Documentary show "MARS"

[think(box)]

I do not know whom to thank for this show since he/she is not listed in the credits and I can not tell who it is from the email address listed on Beechbrook pte page. Regardless of that, thanks! I don't know if it was ever mentioned in the forum, but thanks also for the earlier show about the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, USA. That too was a very well done and interesting show.

I have been following the Mars story and I viewed Mars with a personal telescope in August, but no ground based telescope image compares to the Hubble and lander shots. Your P2E show photos are of very high quality and have very helpful surrounding text descriptions.

I will share the link to this show with many friends and family members who have been following the Mars story as well. I will also mention WnSoft and PicturesToExe when I share this link. I think that all P2E shows placed on Beechbrook should have a credit and clickable link to the WnSoft web site to promote the really cool software that makes this possible.

Nice show!

[ltdedorc]

Thx for the compliment. Glad you enjoyed both slide shows. I've used PTE and been a member of the forum for about 4 years. But I haven't posted anything for awhile or responded to replies to posts since the majority of interest is in sync-related questions. I'm more into the "special effects" capabilties and only add music afterwards to approx match the length of the show and then add or subtract time to certain slides or fade out the music to match.

FYI, the Mars slide show was shown on the evening of August 27th at our local library activity to view Mars while this played inside via a digital projector on a 10 ft x 10 ft screen. It's really impressive on a big screen. Also, because of problems in uploading to Beechbrook, I uploaded two versions, Too bad Bill didn't choose to post the other larger version I uploaded, it had 7 more 2001 pics of Mars...Harvey

[alrobin]

Harvey,

You put a lot of work into this show! I found it very interesting and informative!

By the way, what screen resolution did you create it for? I tried it in everything from 800 x 600 to 1600 x 1200, and in every resolution, even the highest, there were at least one or two images where the detailed text objects did not completely fit the screen (they overflowed at both edges). Maybe it's just my pc setup? When Igor adds automatic scaling to objects this should no longer be a problem.

Anyway, being a former amateur astronomer myself, I still enjoyed the show!

[ltdedorc]

Al,

It was created in 1024 x 768 rez. The problem may be the font, monotype corsiva, altho not entirely because it did the same thing that nite I showed it at the library on two or three of the slides. Also happened in my posted Getty slide show. I'm not sure it's P2E, the laptop used that nite or even the digital projector, which I doubt. I'll leave that kind of stuff to you guys active in the forum and I'll try to stick to the creative side. My workaround is (1) to select a more commonly used font but to me this distract from the show as I tend to select a font indicative of the content of the slide show or my audience, and (2) leave more margin when in text object editing...Harvey;)

[ronwil]

I had the same problem in viewing your excellent sequence. You do not say how the text was added. If it was added in PTE then, if the viewer does not have your font on his/her machine, an alternative default will be selected. However if the text is added as part of the original image, say in Photoshop, all should be well. Good luck.

Ron [uK]

[alrobin]

Harvey,

Until Igor adds auto scaling to PTE objects, using the object editor to add text and other objects to an image will be fraught with danger.

However, as Ron says, it is possible to overcome this problem by adding the text to an image in one's photo editor before using the image in PTE. This is a little more work (not much more), but it is the only way to ensure that the text will position itself on the image the way one intends it to. The only other downside is that, because the text will be converted to a jpeg, it will not be quite as crisp as if added by the object editor. But the advantage in having control, IMHO, outweighs all the negative aspects.

[ltdedorc]

Ron & Al,

I am aware of the points you've made in your replies. In my shows I normally use PTE text editing capabilities most of the time and Photoshop text editing maybe 1% of the time, as I did in Mars. I am ususally aware of the capabililties, computer setup-wise, of the primary end user (clients, friends & myself) so the shows go off without a hitch. When I post a show (secondary end-user) I know that there may be some whose computer set up may not be up to par to mine and presentation may become a problem. In this respect, I have not put more time into making the slide shows fool proof for all. It serves me no prurpose.

I try to maintain my own style & identity in my slide shows, as we all do, and I like the normal border I maintain around my images to allow text to be entered, where not excessively long like in Mars, in the border itself, in most cases, not encroaching & detracting from the image. My slide shows almost always contain text, and I and my primary viewers find this advantageous to enjoying the presentation, knowing what they are viewing. I found it to my advantage to enter the Mars excessive text in PTE for editing purposes in certain & among different slides as I changed my mind on content or subsequently included more info.

Thanks again for your comments...Harvey

[ltdedorc]

Bill, Al & Ron,

I've updated my MARS slide show from 14 to 23 MB & uploaded it to the Beechbrook site. To pause the show to read the extensive text, you can mouse right click. Personally I'm looking forward to December '03 & January '04 when the next explorations, hopefully, successfully land on Mars...Harvey

[think(box)]

Nice one Harvey! I like using pause/resume on a mouse button instead of key press or object click. I have recently extended this beyond PTE's built-in features by using mouse movement detection to pause and then do other slideshow and sound control functions. All controls and indicators auto hide for unobstructed view.

The many photo additions are very, very nice. I do use the right mouse to "pause the show to read the extensive text," but you might add "or to appreciate the out of this world sights." They are quite impessive, as are the from this world sights pictured that bring us the photos and more. Thanks!

[ltdedorc]

Bill,

Here's on update on the status of the European Space Agency's Beagle 2 lander:

"The main engine calibration has been performed successfully. Following the trajectory correction manoeuvre performed on 10 November, the spacecraft is now on course to Mars for the upcoming Beagle-2 ejection...

preparations and simulations for Beagle-2 ejection and Mars Orbit Insertion are entering the final stages. The Beagle-2 lander separation will take place on 19 December 2003. It will descend through the Martian atmosphere and land on the planet on 25 December 2003. The Mars Express spacecraft will undergo Mars orbit insertion (MOI) on 25 December 2003...all Beagle-2 checkouts have been successful, as well as a recently completed Beagle-2 lander software upload. Detailed lander surface operations are being finalised for the first few days on the surface of Mars. Some of these operations will be coordinated with high-resolution remote sensing by the orbiter during several flyovers of the Beagle-2 landing site in Isidis Planitia."

If and when images are available, I'll add them to my slide show...Harvey