Comments on PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0 Beta

[Lin Evans]

Hi John,

Historically, one of the biggest "mistakes" a company can make is to mess with recognized branding. It causes confusion in the market and serves no practical purpose. Rarely, has name changing of an established product resulted in success. PTE has been around and recognized world-wide by its name for nearly a decade. My opinion is also - "if it's not broke; don't fix it."

All the hoopla about dangers in executable file format are primarily the construct of the anti-virus folks. PTE has, to date, "never" had a single authenticated case of producing a trojan, virus or any other kind of malware infection. Executable file format is not going away anytime in the foreseeable future. Your operating system is resplendent with .com and .exe format files - it's the way we make computers work. It's far easier for hackers to infect the operating system with its many thousands of exe files by mimicking one or more than to bother with a few products which create executable code and are used by only a tiny fraction of the huge market for operating systems. It's as easy to write malware for video files as it is for executable code if you know what you're doing. Folks who use MacIntosh systems frequently say that they do so because of their "immunity" from malware. This, of course, is a false security. It's as easy to write destructive code for the Mac as it is for a PC, but those who get their kicks from creating virus and trojan code have little incentive to do so for Apple systems which have less than a 10% market share.

The bottom line is that PTE has a very good reputation and the market share is growing steadily. Why risk that momentum or a branding change which would then become yet another of the hundreds (do a Google search) of relatively unknown presentation slideshow products trying to establish themselves in a crowded software arena?

Best regards,

Lin

Igor.

With the successful launch of PTE 7 maybe its time to consider a new name for your product. For example,I have in mind something like 'WnS Multimedia Producer' amongst many others. If interested I'm sure forum members would be more than willing to contribute their suggestions.

Over to you........

John.

[brutus]

Tom.

In answer to your first question.

You are essentially correct in your assumption - not quite 100% but between 84-94% in my case .To address this issue I decided to convert my MP4 files, [ made in PTE ], to an AVI container using the divx codec while maintaining the same 20Mbps bitrate. This time the demands on the cpu drop dramatically to a value of between 47- 54% whilst maintaining the same picture quality. Note this applies for both cores. See attached screenshot for details.

I favor an AMD64 processor matched with an Nvidia graphics card and Asus motherboard. Rest assured I do own 'a very fast system' - 'super fast' would be 'over kill' for my needs as I'm not into gaming. In general, I see little sense in using a bulldozer to do the work of a shovel.

With respect to your second question.

I own a couple of relatively cheap but now discontinued Canon cameras with fixed lenses for my photographic and movie work. I would expect any of the latest 'up market' Canon's or other name brands using CMOS sensor technology to capture FULL HD1080p at a 41Mbps rate, or close to it. However there are exceptions and closer scrutiny of the published data may be necessary to determine this. If in doubt contact the camera manufacturer.

Regarding flash cards, I normally use one of the 8GB / SDHC variety. This allows for 24 minutes recording of FULL HD 1920 x 1080p video. In practice, I tend to shoot video in short lengths to reduce the drain on the camera battery and facilitate later editing with an external editor.

John.

[Barry Beckham]

My appologies Igor,

but that navigation bar showing up at the bottom of the screen every time I hit the preview button is driving me nuts. It draws the attention and I find I miss what I was looking for. Am I the only one who can see no point in this being switched on as a default? Who uses it in the making of a slide show and how?

Surely those few who want it can turn it on. I just find it an irritant, but then I am easily irritated perhaps

[Igor]

Barry,

Navigation bar can be very useful for viewers of your AV shows. Not for all kind of shows, but for many ones, I think.

You can disable Navigation bar at all in 3 clicks (Project options | Main tab | "Show Navigation Bar").

We can try add safe time interval after startup of a show, say 1 second to prevent casual appearing of the navigation bar.

[fh1805]

Using beta 8 I cannot get a Navigation Bar to appear!!! I have done the three clicks and have tried Both Sky and Video player styles of Nav Bar. Nothing appears when I Preview the sequence. The sequence was created using beta 1 and has been editted in most (but not all) of the subsequent betas. I have tried adding the Nav Bar using beta 8 only - not any earlier betas.

Peter

[Barry Beckham]

Igor.

Yes, I am aware of the three clicks, but that is 3 clicks more than in previous versions. Surely a default setting is the one used by most people, most of the time and unless members say different, I would suggest that the navigation bar will be used very rarely, so by default it should be off. I am only going by the many shows we see posted on this forum and Beachbrook over the years and trying to recall how many times the navigation bar was used. As I said, very rarely.

