PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0.1 Beta

[fh1805]

Hi folks!

Having got the AVG problem resolved I have now turned my attention to v7.0.1 beta. I have installed the version given by the link in this post.

The status of "Keep full slide duration" was "unticked" when I opened the program for the first time and has remained so ever since. (System is Windows 7 Home Edition 64-bit with SP1. PTE 701 was a customized install: into folders separate from the original v700 installation and not allowed to establish file associations). As far as I can make out the program behaves exactly as did v6.5. I can modify slide duration and effect duration via "Customize Slide" and get the result that I previously got with v6.5. I can use the "Slides" view and move slides around by drag and drop and they all retain the duration and effect timings. As far as I am concerned this beta gives me all I'm looking for - but I have no interest in adding video to my sequences.

So, for a non-video user, what are the issues with this beta version? Perhaps Dave or Jill could bring me up to speed with a PM or an e-mail? I'll have some time over these next three days to play with the program.

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

Peter,

See the Bug in 7.0.1 Thread.

DG

[davegee]

Folks,

I think that I have cracked it.

Not saying that there is not a bug but I have (I think) neutralised it.

I had a HOUSE (Hugh Laurie) moment!

I opened PTE 7.0.1 and made sure that the "intermittent" fault/bug was not there.

I then created a blank 1920x1080 template and overwrote my original 1920x1080 template. In Manage Templates I told PTE to use 1920x1080 Template for new projects and Bingo, no further problems.

Tried it on both Desktop and laptop machines - no problem.

DG

[fh1805]

Another, possibly related bug? is that pressing F6 to switch between slide & timeline view also ticks & unticks the 'Keep Full Slide Duration' box each time you press it.

Jill,

I am not seeing this behaviour on my system.

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

Folks,

I think that I have cracked it.

Not saying that there is not a bug but I have (I think) neutralised it.

I had a HOUSE (Hugh Laurie) moment!

I opened PTE 7.0.1 and made sure that the "intermittent" fault/bug was not there.

I then created a blank 1920x1080 template and overwrote my original 1920x1080 template. In Manage Templates I told PTE to use 1920x1080 Template for new projects and Bingo, no further problems.

Tried it on both Desktop and laptop machines - no problem.

DG

[fh1805]

3. Amend the effect time of slide 3 by clicking in the box above the slide & using the mouse wheel ... to increase the time to 2.5 secs.

Jill,

What exactly do you mean by this? In which view are you when you do this? Which "box" are you clicking? Whatever I try, I end up with the "Customize Slide" window open and the mouse wheel just scrolls through the various effect possibilities. Your statement implies that you have found a way of changing the values without leaving the PTE main window.

regards,

Peter

[fh1805]

I then created a blank 1920x1080 template and overwrote my original 1920x1080 template. In Manage Templates I told PTE to use 1920x1080 Template for new projects and Bingo, no further problems.

Dave,

That's very interesting. However, all my tests have been done using my normal customized template and I have failed magnificently to reproduce any of the problems that you and Jill have been having. So why should my template work for me without change but yours not work for you until after you change it?

N.B. My customized template was created June this year using v6.5.7

regards,

Peter

[fh1805]

Further to this discussion about the effect of "Keep full slide duration" in v7.0.1 beta. PTE does not hold this value across PTE close/re-launch. On my system, it always comes up unticked at every PTE restart. If it was a project option, it would come up with its previous value set. If it was a system option it would come up with its value set. It doesn't come up with its previous value set; so, what kind of option is it?

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

Peter,

In SLIDE VIEW you can click on the Transition Time and Duration figures for each slide and change them by typing or scroll wheel.

See PM.

DG

P.S. My original Template was a V7 Template (not V6 as per yours)

"what kind of option is it?"

Its Default state is off.

