denwell

I've been 'delegated' to investigate the acquisition of a suitable small PA system using a radio mike/amplifier for use at my local camera club. The room we use holds about 60 or so, and I wonder if any (UK) forum members could advise with suggestions / retailers / good or bad experience etc? I await a flood of great advice. DEN (NE UK)

I would agree with all that has been so eloquently said by previous posters, from their position as serious competitive practitioners. I welcomed the original post as an interesting series of aspects to bear in mind when assessing (and constucting) an AV, and an aid to comparing presentations in a consistent way. Yes, in general it's got to be the overall amalgamation of all these aspects that make the greatest impression on the viewer - to move and inspire. Peter puts it very well when he says "Any AV is about communicating an idea, a story, some information, or sometimes an impression or an emotion". Communication is the key - and 'judging' should be a combination of consistent comparison of the various 'technical' elements (sound mixing, music, images, story, scripting etc.) to give guidance and encouragement, together with the overall emotional stimulation of the viewer. It's an interesting way to look at it that an assumption of perfection, before viewing, may be reduced as the sequence unfolds to provide a quantitive assessment of the work. Finally, it's also good to have discussion here on the forum away from the technical and into the aesthetics of AV - something that is extremely personal as are all artistic endeavours. Let's have more! DEN (NE UK)

Excellent John Just what I've been waiting for. I have to judge an AV competition at my local photogroup shortly and have been struggling to devise a (fair)method of evaluation - this could be just the thing. Was it devised by you or is it from an'official' source? Either way - thank you for sharing. DEN (NE UK)

Igor Just to strongly support Jeff Evans' & Steve's comments about sound synchronisation and running external apps. I have a number of shows waiting (gathering dust) for these features to be returned to V.5, and have missed several important deadlines because I'm not confident to produce them with the current lack of synch accuracy. I fully appreciate the huge amount of work involved here and do not wish to detract from the progress made so far - but can these functions be restored sooner rather than later? DEN (NE UK)

Hi Keith Welcome to the Forum. It may be that your transitions are just too close for comfort! Take a look (on the timeline) and see if there is any sort of gap between them. If the grey areas (the transition time) overlap at all then this can cause the effects you describe - you should leave say 0.5 second gaps between images to be safe. Hope this helps

Igor Once again congratulations on a leap forward for P2E. However let's not get too involved in DVD production when there's still much to do with reinstating the basic functions from v4.8 to v.5 which many of us are waiting for very patiently! As has been said here, an AVI capability is already there in P2E for those who need to use it to produce DVDs, but the ability to call up another show or synch music to the slides now seems even longer away. I'm sure that you're working to complete this, but I find it frustrating that work on the main programme functions will now be held up whilst DVD is fixed. I tried to produce a DVD too - but after 80mins (for a 13min show) it aborted withan 'eror code 143'. The .mpg files were created but not the .BUP and .IFO files. I managed to create the DVD by converting the .mpg to DVD using WinAVI and burning in Nero. I'll wait untill things are sorted out before using this facility again. Please don't delay reinstating the basic functions we all wish for in this excellent application. DEN (NE UK)

What about the yellow too - ugh! DEN (NE UK)

Fried Hit 'Play' to begin playback from the beginning - then press your keyboard spacebar to pause the playback, then click in the Timeline where you wish to palyback from - hit spacebar again to preview the show from that point. If you should press 'Stop' then you will playback from the beginning next time you press 'Play'. So - keep clicking or dragging the blue cursor on the Timeline to preview from where you wish. I hope this gets you back into using the Timeline OK DEN (NE UK)

Thanks Al - it all comes back to me now ! It's possible to save a (say) 100x100 pixel transparent gif image and import into PTE's object editor and, after making the background tranparent in properties, use this as a 'hot spot' over any part of the background image to invoke cursor action - smart ! Let's hope it won't be too long before all these facilities are available in v5 ! Thanks DEN (NE UK)

Al Looks a little too much like Harrison Ford if you ask me !!! DEN (NE UK)

Hi All There was talk quite a while ago about using a transparent image as a 'hot spot' for cursor actions. This gave a completely transparent appearance without the annoying frame which comes with the button. I thought I had kept a note of how to do this but unfortunately can't find it now - anyone remember how it's done? DEN (NE UK)

Cindy SY(P) is available here: http://www.diapovision.com/articles/syp.zip It is a very powerful utility for PTE and should do exactly what you need, as described by Jean-Claude in an earlier reply. DEN (NE UK)

Dennis Take a look at SY(P) - the excellent application developed by Jean – Claude Senedal and available at http://www.diapovision.com/articles/syp.zip It allows re-directing of locations of all images and audio files very easily indeed, as well as many other functions essential to preparation of PTE projects. I believe every user of PTE should also have a copy of SY(P) standing by in the background. Although we've not heard a great deal about the app recently - it does a great job, although I guess it probably will be made redundant when v5.0 finally hits the streets. DEN (NE UK)