Peter

I have only just downloaded beta 8 having been away for a while and the navigation bar appears for me. Try a file > new and I think you will find its there.

[David Porter]

There are quite a few shows in Wnsoft and Beechbrook that I had wished for a Navigation Bar if only to see how much more there was until it finished!

[goddi]

Barry,

Navigation bar can be very useful for viewers of your AV shows. Not for all kind of shows, but for many ones, I think.

You can disable Navigation bar at all in 3 clicks (Project options | Main tab | "Show Navigation Bar").

We can try add safe time interval after startup of a show, say 1 second to prevent casual appearing of the navigation bar.

================

Greetings Igor,

Apparently, as one of the few who likes the Nav Bar (and has it hide after the first few seconds), I would not mind if it was not ON as the default. However, I have brought is up before, why is there no Exit or First Slide button in the Video Nav Bar????

Gary

[fh1805]

...Try a file > new and I think you will find its there.

Oh, no it isn't! Beta 8, File New, Fullscreen, 15:10, 1620x1080, no music, 3 real slides and Blanks at each end - and no NavBar. Again, I tried both the Sky style and the Video Player style. They refuse to appear. I even tried setting "Wait for a keypress..." but still no NavBar.

Now, I don't mind this "feature" behaving like this as, like Barry, I don't use the NavBar. But I don't like being unable to get PTE to do the same things as everyone else. It worries me that I might have some fundamental setting at a different value to everyone else when I shouldn't have.

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

I agree with Gary about the Nav Bar.

It's another case for "Load Template" where the Template that you load is set up exactly as you require it.

Please can we have a LOAD TEMPLATE option in "File>New"?

DG

[nobeefstu]

Peter,

It worries me that I might have some fundamental setting at a different value to everyone else when I shouldn't have.

Do you see your Mouse Cursor in the slide show?

For your previous version builds ... make sure you have not inadvertently set the Mouse Cursor to Hide. For the NavBar to appear requires the Mouse Cursor using Auto Hide to some timed delay or Show.

Seems strange though when using a New File ... as the default setting does not Hide the mouse cursor.

[Barry Beckham]

I agree with Gary about the Nav Bar.

It's another case for "Load Template" where the Template that you load is set up exactly as you require it.

Please can we have a LOAD TEMPLATE option in "File>New"?

DG

But that assumes everyone knows what you know and they don't.

[davegee]

Not really sure what you mean Barry.

We discussed this recently, I don't want to go over old ground.

DG

[fh1805]

Do you see your Mouse Cursor in the slide show?

For your previous version builds ... make sure you have not inadvertently set the Mouse Cursor to Hide. For the NavBar to appear requires the Mouse Cursor using Auto Hide to some timed delay or Show.

Seems strange though when using a New File ... as the default setting does not Hide the mouse cursor.

Stu,

Thanks, that was not quite the right answer; but it was a pointer to the solution.

Firstly, I do not use the default settings. I have a customized template set as my default for all new projects. So whether the factory default is to hide the mouse cursor or not is irrelevant. However, your prompt about Hide got me to look again at the way I tried to set up the NavBar under beta 8. I found that with the NavBar customization option "Auto Hide" turned off, the NavBar always appeared, irrespective of whether the mouse cursor was hidden or not. With the NavBar set to "Auto Hide", its appearance was then determined by the Mouse setting. If the mouse was hidden the NavBar was totally hidden. If the mouse was either at Show or Auto Hide then the NavBar appeared and behaved in accordance with the timings set under its customization option.

regards,

Peter

[Barry Beckham]

DG

I mean that we have to think of the wider user. Is fine for us who know the software almost as well as Igor to find work arounds and ways to do things and I accept it is a fine line a developer has to walk. However, the new user of PTE will not start with a template and instantly know how to set it up. So, defaults need to be set for the majority of users, not the few enthusiasts.

[davegee]

Peter,

I (almost) totally agree with your approach of setting a Default Template for New Projects.

It allows for pre-setting all parameters normally used in a show providing that you use the same format each and every time. Nav Bar OFF; Slide Duration etc are all set in advance.

I am tending to alternate between 3:2 and 16:9 lately and (since you can only have ONE Default Template) I have to load up, for instance, the 16:9 Template and then go into PO to change the settings for 3:2 OR go to Templates to choose a different one (3:2).

