Comments on PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0 Beta

[nobeefstu]

Igor,

The more I work with the new v7 look of controls ... the more I miss the use of the Next Slide and Previous Slide control buttons no longer available on the main GUI. The ease of movement and access to move from slide to slide has been greatly reduced and somewhat annoying without these controls.

Is there some way to return them and still maintain your new clean and uncluttered look ?

[Picsel]

Sound editing with v7.0

There is a lot of possibilities with sound editing for backgrounds music (project options/ music tab) and now the same for comments and sounds slide by slide (Add sound/ Audio clip propeties). Every parameter can be adjusted with accuracy except the envelope / volume modulation. If I am right, the only way I found to set the volume parameter at a keypoint is to use the mouse hand cursor dragging up or down on the dotted line which is not very accurate neither easy to do.

That would be very nice if it was possible to set this parameter by taping the volume required directly in a dialog box?

Daniel

[Igor]

I've published new Beta 6:

Announcement:

Download:

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/picturestoexe-beta.zip

This beta contains a new feature - video tracks.

Please read updated "A Guide to New Features of PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0". Pages 5-6: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/help/7.0/PicturesToExe-700-Guide-to-new-features_EN.doc

I've described how to create a reflection of a video clip, or continue video clip across several slides.

[Barry Beckham]

Igor

Re:- beta 6

I seem to be the champion of the newer usr of PTE.

Personally the AR placed on the Main tab is OK for me, but what about those who don't know or care what their AR is. Doesn't the Virtual size of silde settings need to be with the AR? Unless you do plan to pick up the screen resolution automatically in a later beta.

[davegee]

Barry,

Start another poll in a new thread:

"What are the most important parameters which must/should be set when Opening a NEW PROJECT"

AR and Resolution would, as you say, seem to be essentials.

I'm thinking that this could be another case for a "Simple / Advanced" box where, in its simple form would ask for Name and AR and in Advanced would give the user the opportunity to set even more parameters when opening a new project.

DG

[Barry Beckham]

I think I would rather just leave Igor to pick out, what he thinks is relavent from the ideas and thoughts put forward. The ones he thinks are important and practical from a programmers point of view too. I am not sure a poll will help, you will never get a concensus of opinion on any forum. I think Igor can make a choice from those ideas offered.

If the intention is for PTE to pick up the users AR automatically then its not that important.

[brutus]

Igor.

When I load full HD1080 video, [ bitrate of 41Mbps] into PTE,the video playback is jerky. However when converted to a lower bitrate ie.,15Mbps the video displays correctly - albeit at reduced image quality.

I suspect a similar problem exists when attempting to output video directly from any camera where the video bitrate is fixed at the higher level.

From a user viewpoint it is sometimes preferable and more convenient, to be able to dump the video directly from the camera output into PTE thus bypassing the intermediate conversion process.

Do you intend to address this matter at some future date?

John.

[Igor]

Thanks for all responses! Probably I will reply with delays next three weeks, because I have to visit hospital every day to find reason of my headaches (I have this problem almost every day). The most likely it's nervious fatigue.

[cead]

Igor,

Strength and get well soon !

Regards,

Frans

[Ken Cox]

IGOR

YOU DESERVE A BIG R AND R

we dont want another spell like you had a few years back

ken

KEN

[paulziets]

Igor,

Your health is of greater importance than anything else. Listen to your doctors and get well soon.

Regards,

Paul

[Igor]

Thanks. Please don't worry I can work, just my doctor recommended me take more breaks for rest during a day for well recovery.

[klintott]

While Igor is hopefully resting, perhaps another member could answer the following:

Using version 7.0, Beta 6, I created a small demo sequence with and without a small video (avi) which is 347KB in size (on disk). The executable (exe)is 8.7MB without the avi and becomes 11.2MB with the avi (10.9 MB when "Don't include file to EXE" is checked. The ZIP package of all components is 6.2MB.

Is it necessary for the EXE file to contain the avi in uncompressed form? (I presume that is the reason for the much larger EXE compared to the ZIP package)

Ken

[brutus]

John,

From the PTE 7 beta notes:

- A video convertor for video clips will be included in one of the next beta releases.

My guess is this will be similar to handbrake, which is basically a gui wrapper for ffmpeg and x264 encoders. It might have a video trim function to make .exe slideshows smaller.

Also if you have not converted AVCHD to MP4 that should help reduce/eliminate video stutter without lowering the bitrate.

