waveform on timeline

[Sheila G]

Hi,

I want to work on my slide time-line and my soundtrack at the same time. When I edit the soundtrack (in Audacity), and export it to replace the original, the soundtrack itself changes (in the timeline on PtoE) but the waveform doesn't. I have to close and then re-open the programme before the waveform updates! Not the most effective way of working!

I can't find any way to refresh the waveform although I think I remember being able to do that in an earlier version of PtoE (or am I mistaken?)

I'd be grateful if someone could tell me if I'm just missing something obvious and that it's actually possible to refresh it.

Sheila G

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi What sort of change happens. I have just completed a 1 hour show using Audacity & PTE with over 20 sound tracks & voice over. I used both timelines to co-ordinate the show & have had no problems. I use W7 professional 64bit

Yachtsman1.

[Sheila G]

Hi What sort of change happens. I have just completed a 1 hour show using Audacity & PTE with over 20 sound tracks & voice over. I used both timelines to co-ordinate the show & have had no problems. I use W7 professional 64bit

Yachtsman1.

Hi,

Thanks for responding.

The problem doesn't appear to be in Audacity as, when I export the project (which has multiple tracks) as an ogg vorbis file, and save it in place of the file identified in PtoE, the soundtrack is updated but the visible waveform isn't - it remains as before. This means that when I'm looking at the waveform, identifying the silences or crescendoes, etc., they are not synchronised with the soundtrack itself. When the PtoE project is saved and closed, the updated waveform appears when it is re-opened.

At present I am working on Windows XP.

Previously I've compressed my soundtracks, in Audacity, as MP3s but, because I've not yet downloaded an updated lame MP3 encoder I've been using ogg vorbis ............. might this have some bearing on the problem?

Hope I've clarified things a little more,

Sheila G.

[davegee]

I can see why you would need a refresh button.

As a workaround (rather than closing and reopening PTE) would deleting the music file from the Options / Music Tab and then adding it again be any easier?

(and would it work)?

DG

[nobeefstu]

Sheila G,

What version of PTE are you using and speaking about?

Using V6 ... Opening the Project Options | Music Tab and clicking OK should perform a refresh action. This will allow PTE to be notified that the original music file has been changed or replaced and the End of Music and Waveform should show the update.

I dont think you need to actually go as far as deleteing and adding it new again as Dave suggests ... even though you would also get the same refresh result.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Shelia

Export your Audacity project as an MP3 file import that via the project options/music tab in PTE and let us know how you go on. Lame is available free from a link on the Audacity forum's site.

Yachtsman1

[davegee]

Thanks Stu - didn't know that.

DG

[Sheila G]

Hi Shelia

Export your Audacity project as an MP3 file import that via the project options/music tab in PTE and let us know how you go on. Lame is available free from a link on the Audacity forum's site.

Yachtsman1

Hi,

Thanks again.

I've downloaded the mp3 encoder and tried the same thing with an mp3 file but there is no difference.

I checked back and found that in earlier versions of PtoE the waveform did refresh (when it was clicked off and then on again) up to the time version 5 and the 'objects and animations' were introduced. Because my graphics card at the time wasn't up to working with version 5 I carried on working in 4.48 and then opened the virtually finished project into version 5.5 for last minute tweaking and animation. This is the first time I've actually started the project from scratch in a later version (6) of PtoE.

It appears that there might not be an answer at the moment!!!

Perhaps this could be something that can be re-introduced in later updates of the programme!! I will keep my fingers crossed!

Thanks, to you and the other forum members, for the suggestions,

Sheila G

[fh1805]

Sheila,

Have you tried this method?:

- Export your soundtrack from Audacity but give it a version number (e.g. AVProjectSoundv1, AVProjectSoundv2, etc)

- Then Add the new version to the PTE project via Project Options...Music tab and remove the previous version

In my experience, this will always result in PTE updating the waveform displayed in the Timeline view. Changing the sound file name, via a version number, makes PTE think that you've given it a totally different sound file (which, of course, you have!) and so it rebuilds the waveform.

This method has the additional benefit of allowing you to go back to any previous version of your soundtrack if you decide that you didn't want to make those recent changes after all.

regards,

Peter

[Sheila G]

Sheila,

Have you tried this method?:

- Export your soundtrack from Audacity but give it a version number (e.g. AVProjectSoundv1, AVProjectSoundv2, etc)

- Then Add the new version to the PTE project via Project Options...Music tab and remove the previous version

In my experience, this will always result in PTE updating the waveform displayed in the Timeline view. Changing the sound file name, via a version number, makes PTE think that you've given it a totally different sound file (which, of course, you have!) and so it rebuilds the waveform.

This method has the additional benefit of allowing you to go back to any previous version of your soundtrack if you decide that you didn't want to make those recent changes after all.

regards,

Peter

Hi Peter,

Thank You! This worked perfectly and is a perfectly good work-around!!

Now I can get on with the AV again, instead of thinking about the waveform all the time!

Many thanks,

Sheila G.

[Barry Beckham]

I know exactly what Sheila refers to here. There was a time in PTE where you could take a soundtrack already in use, open it into Audactity, make your change and export it out of Audacity using the same name and PTE would pick it up straight away.

In later versions that doesn't happen and you can often see the same thing with an image. If I want to change an image I often just select another, prepare it and save it with the same name as the image I want to replace. In any previews the correct image will appear, but in the thumbnails the old one will remain until you close PTE and re-open it.

Its a small point and I have used Peter's method as a work around, but it was convenient the other way too.

[fh1805]

Barry, Sheila et al,

I've posted a link to Barry's previous post under the PTE v6.5 beta topic. I don't know whether what we are seeing is a bug or not; but if it is Igor and his wizards might be able to resolve it as part of v6.5 beta programme.

See here: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11802&view=findpost&p=76468

regards,

Peter

[nobeefstu]

Barry,

In later versions that doesn't happen and you can often see the same thing with an image. If I want to change an image I often just select another, prepare it and save it with the same name as the image I want to replace. In any previews the correct image will appear, but in the thumbnails the old one will remain until you close PTE and re-open it.

Try this work-around as its works perfectly well for me :

After you edit or change the original slide image and save it ... just toggle between the Slides and Timeline buttons in the Slide List. The Slide List image display is properly updated. Also selecting Customize Slide button of the selected slide and clicking OK performs the GUI display update.

As I noted in my previous post for the Waveform to update ... just click the Project Options button and click OK. The original Waveform display is then updated.

----

I dont believe PTE actively and continuely monitors for any files changes made outside of PTE ... there needs to be a action taken by the user to promote the refresh of the GUI displays. Currently ... selecting particular buttons with such rebuild/refresh actions refreshes the GUI display. Maybe PTE now needs some sort of Refresh action or button to easily resolve and refresh the entire GUI display when changes are made actively outside of PTE.

This is also a common problem in most other programs ... where the file in one program is being actively edited in another program. Try opening the same one image in 2 different editors at the same time ... the second editor will not actively see the editing saved by the first editor.

[Barry Beckham]

Personally I don't think this is a big thing and there are lots of ways around it, but its darned confusing for newer users

[Sheila G]

Hi,

Thanks, again, to everyone who suggested a solution for my problem and for its possible inclusion in updates of PtoE.

I'm more than happy to use the method suggested by Peter and seconded by BB. (I found that the method suggested for clicking on 'OK' again in the Project Files/music, didn't actually work on my computer).

Sheila G