It may be as easy to use: "Action-go to first slide" in button properties to re-run your show as well as using a separate button to "Exit" just a thought - try it DEN (NE UK)

Me too ! PTE 5 has been a long time coming. I have been waiting to 'upgrade' some of my earlier shows that would benefit from some moderate pan & zoom effects, but am still not able to do so as beta 2 is so incomplete. I really do appreciate Igor's team efforts with v5 and believe the release (whenever it comes) will result in PTE leaping over the opposition. Until that day, I fear I must wait patiently and produce shows that can be adapted easily to use P&Z effects when they are available for complete shows with timeline control/music/transitions and the many other facilities we are used to. Maybe there should be a separate forum for PTE5 discussion - I find it hard to find regular PTE4 discussion among the increasing number of PTE5 demo's and effects showcases. Can I ask if Igor has any more specific timescale for beta3 with more facilities included? DEN (NE UK)

Robert I'm certain I dl from Beechbrook but having just looked - it seems to have gone ! Adri has not responded to either of my comments to his posts, so I wonder whether he is still looking in at the forum from time to time. It's a pity that there was no general feedback to his presentaion which I felt expressed the emotion of the Normandy landing sites very well. Let's hope someone can point to where the show can be found again - Adri, Bill? DEN (NE UK)

Thanks for that Ken - I was begining to think there was a bug, but thankfully not. We await further developments but I've got to say - IT'S JUST GREAT!!!!!!! DEN (NE UK)

Is there anybody (Igor) who's going to give me some information re my last post? DEN (NE UK)

HELP - should this beta be able to control the "Close show after last slide" or "When show ends keep last slide on screen" options in Project Options? - I seem only able to get the show repeating, despite setting these alternatives. Is it just me or is this how this first beta is meant to operate? DEN (NE UK)

Igor - It's all been said now, but I must congratulate you and your team ! You will have more work to do now that we can all give v.5 a good testing. It may be helpful to tell us exactly what features do NOT work just now, so we don't think there's a bug. For instance, I cannot get the show options to work at all - the show just repeats and repeats. There will be others too I'm sure. BUT SINCERE THANKS AGAIN MY FRIEND. DEN (NE UK)

COME ON GUYS - there have been over 350 people viewing this request from Igor - yet just 40 (11%) have taken the trouble to give him the information he obviously needs to further the development of our favourite AV software !!! DEN (NE UK)

Hi Adri I replied to your question about Oradour earlier and commented there on your Normandie presentation. I thought it showed some of the emotion visitors get from seeing both the memorials and the way the people of Normady still show their appreciation for the courage and sacrifice made by the allies during the invasion - also the courage of the German forces too in may ways. I visited the beaches just two months after you, Adri, shortly after the 60th anniversary of the landings and found it a life-changing experience. Having shot over 3,000 images in just a week I have since put together a 35min av which has been seen by many and has not failed to move its viewers. The only criticism I have with your presentation is the use of the memorials slightly out of context - several fading into scenes which were not connected with them. Also maybe the music was a little predictable. Overall though, the show gives a strong hint of the depth of feeling in the area and how it obviously had a humbling effect on yourself. I went to Normandy as a visitor and came away as a pilgrim. Congratulations ! DEN (NE UK)

Adri Here's some information about Oradour. It really is a breathtaking place - full of emotion and sad remembrances. "The ruins of the town of Oradour-sur-Glane lie twenty-two kilometers northwest of Limoges in the Limousin region of west central France "Four days after the Allied landings in Normandy, SS troops encircled the town of Oradour in the rolling farm country of the Limousin and rounded up over 600 of its inhabitants. In the marketplace they divided the men from the women and children. The men were marched off to barns nearby and shot. The soldiers locked the women and children in the church, shot them, and set the building (and the rest of the town) on fire. Those residents of Oradour who had been away for the day, or had managed to escape the roundup, returned to a blackened scene of horror, carnage, and devastation." By the 1950s, however, when 21 soldiers who participated in the massacre were put on trial and ultimately pardoned, the war years no longer appeared so black and white. Of the 21 soldiers, 14 were French from Alsace, and unlike surviving citizens of Oradour, the French government was more concerned with forgetting collaborators than with memorializing victims." BTW I thought your presentation of Normandy was excellent - a pity no one else thought to comment. I have visited the D-Day landing sites and found them, too, a life-changing experience. I have completed a 35min AV in nine parts, of a visit made shortly after the 60th anniversary in 2004 which never fails to move people who see it. You should be congratulated for the sensitive way you handled the show, especially the cemetery at Colleville. DEN (NE UK)

John Check this - Under View - you need to check these items to use envelope editing:- "Show Pan envelopes" "Show Volume envelopes" "Enable envelope editing". Sometimes they get unchecked and you are inable to 'twang' the elastic bands' ! Hope this helps DEN (NE UK)

Ron What's the problem with the latest version of Audition - just out of curiosity? You seem to be rather firm in your advice here. Den (NE UK)