Tom

Thanks Tom.

Currently is is not possible for me to transfer 41Mbps,[ MOV or AVI ] videos into PTE without frame stuttering. This problem disappears when I down convert the video to a lower -

20Mbps bitrate video. I am familiar with Handbrake and most of the other free converters so the conversion process is not an issue - at least for me.

I convert all my out of camera 41Mbps MOV videos initially to 41Mbps AVI. This is done to facilitate editing and post processing. As many cameras now offer a basic edit function

inbuilt, it is highly desirable to be able to bypass that conversion / editing process altogether and use the edited MOV video file from the camera output straight into PTE.

Most likely, lower bitrate videos from cameras not supporting the Full HD1080 format, would transfer successfully, [ something to keep in mind when selecting your next camera ].

I do not use the MP4 format because of the non-availability of compatible open source editing software.

Embedding of 41Mbps video into PTE might well turn out to be quite a number crunching and time consuming exercise for any software developer. So I don't expect results

overnight. [ Igors health issues are more important ].

Meantime I am happy to plod along with my converted files - although the higher bitrate files played back in a highly configurable player do look stunning.

John.

[Ronniebootwest]

I am very impressed with the way that version 7 is progressing and the speed with which Igor and his team correct the bugs that we are finding is second to none.

Very well done indeed Igor and congratulations to you and your team!

However, there is a small question that I would like an answer to. When I add a video clip to a blank slide it displays perfectly. However, I would like to add a 1 pixel white line around the blank slide so that it will match all other slides in the slide show (1024x768). How can this be done please?

Ron

[brutus]

Hi Ron.

Suggest you try the following:

PTE SLIDE VIEW.

ALT+S - Insert Blank Slide.

CUSTOMISE SLIDE.

Use own background preference, [solid] then select background color as 'white'.

OBJECT & ANIMATION.

Add 'Rectangle' from menu bar at the top of the screen.

Under the 'Properties' tab select: fill mode/solid/color.

Highlight 'Keypoint' at the bottom left of the O&A window.

Goto the 'Animation' tab and reduce the zoom value slightly to reveal the white background.

Adjust the zoom setting to your required line width, then add your video clip.

See the attached screen capture. 2011-04-30_214845.bmp

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

John.

[davegee]

I would question the wisdom of 1 pixel against 2 or even 3 but...........

a transparent PNG with an x pixel white (stroke) line would be easiest (IMHO).

DG

[Ronniebootwest]

John,

Thanks for your suggestion, I will certainly give it a try.

Dave,

Can you provide the steps required to create what you are suggesting please?

[xahu34]

... However, I would like to add a 1 pixel white line around the blank slide so that it will match all other slides in the slide show (1024x768). How can this be done please ...

Very thin lines often cause problems: If they are constructed for (say) a screen with 1920x1200 pixels but watched at 1680x1050. It then often happens that the top or bottom part of the line is missing. For a general remark on white borders: See here.

Regards,

Xaver

[davegee]

In Photoshop

File / New

1024x768 - transparent

New layer

Select all (Ctrl-A)

Edit / Stroke - 3 pixels White

Save for the Web - choose PNG 24

Save to your PTE folder.

Done.

[brutus]

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.

[stonemason]

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.

Why? It remains pictures to exe file software, be they moving or still. I can see no commercial beifit in changing what is a well know and well respected brand name.

Congratulations to Igor and the team for the speed at which PTE continues to evolve.

Geoff

[Ken Cox]

RIGHT ON GEOFF

"it aint broke so why fix it?"

ken

[brutus]

Geoff and Ken.

Thanks for your reply.

The point I was attempting to make was that PTE has now moved well beyond the sole production of EXE files alone, into a fully fledged multimedia software program offering much more to intending users. In turn this suggests a change of name to accurately reflect its advanced features and not a 'fix' for some unidentified problem as has been suggested.

In my opinion the term 'Multimedia' is a better descriptor of the true features PTE offers to all users. The transmission of programs containing video content with an 'exe' extension will soon become as rare as hens teeth because of increasing internet security concerns. Use of substitute container formats such as MP4, AVI and others will take precedent. This fact is already recognized by the various options available under the 'Publish' heading.

My post has nothing controversial about it at all - merely an invitation to engage in useful and productive discussion which may, or may not, be of interest to Igor, his team and other forum members.

John.

[Ronniebootwest]

Dave,

Thank you for your quick response to my request.

Ron