[jkb]

Jill,

What exactly do you mean by this? In which view are you when you do this? Which "box" are you clicking? Whatever I try, I end up with the "Customize Slide" window open and the mouse wheel just scrolls through the various effect possibilities. Your statement implies that you have found a way of changing the values without leaving the PTE main window.

regards,

Peter

Peter, in the main window, each slide now has a little box above it with the effect duration & a box on the bottom right of each slide with the duration. Click in these boxes & you can amend the time by scrolling the mouse wheel. It changes in increments of 1/2 sec. You can also use the Customise Slide window & again clicking in the duration (main tab) or effect duration (effect tab) the mouse wheel changes the times by 1/2 sec. Or you can just type directly into the boxes.

[jkb]

Having sorted out the AVG problems I had hoped (just maybe) that this may have been causing the problems in PTE.

I have just uninstalled v7 & re downloaded & installed on my Vista Laptop.

However the faults are still there.

Added 3 slides with default times of 7/2 & 'keep full slide..' is unticked - so would expect an overall time of 21secs.

Switiching to timeline using the button, overall time is 17 secs!! So it is working as v7.0.1

Both View & F6 alternate the 'keep full...' between ticked & unticked

Amending the last slide duration as in my previous posts, it is again moving the start position of the slide instead of increasing the duration.

Closing PTE & Starting a new Project, this time ticking the 'keep full slide...' box. Add 3 slides with default 7/2 & this time I get a duration of 21secs.

So it appears to be working in reverse, which is what happened the very first time I downloaded this beta.

However with the 'keep full slide...' box ticked amending the last slide effect duration works as expected & just increases the length without moving the start position of the slide.

I don't use Templates and closing & reopening PTE several times & even rebooting the Laptop the problems still persist.

It appears to be working in reverse - unticked is v7.0.1 & ticked is v6.5

Jill

[jkb]

Further to this discussion about the effect of "Keep full slide duration" in v7.0.1 beta. PTE does not hold this value across PTE close/re-launch. On my system, it always comes up unticked at every PTE restart. If it was a project option, it would come up with its previous value set. If it was a system option it would come up with its value set. It doesn't come up with its previous value set; so, what kind of option is it?

regards,

Peter

On both my Vista Laptop & XP desktop it does hold the value between closing & reopening PTE.

Maybe Win7 is working differently for some reason

Jill

[fh1805]

I can confirm that the problems Jill is encountering are directly attributable to not using Templates. I have just deleted my customised Template (I might live to regret this!) and have been able to recreate her problems with the ticked/unticked status changing on Win 7.

regards,

Peter

[jkb]

Peter, glad that it is not just me!!!

Jill

[fh1805]

I do live to regret it!!!

Having re-built my template (using v6.5.7 = the version in which it had been built) I saved it and then closed down v6.5.7. After launching v7.0.1, I found that PTE did not recognise that the template existed. I used "File...Manage Templates" to make that template the default for all new projects and told PTE v7.0.1 to create a new project. F6 key now toggles the tick box for "Keep full slide duration". This suggests to me that the root cause of this problem is that the "Keep full slide duration" is neither a Project Option saved with each PTE project file, nor a System Option saved in an ini file. It seems to be some other kind of option (possibly hardcoded into the program software) with a behaviour all of its own. Or possibly is, in some way, dependent on some other system parameter or system behaviour. In anycase, the aberrant behaviour is, in some way, tied into the use/non-use of templates.

As far as I am concerned this is either a bug in PTE or a serious design flaw. Either way, the only person who can get it resolved once and for all is Igor.

I would recommend that we all stop investigating this any further. We've narrowed down the area where the problem is and the conditions that can trigger it (and for some lucky people, those that can circumvent it). From the info that we have, collectively, published in this topic, I'm sure Igor and his team of wizards can quickly find the weak spot in their code and get it fixed so that behaviour is predictable. Whether we like that predictable behaviour or not will be a matter of personal preference.

regards,

Peter

[nobeefstu]

Peter and Jill

Did you install the v701 into its own folder directory or into the installers default v7.0 folder ?

When I originally installed v701 ... I selected to use the installers v7.0 folder location. No issues with View menu and F6 key.

When installing v701 into its own 701 folder ... I see the issues with View menu and F6 key.

