouse to operate the keyboard. regards, Peter

Hi Hubert, Which version of PTE are you using? How big are your image files (in terms of Kilobytes or Megabytes)?, What graphics card does your computer have? The answers to those questions are likely to have some bearing on your problem and any possible advice to reduce it. regards, Peter

Barry, I confirm that, to use the Eye Dropper in the O&A window in PTE v8 beta 3, you have to keep the left-click held down. To clarify the situation in Photoshop (Elements 11 in my case), when the Colour Picker tool is selected the pointer icon doesn't immediately change to the eye-dropper icon. This appears only after you have moved the mouse pointer over the actual image area or the pop-up window of the Colour Picker. From then on the pointer remains as the eye-dropper anywhere within the available image area (i.e. including the grey background around the actual image). regards, Peter

Hi folks, So I am not alone. I have had this experience, too! A week or so ago I had worked on a sequence for about an hour. I did a File > Save As and then closed PTE. I then left the computer for a couple of hours to watch a TV programme. I came back to the computer and launched PTE. Instead of opening my last saved project, PTE presented me with an empty project. I hunted high and low but there was no sign of the previously saved file. I would add that, whenever I have tried to find any file using Win 7's Search feature it comes up blank. I suspect it looks only in the users "Libraries" and ignores all other folders and drives. I haven't yet found a way to get to an "Advanced Search" that allows me to specify multiple filters: e.g. date range, drive letters, like I could with XP and with Vista. @Harbrimar/@L Brooks, To try and build up a pattern of behaviour for this problem I would like to know a little more about your situations: - What operating system are you using? - What anti-virus software do you use? - Do you save your PTE project files on your internal drives (e.g. C:) or on external drives (e.g. connected via USB)? - If on external drives, do those drives "go to sleep" during extended periods of no activity with a consequential delay in performing file saves? - Does your computer perform background anti-virus scans or background disk defrags? My answers to the above questions are: Win 7 64-bit Home Premium SP1, Microsoft Security Essentials, External USB drives, Yes, Not that I am aware of regards, Peter

That's the beauty of modern software. It does things that really help you. regards, Peter

This goes back to the days of Windows Vista. There was a conflict over control of the graphics card between Vista's "aero" desktop design and PTE's need to have exclusive control of full-screen graphics. This resulted in the much-debated "desktop flashback". Igor introduced Run Slideshow as a method of PTE retaining full control of the graphics card across a change of "application". But, as you are clearly aware, it does require all sequences to be Published using the exact same version of PTE. Agreed! When showing sequences to an audience I prepare a menu specific to that audience and those sequences. I use thumbnail images to carry the "Run Slideshow with return" command. It takes me about 20 minutes to build the menu and to redo the Publish of the selected sequences. regards, Peter

I give this my support, too. Whether the change is as Barry suggests or as Lin suggests, it would save time and keystrokes. Peter

Ron, Uninstall Keka? (Please note that this suggestion is offered by a Windows user. I have no experience of Macs except when it is raining) regards, Peter

Gary, You haven't quite grasped what is going on. You move a sequence to a different computer by copying its entire folder, right? PTE knows nothing about this change. On that different computer you then open the .pte file, right? At this point PTE now knows where that .pte file is to be found. At this point, the project file contents still point to the file locations on the other PC. PTE doesn't know that you have moved all those as well. Only you know that. PTE tries to link to the relevant folder, finds it isn't there, and so picks some kind of "default" setting (I'm not sure what). Without navigating to the "correct folder", without making any changes what-so-ever to the sequence, do a File > Save As. PTE shows you the correct folder because it knows that you opened the project from that folder (see above). Give the project a new name and complete the save. Now close PTE down, relaunch it and open the new-name sequence into PTE. Does PTE now show you the correct folder in the File List? regards, Peter

HD is just a marketing term to make the consumer think it is better than "not HD". If you have captured video in 1920x1080 then your video will always be 1920x1080 on playback irrespective of what format it has been converted to. When PTE converts a video file it is encoding it using a different codec that, in most cases, results in a lesser degree of compression (i.e. a larger file). At first this seems counter-intuitive. But that less compressed file requires less computer power to play it back. The less power needed to do that, the more we can play around with our video files. One of the forum members, Lin Evans, has built cubes with video running on all six faces and then set them off tumbling in complex 3D rotations. He has also built a "video room" in which the walls, floor and ceiling are covered with tiny screens each running a video clip. As I recall, that sequence has over 500 video clips playing back at once. You do not lose any quality by letting PTE convert your video clips before you insert them into your sequence. If, as you state, the stutter is not always in the same place, that points to the cause being something else going on in your system. Are your audio and video card drivers up to date? Do you have any heavy tasks running in the background: anti-virus scans, disk defragging, and such like? regards, Peter

