Animation

[thedom]

Dave,

You can tell people at your club to download Lin's PTE for smarties tutorials or more recently, to watch MikeL117's PTE Video tutorials.

I think a lot of people missed those last tutorials.

[JEB]

Hi,

Firstly, thanks for this discussion.

Secondly, it's great to hear that the "Evans Boys" are going to do their stuff again.

Thirdly, I am certain that the afore mentioned gentlemen are taking the best line.

Fourthly, in order to meet the "how to" need, would it make sense if some kind person who fully understands the issues (that lets me out), were to create an index of links pointing to where specific illustrations and demonstrations (free or otherwise) can be found? I have in mind something along the lines of the excellent FAQ's that Peter is currently producing. If this were managed properly authors (professional or amateur), one would think, would be keen to submit their work for inclusion.

Regards

John

[JEB]

Hi,

While typing my last post "The Dom" has just come on line with a post that I trhink proves my point. There are dozens of demos etc out there but they are understandably scattered all over the place. A central index would make life much simpler, particularly for those new to PTE.

John

[Ken Cox]

Hi,

While typing my last post "The Dom" has just come on line with a post that I trhink proves my point. There are dozens of demos etc out there but they are understandably scattered all over the place. A central index would make life much simpler, particularly for those new to PTE.

John

well Jeb this section

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4567

has been in existence for +- 3 years

if people have tutorials to offer why dont they post them there?

ken

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dave,

The way we have handled this is to create tutorials and place them in the Tutorials and Articles section of the forum. For example, the "how to rotate" has been pretty thoroughly covered in my PTE Made Easy series, along with a number of other "How to" categories. Actually, I couldn't imagine anyone who had actually looked at the series having any problems rotating one object around another. The AVI tutorials take the user from the very simple "on-center axis" rotations through rotating an object in a circle around the screen and even show how to make the object stay in one orientation while following a 360 degree circular orbit around the screen. This is followed by a demo of multiple objects rotating around a central object - all of which the user should be able to do after watching the tutorials.

Following the advance tutorials, the "Uber Rotation" tutorial even show the user exactly how to make an object rotate on the Z axis! The demonstration uses a helicopter with the tail rotor rotating in a vertical position while the main rotor rotates in a horizontal plane.

Just point club members to the "Tutorials and Articles" forum section and if there is something they still don't understand, have the ask on the forum and one of us will be more than happy to help.

We try to cover all major areas of interest in animation (Pan, Zoom and Rotate) in the Tutorials. If we were to try to put this all into a user guide it would be impossibly convoluted. As it was, even with PTE 5, it took about 130 pages to adequately cover what we did. If we were to make a new User Guide covering everything today "and" try to include tutorials on "how to" within the guide, it might be a gigabyte and have 500 pages!

The only sensible way is to cover the basics in the user guide and handle the how to in a series of tutorials. The "majority" of things which are not pretty much self-evident were pretty well covered in the tutorials which I and others have placed in the Tutorials section. There will be some new things when the next release is out and we will try to cover these new items with more tutorials, but I don't think we can do it under a single User Guide - it's just too complex.

The problem is that we have a pretty diverse group of people who use PTE. Some just want to make simple slideshows with simple transitions and really don't care to do much more than a bit of pan or zoom. Some want to learn complex animations. Some have very limited aptitudes for understanding complex animations while others can easily master the most intricate concepts with ease and go beyond to devise their own amazing contributions!

This makes it quite difficult to create a "one size fits all" user guide. This is why I suggested doing it in a modular fashion with each module handling a different aspect. Categories such as: Sound comments, timeline, pan, zoom, rotate, 3D transformation, music, opacity, parent/child, etc., etc. can all have their own "user guide" plus a series of tutorials. Many of these are already adequately covered while other still need to be generated after the next release is launched.

The bottom line is that people need to be reminded that we already have a number of very useful tutorials, but people do have to actually come to the forum and if they don't have time to look around, at least ask and we will point them in the right direction.

Best regards,

Lin

With respect Jeff, what most people want is a "HOW TO" manual.

Every Thursday night at club I get questioned, not about where a particular switch is etc, but HOW DO I USE IT?

Your excellent first edition explained all of the controls in the animation tab but that doesn't tell the user how to rotate one object around another for example.

These are the sort of questions I get - people can work out for themselves where everything is - it is another matter to actually put it into practice.

Just my 2 pennyworth and IMHO etc etc etc.

DaveG

[potwnc]

Lin, Jeff,

If you do decide to update or re-work the unofficial guide, please let me know (you still have my e-mail address, yes?). The HD video section (appendix) is also old and I would be willing to update/re-work it at the same time.

Ray

[davegee]

Lin,

I knew that I had made a mistake by giving an example such as the rotation thing!

I realise that if one searches the forum that one will get the answers to everything, but these people don't do that!

They need to be led by the hand by someone who can show them step by step.

The FAQ section is the nearest thing to what they want and it is, I believe, the best thing to happen to this forum in a long time. It now needs to turn its attention to even more practical matters with contributions from a few more people.

