How to create reproducible Template ?

[paul alford]

I can create a cool show with lots of effects, music, etc.. the whole thing awesome lets say with 50 images, but HOW do I save this so I can just open it again and replace the old 50 images with 50 new ones, keeping all of the effects, zooms, etc.. the same ? I have Producer and can do it in there and was hoping PTE could do it too. I create slideshows for my client sessions and have been doing it in Producer, but now wanting to get a cool slideshow to the computer but dont want to have to recreate it from scratch each client session. I have about 30-40-50 images each session.

Thanks for yor help

Paul

[nobeefstu]

Paul,

This would take some inital preparation the first time around to make a template ... but it should work:

Make a Template :

1-First of all you need to name or rename all 50 Images using some alpha-numeric naming sequence. Also, name your Music files in some sort of named pattern. Use a file rename tool to perform this action.

2-Open the existing .pte file and replace the existing named images with the new alpha-numeric named image files. Replace the Music files.

3-Save the .pte file as a Template project file.

**When you save the Template project file ... all images and music are copied and saved to the same named template folder.

----

Use the Template:

1-Now, all you have to do for future shows using the same template project file ... is just rename the new images and music you want to use to replace the current images and music using the same alpha-numeric naming sequence pattern with the aid of the file rename tool.

2-Next, copy the new images into the named template folder to replace the old files.

3-Open the template project file in PTE and create your new Exe.

** Make sure to follow normal file saftey and backup or retain original named files.

[davegee]

Can I say that IMHO that's a very dangerous road to go down?

Let's say that you produce ten/fifty shows this way - each of the ten/fifty shows is going to contain 50 images all numbered/named exactly the same albeit that they are totally different images.

That's a logistical nightmare even though they will be kept in different folders.

It will work but.....................

DG

[thedom]

Paul,

The way nobeefstu describes how to proceed is how I make my templates.

But as DG mentionned, if you are afraid of having the same names for different images :

- make you first slideshow

- for the next slideshows (using the original pte project), select each photography and replace the images used by clicking on the little folder icon in the properties tab (in the objects and animation window).

- do not forget to save the projects with different names.

It takes more time but it's more secure.

Hope it helps.

[wideangle]

I've never really seen the advantage of the template feature in P2E.

If I want to make a new show from an existing one, but just with a different set of slides, that's exactly what I do.

With EVERY show I make, I always do a backup in zip, so that gives me the first advantage - all the components of any show are collected together in ONE folder.

So, to get my new show, I just do a copy of that folder, delete all the old slide files, and replace them with my new set which have already been renamed with the same names as the old set. (The freeware Faststone image viewer contains excellent tools for doing this, particularly the ability to drag files into a new order sequence, as part of the renaming process). I always give this folder a new name to reflect its new contents - then do a backup in zip from within P2E, of course!

Job done very quickly - and without even a mention of that word 'template'.

Because my folder has a new meaningful name, I don't have any issue with any file names inside it.

(It would be a real pain having to go through each slide in the objects and animations window to create new file links if lots of files are involved, and it is just not necessary)

Maybe someone can convince me why the template feature in P2E needs to exist at all.

Regards,

wideangle

[fh1805]

...Maybe someone can convince me why the template feature in P2E needs to exist at all...

Wideangle,

It's a throw-back to earlier releases of PTE, prior to the introduction of "Create Backup in Zip" feature.

But it does have one use that I find of benefit to me. My usual "default" project options are not the "as shipped" values. So I have created an empty project that has all my preferred settings, saved it as a Template, and then made that my default template.

Now, when I create a new PTE sequence, all my preferred settings are pre-defined for me.

regards,

Peter

[wideangle]

Wideangle,

It's a throw-back to earlier releases of PTE, prior to the introduction of "Create Backup in Zip" feature.

But it does have one use that I find of benefit to me. My usual "default" project options are not the "as shipped" values. So I have created an empty project that has all my preferred settings, saved it as a Template, and then made that my default template.

Now, when I create a new PTE sequence, all my preferred settings are pre-defined for me.

regards,

Peter

Hi Peter

I can see your need for wanting your preferred settings, but there needs to be a much more direct facility developed for this.

If the template feature is just a throwback to older versions, and is no longer needed, then why not get rid of it and make the package less confusing for newcomers, because the whole thing is confusing??

As regards your point about preferred settings, it could be done much better if there were a button to click on within Project Options called "Save all current settings as default", together with a sister button called "Reset all settings", if you wished to go back to factory settings.

Regards,

wideangle

[mhwarner]

I've never really seen the advantage of the template feature in P2E.

If I want to make a new show from an existing one, but just with a different set of slides, that's exactly what I do.

With EVERY show I make, I always do a backup in zip, so that gives me the first advantage - all the components of any show are collected together in ONE folder.

So, to get my new show, I just do a copy of that folder, delete all the old slide files, and replace them with my new set which have already been renamed with the same names as the old set. (The freeware Faststone image viewer contains excellent tools for doing this, particularly the ability to drag files into a new order sequence, as part of the renaming process). I always give this folder a new name to reflect its new contents - then do a backup in zip from within P2E, of course!

Job done very quickly - and without even a mention of that word 'template'.

Because my folder has a new meaningful name, I don't have any issue with any file names inside it.

(It would be a real pain having to go through each slide in the objects and animations window to create new file links if lots of files are involved, and it is just not necessary)

Maybe someone can convince me why the template feature in P2E needs to exist at all.

Regards,

wideangle

It seems to me that the only difference between what you are suggesting and what has been suggested by Dom and nobeefstu is that you have saved your files to a zip file and they suggest creating a template. As far as I can tell there is no difference in the end result. The bottom line is that you have to use some sort of consistent naming convention for the underlying photos and music in order to easily replace them with a different set.

If you want to get really clever, you could just name your photos with a convention like "johnsmith013110_01" etc. and then edit the .pte file directly with a text editor and change all references of "johnsmith013110" to "susiebrown020110" and rename all of the slides for the new project as "susiebrown020110_01", "susiebrown020110_02" etc. Then regardless of whether you store your backups as .zip files or in a series of "template" folders you don't have a zillion "pic_01", "pic_02" files and can easily relate the underlying slide files to a client or event.