What I would like to see is the choice of Template to use being offered when FILE> NEW is clicked.

I have noticed that when the Default Template is chosen in Manage Templates we are not offered a choice of AR when FILE>NEW is chosen (because we have already made that choice in Templates) so the opportunity to change is not offered.

DG

[davegee]

Barry,

I am advocating a CHOICE which the beginner can ignore and the advanced user can take advantage of.

It need not be anything more complicated than an option in the AR drop down box to "LOAD A TEMPLATE".

From my experience the beginner USUALLY doesn't have a clue what ASPECT RATIO is all about but will soon learn.

I have always taught Aspect Ratio and the benefits of Templates at an early stage when I am dealing with beginners in PTE.

DG

[Barry Beckham]

DG

I am not saying your wrong here, or looking for an argument, just putting forward a view based on my own knowledge. If a new user can produce a slide show quickly and easily, they may get hooked, but if not, they may float away. If you teach, then you must know there is a huge difference in abilities and knowledge within individuals. Its why many use PSG I hate to say. They seem to find that easier to get started with.

[davegee]

All valid points but PTE must cater for all types of users - hopefully all at the same time and I don't think that I am advocating anything that any standard of user couldn't cope with.

It just seems to me to be more efficient to be able to load what you want from the outset than to load "something" and change it to what you want.

Templates is a very powerful tool and can be used for a variety of purposes.

DG

[nobeefstu]

Igor,

Barry,

Navigation bar can be very useful for viewers of your AV shows. Not for all kind of shows, but for many ones, I think.

You can disable Navigation bar at all in 3 clicks (Project options | Main tab | "Show Navigation Bar").

We can try add safe time interval after startup of a show, say 1 second to prevent casual appearing of the navigation bar.

I think your resolve to delay (on initial slide show start up only) the NavBar display should benefit and accommodate most users basic needs. Those users that dont interact with the slide show will not see the NavBar on startup... and those users that do interact will see the NavBar. Of course all of this depends on the user and their personal habit of playing with their mouse while the slide show is active.

*Those users who just sit back and watch the slide show will not see the NavBar (using project default settings). If the user is a click happy and constant mouse-mover they will see the NavBar(using project default settings).

*If the slide show creator is determined not to have any user interaction to disrupt the visual playback ... the creator really needs to Hide the mouse and disable Keyboard control.

[Barry Beckham]

Igor

Are you able to say what beta version we are likely to see the video convertor you have mentioned. I havn't done a great deal of work with video to this point as I would rather wait and use the video convertor you will include with PTE.

[Barry Beckham]

Igor

I was working today on a new project and I needed to go in and out of the Project Options > Audio Clip Properties a few times and realised I would really like to be able to make an audio change and dismiss both of these wondows with a touch of the enter key.

I find myself using the enter key a lot on programs as it is the same as OK

[Igor]

Igor

Are you able to say what beta version we are likely to see the video convertor you have mentioned. I havn't done a great deal of work with video to this point as I would rather wait and use the video convertor you will include with PTE.

The video convertor will be included to one of following beta versions in three weeks or so.

[Antbrewer]

Igor,

I have just picked up on the 'video converter' that Barry has brought up. Excuse my ignorance but is this a device which will reduce the size of the video file used in the AV? This would be very necessary as the short video files I have experimented with so far are extremely large even for a very short clip.

Anthony

[Lin Evans]

Hi Anthony,

I can't answer for Igor, but my understanding is that the video converter will be a means of optimizing the video for use with PTE and not necessarily a way of getting greater compression.

Video, by nature, is tough on file size. When you have, for example, 30 frames per second (29.97) or even 25 fps, you have a tremendous amount of data which is being stored. For a 10 second video clip at 30fps you have 300 separate images which must be stored. This means that depending on the size of each image in terms of pixel dimensions and compression, you could have quite a large file. Especially, if you are trying to use HD video you will have large files. The "best" compression right now is being done with Flash format. A 35 megabyte AVI or MP4 could be as small as 4 megabytes in Flash with only minimal loss of quality. So depending on your use of video, you might choose to convert to a Flash FLV or SWF rather than load an mp4, AVI, or other supported format.

I doubt that one could "expect" that the internal PTE converter would necessarily make the file size smaller, just insure that it runs with minimal distortion and good sound and video synchronization.

I'm sure when Igor reads your question, he can shed more light on it....

Best regards,

Lin