Slideshow running behind Menu window

[bwat]

I have upgraded to Windows 7 and now find when running slideshows they are opening and running behind the Menu window used to select the show. The Menus and shows were created in v5.64 but a similar situation exists with Menus updated in v6.0.

I normally build the menus with hardware acceleration off, keeping the Menu running with the show opening in front of the Menu so when the show ends and closes the Menu reapears on screen.

How can I ensure the shows open infront of the Menu.

Barry

[Ed Overstreet]

We ran into the same phenomenon at a recent presentation to our photo club, running with Windows XP. However in that case the problem appears to have been with the hardware acceleration switch having been turned On in Project Options in the menu show, by mistake. Turning it off cleared the problem.

I have no experience with Windows 7 and can't help you there, sorry. It might help however if you were to do a "backup to zip" of your menu show and post it on this forum (just the menu show, not the exe files which it launches) so some of us could have a quick look at Project Options and also the O&A window where you set up the objects that launch the other exe shows, to see if we can spot anything. I'd be surprised if the problem were Windows 7, my guess is it's something in Project Options or the O&A window. However the fast way to check whether it's Windows 7 is to run EXACTLY the same menu show on Windows XP or Vista and see what happens.

[bwat]

Thanks for you offer to review my PTE setup. PTE v5.64 used to create menus (although some shows created in earlier versions)

I attach 3 zip files.

'Start v01' is just a black slide to cover the screen (to prevent flash back to the Windows Desktop) and has a button to open my Main Menu. This 'Start' window normally remains open throughout a slide show.

'Main Menu v04' is opened as above and again stays open throughout.

'Travel v04' is a typical sub menu which is opened via the main menu button (Travel/Holidays button). Again this menu normally remains open.

The three menus normally reside on top of each other in the order opened (ie start-Main-travel). When any slideshow finishes and closes the sub menu then is reshown, closing sub menu then shows main menu, etc.

This arrangement previously worked OK in Vista but in Windows 7 intermittently the new Window opens behind the initial active window.

Barry

[bwat]

Thanks for you offer to review my PTE setup. PTE v5.64 used to create menus (although some shows created in earlier versions)

I attach 3 zip files.

'Start v01' is just a black slide to cover the screen (to prevent flash back to the Windows Desktop) and has a button to open my Main Menu. This 'Start' window normally remains open throughout a slide show.

'Main Menu v04' is opened as above and again stays open throughout.

'Travel v04' is a typical sub menu which is opened via the main menu button (Travel/Holidays button). Again this menu normally remains open.

The three menus normally reside on top of each other in the order opened (ie start-Main-travel). When any slideshow finishes and closes the sub menu then is reshown, closing sub menu then shows main menu, etc.

This arrangement previously worked OK in Vista but in Windows 7 intermittently the new Window opens behind the initial active window.

Barry

start v01_Dec2-2009_6-29-01.zipMain Menu v04_Dec2-2009_6-30-09.zipMenu - Travel v04_Dec2-2009_6-31-02.zip

[fh1805]

Barry,

I've had a look at your sequences and would make the following observations as to where your technique differs from mine. I have no experience of Windows 7 so can offer this advice only as suggestions for changes that might resolve your problem.

Firstly, I build all my menu sequences as manually controlled sequences; by which I mean that I have "Wait for a key press or mouse click to show next slide" ticked in Project Options...Main tab. I also have "Close Show after last slide" ticked.

I also have all effects turned off on all menus.

If you are in a position to do "Create" of all sequences at the same version of PTE (not a major problem if you keep all your project folders and files) then I would suggest changing the button action from "Run application or open file" to "Run Slideshow with Return". Igor introduced this feature to eliminate the problems of the flashback to the Windows desktop. This problem was caused by two programs (Windows Aero interface and PTE) conflicting for control of some of the graphics features. Using this new feature causes all of the PTE sequences to be executed under a single, resident copy of PTE which can retain its control over the graphics features between sequences.

As I said, I cannot guarantee that these changes will resolve your problem but it will be the work of moments to try them. Good luck.

regards,

Peter

[bwat]

Peter

Thanks for your reply.