* It initially appears where you originally install v701 may be causing the issue.

[davegee]

Thanks Stu, that's three people who have seen it.

The installation on my laptop overwrote V7 in its default folder but the installation on my desktop was in a new and different folder.

It occured in both installations and the same method cured both problems.

DG

[Igor]

I posted updated PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0.1 BETA

http://www.wnsoft.com/files/test/picturestoexe-setup-701-beta.exe

I hope it solves all previous problems. And I apologize for caused inconveniences due to missed bugs!

Several important clarifications:

1. I'd like to remind that since version 7.0.1 (the official release will be publish soon on our website) we will use old time mode by default as in version 6.5 and earlier. All new users will see usual workflow with slide duration.

2. This updated version 7.0.1 Beta (published today) should fix strange problems and bugs with timing and related options.

3. You can use new time mode. Set checked "Keep full slide duration" option on the main window. No need to restart PicturesToExe or start new project. Changing of this option has an immediate effect and the Project options will also display correct default slide time value.

[fh1805]

Stu,

Yes, I installed it into its own (specified by me) directory so that it co-existed alongside both v6.5.7 aand v7.0.0. And I had no immediate problems!!

The problems only appeared after I deleted my customized Template and created a new one. I have, since my last report, uninstalled both v7.0.0 and v7.0.1, deleted all my customized templates (one from v6.5.0, one from 6.5.7 and one from v7.0.1) used v6.5.7 to create my customized template and set it as default. I have then re-installed v7.0.1 into its default directory (note I did not first install v7.0.0). And everything is behaving predictably and consistently - and correctly as far as I am now concerned. BUT...

I did note that, this time, the install of v7.0.1 asked me which version of PTE to take its default values from. It hadn't asked me this when I previously installed it (into a directory of my choosing). Previously I had both v6.5.7 and v7.0.0 available. This time I had only v6.5.7 available.

I'm not sure that the choice of directory is relevant - it may be. But the setting of default values certainly seems to have a bearing it. PTE still isn't remembering the last setting for "Keep full slide duration". So this option is not behaving like either a Project Option or a System setting. The code for this feature is not like the code for all the other features. It behaves abnormally. As an ex-programmer, that worries me!

regards,

Peter

[fh1805]

I've just downloaded this latest beta and installed it over the top of the previous beta. The "Keep full slide duration" value is now remembered across PTE stop/start. And with that value unticked, behaviour seems to be exactly as v6.5 used to be. All we need now is for Jill to try it and report back on her batch of problems.

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

Thanks Igor.

Like Peter - no problems with the "Keep Full Slide Duration" tick box.

DG

[jkb]

I agree there are still BUGS.

It does appear a lot better, but with 'keep full....' ticked amending the effect duration moves the start position of the slide.

So add 3 slides of 7/2, overall duration 17 secs.

Slide 3 starts at 10 secs. Increase the effect duration to 2.5 secs & it moves the start position from 10secs back to 9.5 secs.

Jill

[fh1805]

For anyone who read my two previous, and now deleted, posts:

I committed a fundamental user error - identical to the one that I unjustifiably criticised Igor for. My apologies to Igor for that criticism - it was totally out of order of me. I must take more time to test carefully instead of rushing things.

regards,

Peter

[Igor]

Jill,

It's a correct behaviour because the program keeps untouched total slide duration (pure time + next transition effect).

P.S. Please also see my reply here:

[davegee]

Jill,

Think what you are asking it to do?

You started with:

2>3>2>3>2>5

Which can also be shown as:

2>3>2

2>3>2

2>5

Three slides - colours show that the two RED numbers are the same transition and the two Green numbers are the same transition.

Now this is what you asked for:

2>3>2

2>2.5>2.5

2.5>4.5

Each of the slides has maintained its 7 second duration. If you want the increase of the slide three duration to have no effect on slide two then you have to alter the duration of slide two to 7.5 seconds.

2>3>2

2>3>2.5

2.5>4.5

It's a different way of thinking.

DG

The coloured portions in the JPEG below are always linked: