Problems using the Dom Template for a 3D Cube

[carolphoto]

Hi,

I have downloaded this template from the Dom website: thedom-3dcube-tpl (1).zip

in order to create a revolving 3D cube. I have copied in six of my own square photos into the panel (pasting them over what was there) before clicking on the P2E project symbol. They are JPGs but the symbol shows as a camera. When I click on the symbol to open the project, I get "pictures not found" warning. When I go ahead and open it, there is a square indicating the second slide. I click on the Objects and Animations button for this second slide, and it opens a large blue rectangle on the screen that says Image Not Found. Even though I try to delete that rectangle and copy in each actual slide by clicking on the Open image symbol, it doesn't work. There are still big blue Image Not Found rectangles behind some of the photos. The cube animates but not properly. It's not a cube, just photos floating around, some with the blue rectangle pasted under them. Could someone please tell me how to use this template step by step? I have copied out the "How to use this template" instructions on the Dom website, but cannot make it work.

Thanks a lot,

Carol

[fh1805]

Support for templates made by TheDom is, I believe, provided by him through his own website and not through the PTE Forum.

regards,

Peter

[Lin Evans]

Hi Carol,

Probably, your best bet is to email Dom and I'm certain he will be happy to help you learn to use the template. Perhaps there is something you are missing in the instructions which is causing this issue. You may want to download and look at my video tutorial on cubes which "might" help you discover where you are going wrong.

Here's a link: Go to # 18. If you have problem with the AVI file, download and install the freeware player Kantaris Media Player

Best regards,

Lin

[carolphoto]

Thanks, Lin and Peter. I looked at your tutorial again, Lin, and used the settings to change some of those in the template, such as checking off only "Show front", and also deleting the Text section for each image. Suddenly it worked correctly and looks terrific. I hope I can now use the project template as it is now, and simply insert other series of 6 square images into it and it will take me minutes rather than hours and hours!

Much obliged,

Carol

[Ken Cox]

save it asap - take screen shots of settings etc

ken

[carolphoto]

Thanks, Ken. I did save it and luckily so, as when I tried to do it again with some different photos I still had problems, but could go back again and again to the original one that worked, to see where they were different. Wow these cubes are not easy but are quite sensational when they finally work properly.

Carol

[Lin Evans]

Hi Carol,

Once you have done a few and get the "formula" down in your mind, they will become really easy and quick to make. The really great thing about PTE is that you can then add amazing animations to any (or all) cube "face(s)" Very soon, when version 7.0 beta 1 is released, you will even be able to place "video's" on a cube face. Here's a little sample I made a few weeks ago which demonstrates some possibilities:

http://www.picturest...sleep-aid-cube/

Over the years I've placed some cube samples on the forum which have variously, snow, 3D transforms and other animations. Also, If you go back through Dom's posts he has some "internal" cube views, etc. Other geometric possibilities exist as well such as this:

http://www.picturest...at-new-clothes/

http://www.picturest...mplatetutorial/

Best regards,

Lin

[carolphoto]

Hi Lin,

Those are so impressive, especially the water drops in the water, and the fact that you added animated images to an animated cube.

I've now tried to make your snow animation and just can't get it. When I download the template I get a message that the girls2 image is not found. When I open up the project with the template, and click on the objects and animations button, then click on the Mask Container (which is under a tab that says girls2, to add my winter image, it gets pasted on top of a blue slide that says "image not found (cows photos etc.)".

When I press play, the snow falls under my own image and in front of that blue slide. I'm missing something here. If I delete the girls2 item that is above the Mask Container, it deletes everything and I get a black screen.

Thanks so much for your willingness to help.

Carol

[Lin Evans]

Hi Carol,

I'm not certain what the problem is, but it "appears" that perhaps you have the wrong template. Follow the instructions below and hopefully it will work out correctly for you.

Here's how to go about it.

1. Create an empty folder

2. Go here and download #19 "second link" and "extract" it into your empty folder

3. Open PTE and load the PTE file contained in the extraction (Christmascubefortutorial.pte)

4. Rename your own six square images to "side1.jpg.......side6.jpg"

5. Copy these six renamed images into the folder and when prompted, agree to "overwrite" the existing six files

7. Open the Christmascubefortutorial.pte file and test

It "should" work fine unless the size of the six images was different that the size of the ones in my original. Each slide "should" be 800 pixels. This is somewhat critical until you have a good feel for what will happen with different sizes. Essentially, the mask must be adjusted to accommodate other sizes.

It would also be a good idea, if you haven't already done so, to download the AVI tutorial (link one on # 18) and watch it to get familiar with the reasons for various interactions and to see how to turn off snow for one or more sides of your cube.

Hopefully this will help you get started on the right track...

Best regards,

Lin

[carolphoto]

Hi Lin,

I'm afraid my last email was a little ambiguous, as I was only trying use your snowtemplate, rather than make a whole cube with snowing photos in it. However, what you said was very important: first make a folder and put the downloaded template into it. (I had just downloaded it under a main file name.) When I did that with the snowtemplate, it worked. However, it works only if I rename the photo that I want to use in the template to have it snowing "girls2", and include it in the folder. I can't seem to copy a photo into the Objects and Animations section and have it work without doing that. Is this the way it should work? If I don't rename the photo and include it in the folder to start with, I have what I had before. A blue slide in the background and snow under the photo that I've copied in.

I will try your real Christmas snow cube later. Meanwhile, what I've produced in my roundabout fashion looks terrific!

Thanks so much. You have obviously put so much work into all of this, and your followers really benefit. I saw that revolving cube last week at our Camera Club Audio Visual night and never dreamt I would be able to produce one myself!

Best regards,

Carol

[Lin Evans]

Hi Carol,

Sorry, I misunderstood and assumed since we were talking about cubes that you meant the Christmas cube with snow.

Actually, it's very easy to substitute any image for the one in the template. Just do as I suggested before and extract the template into its own folder. Then proceed as follows:

1. Open PTE

2. Navigate to your folder where you extracted the files and open Project1.pte

3. Click on the slide to select then on the Objects and Animations tab

4. Click on the slide in the (girls2.jpg) list on the right above the mask object

5. Click on the "Properties" tab

6. Click on the open "folder" at top right in the "Picture" block

7. Navigate to the folder having the image you want snow on and double click on the image

This will replace the image "girls2.jpg" with your new image.

If the size is different, you will need to first adjust the new image in the size that you want to fill the screen, etc. Next, adjust the "Mask Rectangle" (not the mask Container) to fit the screen area of display. Doing this confines the "snow" to the screen so it won't appear outside that boundary should your show be played on a display with a different aspect ratio than the one used for building the show.

You can "distort" the Mask Rectangle so that it properly fills the screen by holding down the "Shift" key while dragging the rectangle via the little squares. For example, if it is too short to fill the screen in the horizontal aspect, just hold down the Shift Key and drag it first on one side then on the other until it fits. Likewise if there is a misfit on the vertical aspect. What this mask does is control the area on the screen where snow falls.

If you change the time of the display from the default of one minute, snow will fall either faster or slower depending on which way you go. The timing was set for a one minute display via the keyframes and snow.png files.....

Don't forget to "save" your work under a different name to avoid permanently overwriting the template.

Best regards,

Lin

[carolphoto]

Hi Lin,

Thanks so much. That works brilliantly and I'm able to make new ones so easily now. (I didn't know about that little window in the top right, and kept trying to paste the new image on top of the girls2, which only produced a child of girls2 and didn't work. OK, I admit the only way I understood what you were talking about was by watching your tutorial on making snow buildup for a snowglobe and I saw where you clicked to add an image.)

My new snowing images look wonderful.

Terrific help, Lin. Many thanks.

Carol

[carolphoto]

Hi Carol,

I'm not certain what the problem is, but it "appears" that perhaps you have the wrong template. Follow the instructions below and hopefully it will work out correctly for you.

Here's how to go about it.

1. Create an empty folder

2. Go here and download #19 "second link" and "extract" it into your empty folder

3. Open PTE and load the PTE file contained in the extraction (Christmascubefortutorial.pte)

4. Rename your own six square images to "side1.jpg.......side6.jpg"

5. Copy these six renamed images into the folder and when prompted, agree to "overwrite" the existing six files

7. Open the Christmascubefortutorial.pte file and test

It "should" work fine unless the size of the six images was different that the size of the ones in my original. Each slide "should" be 800 pixels. This is somewhat critical until you have a good feel for what will happen with different sizes. Essentially, the mask must be adjusted to accommodate other sizes.

It would also be a good idea, if you haven't already done so, to download the AVI tutorial (link one on # 18) and watch it to get familiar with the reasons for various interactions and to see how to turn off snow for one or more sides of your cube.

Hopefully this will help you get started on the right track...

Best regards,

Lin

[carolphoto]

Hi Lin,

I've now also made the Christmas cube with the snow falling in each slide, with the help of your template. Works just fine. Knowing how to add each slide is key. I wanted to let you know that your earlier instructions did not go to waste!

Thanks again,

Carol

[thedom]

Support for templates made by TheDom is, I believe, provided by him through his own website and not through the PTE Forum.

Carol, Peter is right, please use the support section of my website next time : http://thedom.fr/index.php?option=com_agora&task=forum&id=3&Itemid=55

Could you solve your problem with Lin's explanation ?

[carolphoto]

Thank you for writing. Yes, I was able to solve the problem and am delighted with my revolving cubes. I really appreciate the templates.

Carol