Inconsistent behaviour of a manually controlled show

[fh1805]

I'm preparing a manually controlled show (Project Options|Main..."Wait for a key press or mouse click to show next slide" is ticked). The show contains some "chalk and talk" slides that were created with Powerpoint interspersed with some half a dozen or so images. Each image slide has been coded to "Run application or open file..." on mouse click on the image object. In each such case, the data input box in the O&A Common tab contains just the filename of that image file: e.g. SlideA.jpg. All the image files are JPEGs. I have the file extension ".jpg" associated with Adobe Photoshop Elements v9 on my desktop system. The EXE file and all the JPEG image files are stored in the exact same folder.

When clicking on the first image, Elements is launched and the image file is opened into Elements, and control is transferred to Elements. Having used Elements to demonstrate some image manipulation, I then switch control back to the PTE sequence and advance through that to the next image slide. When I click on this next image, the image file is opened into the existing instance of Elements but control is not passed to Elements: PTE retains control.

I have a work-around in that, if I press the Windows key on the keyboard and then click on the Elements task button on the Task Bar, I am successfully transferred to Elements. I can then do the demo of image manipulation, switch back to the PTE sequence, advance to the next image slide, click on it to get the file opened in Elements - but once again, PTE does not hand over control to Elements and I have to use the work-around.

Is this a bug in PTE or have I overlooked some Windows setting somewhere?

System is running Windows Vista Home Premium, PTE V6.5.7 and Adobe Photoshop Elements v9.

regards,

Peter

[nobeefstu]

Peter,

This issue seems to be related when Full Screen mode and D3D enabled. This window focus switching behavior varies OS to OS ... it also seems the video card plays a role here too.

When I work with other windowed programs and its shared with other PCs ... I always make PTE in a Windowed mode and not Full Screen mode and can still enable use of D3D. Its also possible to use Full Screen mode and disable D3D.

The window focus switching behavior now acts as expected for all of my recipients.

[nobeefstu]

Peter,

If you just want to specifically display a particular image within your slideshow without using a third party program ... create the particular image object within a new Custom Window. This PTE feature will avoid all the focus issues you may enconter.

See Project Options - Main tab - Customize Windows button to create a new window. To execute the new Custom Window ... the Action on Mouse Click is Show Window and then select the custom name you gave it from within the folder/file designation.

[fh1805]

Stu,

Thanks for the advice. Turning off D3D has done the trick! As I will not be using any animation features in this particular PTE sequence, that's no hardship.

regards,

Peter

[nobeefstu]

Peter.

Just adding some additional info about D3D Hardware Acceleration enabled

and how it varies OS to OS.

Where the video card comes into play here ... I have found on my particular OS and video card that if I lower the D3D Hardware Acceleration (in Windows Display Properties) down 1 notch from Full, the active window focus switching behavior acts as normal when using Full Screen and D3D enabled in PTE.

I suspect the switch behavior from using Full Screen mode 3D display applications in combination with Windowed 2D mode display applications will vary from video card hardware performace capabilities. In the not so log ago past ... my same PC with onbard video had no such 3D/2D focus switching behavior. When I recently installed a new 1024MB video card ... the switch behavior became unpredictable.

*The attached image is a sample of a lower hardware setting. However, I plan on keeping it set to Full.