Ronniebootwest

This thread has gone from a simple request for help to highly technical detailed information and I reckon that has beem a real 'switch off' for most members on this forum. Let's remember that the majority of people reading these threads are just ameteur folk who enjoy photography and creating slide shows with Pictures To Exe. All this in depth technical talk will leave most people stone cold - I advocate the use of the KIS(S) principle "Keep things simple (stupid)". My thoughts go with the use of DVD storage and to make things as simple as possible use a good program to keep track of what you save on each DVD, e.g. ARCHIVE CREATOR. Ron

Thanks Al, but I will still need to overlay that with a button in order to get PTE to recognise it, won't I. Ron

When using the Object Editor to create a transparent button to overlay some text (created in Photoshop) a white border always remains around the transparency. Is there a way of eliminating this 'outline' so that just the text remains visible. Ron

Hello Brian, Your comments on using Flash Cards for storage rather than DVD's, concern me a little - no they concern me a lot. From what you say CD/DVD's are not reliable as storage media after only 1 year of storage. I find that hard to swallow! I use DVD's for all of my archiving now, so it is important to me that I have faith in the media. I am interested to learn that the discs should be burned at a slow burn rate though. Perhaps other members would care to comment and let me know what they are using to archive thier data? Ron West

Hi Rod, I have sent you a copy of the tutorial. However, I noticed that you had a space in your email address and this my prevent my mail getting to you. Would you please confirm that you have recieved the pdf tutorial. Ron

The effects you mention have not yet been implemented in version 5. They (and others) will be incorporated in the final release.

Why don't you consider using the 'PTE Organiser Menu'? This will allow you to organise your slide shows into separate categories with each category running 39 different slide shows. Perfect for what you seem to need. It is available on my website - take a look here:My Webpage

Hello Bob, Welcome to our Forum. You will find all the help you need here. There are also some good places where you can find tutorials to assist you. I can recommend the following: Barry Beckham My Webpage Hope this helps. Ron West

A while ago I said that I would prepare a pdf tutorial for those of you who wanted some help with using version 5. I have finished the first tutorial, which deals with using 'scrolling text' for opening titles and closing credits. I will be uploading it to my website very soon but in the meantime if you would like a copy, please send me your email address and I will send you one. This free version is only for members of the forum and will only be available for a short while. Ron Update: I have now removed the offer to email you this tutorial from this post but for those of you who would still like a copy, it is available from 'TheDom' website: Download here

Ken Thanks for the advice. OK I will do some experiments with various size images - starting BIG and ending small. Roger You are quite right, I am looking for some basic guidelines from the members who have already mastered version 5. At the moment there are not any real tutorials available and because of this, I reckon a lot of folk are just sitting on the fence because version 5 does seem to be a little complicated. For example, the show I posted recently, where I just used a simple 'scrolling text' effect for opening and closing text slides, took me ages to work out. Without the help I received from Lin Evans I would have given up. I am going to produce a quick pdf tutorial on just how I made that effect work, just to give other users a little encouragement. Please keep visiting my web site for details. Ron

I am still confused with this issue! Before version 5 hit the streets, we all seemed to be happy enough to go along with the 1024 x 768 x 72 res for most of out slide shows, mainly to keep the size of the images to an acceptable level. Now, with the advent of version 5, size does not seem to matter. There must be an optimum size that we can aim for surely? I have a pretty powerful computer and always set my monitor to 1024 x 768 so what size of image should I aim for? Lin Evans (amoung others) has produced some very good demo's, it would be interesting to know how he determined the size and resolution of the images he used. Ron

With the ability to zoom in to an image, it seems obvious to me that the larger the image the better. In the days berfore 5 most pundits recommended 1024 x 768 x 72 res. So what is the recommended image size now please? Ron

Point taken Jeff. All of the music options are not yet available within version 5, so I have now added a few more slides to my show so that they are displayed for just 7 seconds as you suggest. When the final version of 5 is released I will do this show again. Ron

Way back on page one, I asked this question but I don't see that an answer has been posted yet - perhaps everyone missed it!

OK! Just what is the message here? Ron

I commend your show Jeff. It kept me interested from the very beginning and your spoken comentary was spot on. The geographical/historical content was well photographed and the show 'flowed' well from beginning to end. It has prompted me to have a go at some spoken words in a future slide show of mine - just how did you do it please? Well done, I enjoyed it. Ron West

Hello Cindy, What can I say? Brilliant piece of work (and not a pan or zoom in sight). After watching your show I felt good because the theme you used 'World Peace' was just perfect. I do agree with Lin though - the music was a little abrupt here and there. I am growing very fond of your work and watch out for it on the forum these days. Very well done! Ron West

Hi John, I watched your slide show a couple of times and it is obvious that you are amoung the few who have mastered the techniques of version 5. You must have spent a great deal of time putting this show together. The title, 'Magical Movement' says it all because every single slide has a different transition. It is a good show for demonstrating the new pan & zoom ability of version 5 but a little to much movement for me I'm afraid. Maybe you should consider using a png file for your closing credits because I can see the outline of the page borders - this wouldn't happen if you saved the file in photoshop a 'png'. The images themselves were put together in a co-ordinated way and each picture flowed onto the next perfectly. Well done that man! Ron West

Flying Scotsman, Very useful comments and particularly helpful for a slide show presenter. I had in mind something a little different though. If I give a slide show (exe) to a client, friend or colleague, I would like to let them control the show, e.g. when viewing the slides they may want to pause on a particular slide for longer that the normal transition period. In this circumstance it is useful if they can simply press the left mouse button to pause the show and then press it again to resume. This is where setting up the 'mouse options' is unique. Ron

We have seen some brilliant slide shows made with version 5 and, to some extent, we seem to have lost sight of the good old version 4. I like the pan & zoom but it can be overdone I think, so I made a quick show (version 5.4) just using the pan effect for the opening intro and the closing credits. It seems to work fine and keeps the slide show simple. Download it here: Click here: Let me know what you think. Ron Update: The link to the slide show mentioned above, is now out of date.

Hello David, This is an interesting statement! Tell me more about how an ext (PTE Show) can be converted to pdf and uploaded/downloaded to a web site. I did not know this could be done. Ron

It downloads and runs OK for me too! Well almost anyway. The mouse control options do not seem to work yet, i.e. Left Mouse to pause the show and right mouse to exit. Are these functions not yet activated? Ron

Why can't you do as Barry Beckham suggests? I do and it works fine for me. Ron West

OK Lin, I hold my hands up. It was not my intention to harang you or make little of your work so far. I had some difficulty in learning how to 'scroll text up my screen' but with your valuable help, I eventually managed to do it. I am very glad to hear that some tutorials will be made available for version 5 and I also agree with Bill who said "I hope that Barry Beckham will produce a tutorial". When I have mastered some of the techniques that you (and others) have demonstrated exceptionally well, I will also spend some time in making some of the easier tutorials. Indeed, after the assistance that you have already given to me I will have a go at a pdf style tutorial and will post it (for free) on my website. Ron

Hello Lin, Forgive me for sounding a bit pompous but you are obviously very proficient with beta 3 and therefore find things very easy. I guess that accounts for you remark of 'very easy'. However, I and many others are not finding version 5 a very easy program to master. Ron