Greyspider, I've read this topic and am a little confused. When you say you are using HD AVI video, does that refer to the input video files, the output video file or both? I have only limited experience of inputting and outputting video files. My technique has been to let PTE convert the input videos into whatever format it wants using whatever codec it wants. Nearly all my output is Windows EXE file. When I do want video output I always Publish HD Video at High Quality, letting PTE set whatever values it wants. Until earlier this year, none of my PC systems (desktop and laptop) were at the cutting edge of technology - and I have had no problems with any playback of my sequences or of anyone else's sequences built using PTE. If the "stutter" is moving around within your sequence from one playback to the next, that suggests to me that it isn't a PTE issue - it's something not right in your system. regards, Peter

Gary, The File > Save As is using the path and folder details based upon where you opened the .pte file from. After doing that File > Save As, when you then re-open that sequence, do you find that the File List is now pointing to the correct folder? Also, bear in mind that PTE cannot know for sure that your drive and path configuration is the same on the two systems. The safe call is for it to assume that it isn't, and to place all the decision making in the hands of the user. regards, Peter

Hi John, I've PM'd you! regards, Peter

In a discussion elsewhere on the forum (see here), it was suggested that it would be helpful to have the mini-player available in a floating window, especially when working in the Timeline with multiple tracks expanded to their full vertical height. I have opened this topic so that the original thread does not become hijacked by further discussion on this subject. regards, Peter

3) maximum number of images in one project No practical limit. DVDs are, I believe, restricted to 4.7GB capacity, or thereabouts, so that sets the maximum size of your output. If your friends are going to be using DVD players into their TV systems you might need to be alert to, and take cognizance of, the multiplicity of codecs for both the video and the audio encoding. Not all DVD players can play all codecs. Also, whilst endorsing davegee's comment about MPEG4 files played back through a USB port on the TV giving superb quality, there can be incompatabilities arising from codecs here, too. I would suggest creating a very short test sequence, burning that to DVD +RW discs using PTE defaults and passing those discs around your friends to check that there is full compatability. Then, and only then, produce your masterpiece - knowing that you have overcome all the technological hurdles. Finally, make notes of which options that you used actually worked - and then stick with those options in future. regards, Peter

Todd, If you are using any transition other than "Quick" that is what happens. Your target slide (call it SlideC) includes, at its start, a transition from the immediately physically preceding slide (call that SlideB). If you call SlideC from SlideA, the fade ouit of SlideB is part of the duration of SlideC and so you see a glimpse of SlideB before you see SlideC. Solution: Use only quick transitions into your target slides or do as you suggest and place a suitable "dummy slide" in front of each target slide. regards, Peter

Todd, You do realise that you need a pair of keyframes to achieve motion, don't you? The first keyframe defines the start point for the motion, the second keyframe defines the end point. regards, Peter

Rob, If by "move" you mean move the object up and down in the stack of objects, that's Ctrl+PgUp or Ctrl+PgDn. regards, Peter

Dave, You asked whether I would use your proposed feature. I explained why I wouldn't. Peter

Dave, Probably not. If the music was driving the pace and mood of the sequence, I would adjust the duration or number of images to get a pleasing fit. If I wanted to have those exact images for that exact duration, I would try and find a piece of music that fitted near enough to allow the necessary adjustments to be made using the durations of the Title/Credits slides. However, I find I am using less and less music with my sequences. Of the last three sequences made: the one about Killhope Lead Mine used only location recordings, the one about Tocketts Mill used two short extracts from the same piece of music over the titles and closing credits, with location recordings providing the bulk of the soundtrack, whilst the most recent sequence uses 100% location sound. When I said: "The one I use is Effect > Change Tempo", I was referring to my use of this feature during demonstration sessions and in workshops. Perhaps I should have made that clearer, but that didn't seem necessary in the context of my reply to yachtsman1. regards, Peter

Using such a technique will nearly always leave the user with one problem: the slide transition points will not always line up with the points of musical emphasis. There will still be a need to hand-craft the matching of the slides to the music. regards, Peter