Anyway, I had no intention of "rubbishing" the idea of updating the manual. I just think that it is not as high a priority as a "How To Do Everything in PTE" manual.

I won't labour the point.

DaveG

[Guest Yachtsman1]

How I envisage the "PTE USER MANUAL" is a PDF file with chapters describing the various fuctions with links to the various in depth tutorials. This can be kept on your computer and referred to when you want to try something more advanced. The problems I can forsee with it are preferences, people attain advance functions differently, so who's to say which method is better than another. It can be over come by including all the links to a subject say Parent & Child, which has always baffled me and let the user choose which method suits them. I've just bought a new camera, the manual is a pDF file as described, the first pages give a brief How To description, then point you to the pages where the advanced instructions are, in PTE's case, where pictures are involved in the explanation, these could be links. We all have a little knowledge of PTE and we all would like to know how to use it to it's full extent. It's like having a jar of sweets & not being able to get at the bon bons at the bottom.

Yachtsman1

[JEB]

Ken,

In my view you have just proved the point I obviously failed to make clearly enough.

Your suggested url took me to a list of about six other urls which in turn took me to a variety of disjointed topics and discussions. Incidentally, two of the urls could not be found.

well Jeb this section

http://www.picturest...?showtopic=4567

has been in existence for +- 3 years

if people have tutorials to offer why dont they post them there?

I'm afraid that I must say that any newcomer would look on that as a mess. I also do but have learned to live with it. I'm not complaining about the situation only trying to point out where improvements may be made. We can't survive with our heads in the sand, we have to look about and see what is going on about us and if we like it, go for it!

Regards

John

[Ken Cox]

Ken,

In my view you have just proved the point I obviously failed to make clearly enough.

Your suggested url took me to a list of about six other urls which in turn took me to a variety of disjointed topics and discussions. Incidentally, two of the urls could not be found.

well Jeb this section

http://www.picturest...?showtopic=4567

has been in existence for +- 3 years

if people have tutorials to offer why dont they post them there?

I'm afraid that I must say that any newcomer would look on that as a mess. I also do but have learned to live with it. I'm not complaining about the situation only trying to point out where improvements may be made. We can't survive with our heads in the sand, we have to look about and see what is going on about us and if we like it, go for it!

Regards

John

Give us a chance to clean things up

see if this works

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4567

ken

ken

[JEB]

Ken,

Delighted to hear, that by implication, there are plans to do something about this.

I would however direct you to a post I made on 13th September 2006 titled Questions & Answers (an idea). I would have provided the link but can't find out how to do that!!

Regards

John

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Ken,

Delighted to hear, that by implication, there are plans to do something about this.

I would however direct you to a post I made on 13th September 2006 titled Questions & Answers (an idea). I would have provided the link but can't find out how to do that!!

Regards

John

Hi John

To post a link, go to the page you wish to link to, click the URL at the top of the page to highlight it, Click edit, click copy, go back to the page you are adding the link to, click the text box so the cursor is flashing, go back up to edit, click paste.

Regards Yachtsman1

[Ken Cox]

Hi John

To post a link, go to the page you wish to link to, click the URL at the top of the page to highlight it, Click edit, click copy, go back to the page you are adding the link to, click the text box so the cursor is flashing, go back up to edit, click paste.

Regards Yachtsman1

John

this is what you posted

http://www.picturest...indpost&p=32412

and after some difficulty i had to change my method of sending my info as you could not get a zip file

i revised my method and now post it at mediafire and have been posting it there ever since and have been sending a covering letter at

barnettje@msn.com

the last one i posted was

august 3 09

did you not get it?

I have moved your subject to ideas and suggestions

ken

[JEB]

Thanks Yachtsman1 and Ken for your instructions.

Ken, yes I do get your mail re your Mediafire post and appreciate your kindness in doing that. I hope you are not offended when I say that something along the lines of what I have been suggesting, with a good robust index would be much more user friendly and available to all.

Regards

John

[Ken Cox]

Thanks Yachtsman1 and Ken for your instructions.

Ken, yes I do get your mail re your Mediafire post and appreciate your kindness in doing that. I hope you are not offended when I say that something along the lines of what I have been suggesting, with a good robust index would be much more user friendly and available to all.

Regards

John

got thick skin and head

agree but we just got the tools to do things

maybe you could write a draft menu and send to Peter Appleton's attention - we have pretty well awarded him the honours of master of faq and how to sections

ken

[JEB]

Ken,

TOUCHE

Don't know how to do the acute - don't tell me! I prefer to remain thick!!!

I will give this a bit of thought and PM Peter who I'm sure will be delighted!

I'll blame you.

John

[Peter S]

Ken,

TOUCHE

Don't know how to do the acute - don't tell me! I prefer to remain thick!!!

I will give this a bit of thought and PM Peter who I'm sure will be delighted!

I'll blame you.

John

It's not an accute problem!

Touché See it's easy - buy a Mac and you will be able to use alternative keyboards at a stroke. You will also be able to use it with PTE as well soon(ish)?? é è ç § à ù É È À

Peter