I use the menus to access all my slideshows (good and bad) and there are to many to show in a single screen, hence I need to break them down under main categories and have a sub menu for each catergory. Frequently there is a need to change to other menu by going back to the main menu and selecting an alternative. Manual control to next slide would not work for me.

I had not used 'run slideshow and return' before but have rebuilt my menus in v6.0 using this so only one menu is running at a time, automatically reloading the main menu on exit from any sub menu. This appears to have solved the problem (although I am still testing).

At present I have had to retain 'run application' on the sub menus for my shows because of the 'PTE Show ExeFile Version Mismatch' warning but will recreate all shows in v6.0 so that 'run slideshow and return' will work eliminating any need for multiple PTE windows being open.

Windows 7, for me, seems a more 'user friendly' than Vista and certainly superior and faster than Xp although all applications appear similar in use. Whether W7 contains a different graphics engine (or whatever) that has caused this glitch I do not know.

Thanks again for your interest and help (similarly to all Forum Contributers). It is nice to know you are not alone when you have a problem with PTE as you are with most Windows applications.

Thanks

Barry

[fh1805]

Barry,

There's no reason why you cannot build a multi-slide menu sequence that is manually controlled. Build just one menu sequence that has several slides in it, as follows:

• Slide 1 - Main Menu - with buttons to take you to each sub-menu using "Go to Slide n" action and an Exit button
  
• Slide n - Sub-menu - with thumbnails, buttons or whatever to launch the individual sequences and an extra button that takes you back to the Main Menu using "Go to Slide 1"
  

You have full control over how you navigate from page to page within your menu. You could even have a standard row of buttons across the bottom that take you to any sub-menu from any other.

Turn off the mouse buttons in Project Options...Advanced tab and the only way through the menus is via the buttons and the only way out is via the Exit button.

regards,

Peter

[bwat]

Thanks Peter

Have copied/pasted my menus into a single file and edited the main menu buttons to go to the respective sub menu slide. Similarly return to main menu and exit buttons.

All works well.

However with transition set at 'fade' I experienced flash to previous sub menu before selected menu showed (eg: if menu slide 3 selected from button on slide 1 and subsequent return to main menu slide 1, when then clicking on button for menu slide 5 slide 3 appears briefly before slide 5 appears). Switching off transitions eliminates this problem.

Also I have had to keep 'hardware acceleration' off until I recreate all slideshows in v6.0 format but the above flash back also occurred with it switched on.

Thanks again for your help and tips.

Barry

[fh1805]

Barry,

If you are prepared to spend time doing it, open each sequence in PTE v6 and do Create of a new EXE file. Then change the button actions to "Run Slideshow with Return", pointing the action at these new exe files. This should eliminate the flashbacks. And then, if you wanted to, you should be able to turn hardware acceleration back on in the menu sequence.

regards,

Peter

[nobeefstu]

Barry,

In addition to Peter's comments above ...

However with transition set at 'fade' I experienced flash to previous sub menu before selected menu showed (eg: if menu slide 3 selected from button on slide 1 and subsequent return to main menu slide 1, when then clicking on button for menu slide 5 slide 3 appears briefly before slide 5 appears). Switching off transitions eliminates this problem

This flash to previous sub menu is normal behavior when using Slide Transitions in Menu Shows ... what you are seeing is the initial transition display timing that preceeds each slide. The easy solution is to disable slide transitions in the Menu Shows as you have done.

However with a little extra work ... the most visual pleasing solution is use slide transitions by following these steps:

- Lead-in or introduce each menu slide with a black/blank/dummy slide.

- Customize each of the Lead-in slides with Show Next Slide After Indicated Time Interval

- Customize each of the Lead-in slides timing to meet your visual flow needs . I usually set this to 500ms

- Depending on the visual display you want to achieve ... disable or enable the slide transition of each of the Lead-in slides. I usually set the transition effect to Quick No Effect.

Please note

With this type menu configuration your button access command to any specified menu slde is to point to the Lead-in slide of that menu because now each menu slide is actually a pair or set of 2-Slides.

Also make sure you disable the Keyboard control in the Menu slideshow.

With a little practice and testing various techniques and settings above you can vastly improve the visual appeal and flow of using menus and multiple slideshows.