News of development

[fh1805]

Jose,

"TODO" is more usually written "To Do" (two words). A list of things that must get done, or that we'd like to get done.

Peter

[orizaba]

Jose,

let me start with the remark that I would like to see more flexibility for the predefined masks, as well. On the other hand, just having the inverted versions of the given predefined masks is not what I would consider as very helpful. We should ask for a more sophisticated model. Presently we have predefined white circles or rectangles, where the complete outside part is black (keeping in mind that the outside part of a mask is defined to be transparent). If you ask for the negative mask, you seem to want to see black circles or rectangles whose complete outside parts are white. As I already said, I have my doubts that this will be good for the overall performance, and in many cases the new mask effects can be achieved with standard masks, as we have them today, just by changing the order of the layers.

Regards,

Xaver

Xaver,

Igor just said "negative" masks in TODO list! Hope TODO means to be worked out in the future...

More flexibility always welcome, but what are you thinking about? Modifying design, for example?

When you say "in many cases the new mask effects can be achieved with standard masks, as we have them today, just by changing the order of the layers" you are right only in some cases. Other cases can not be solved just by changing the order of the layers, so the need for the negative masks.

I already had the oportunity to face this problem more than once and I have been forced to create my own negative masks which is a hard work mainly because they are not adjustable "in real time" concerning size and blur percentage without affecting own masking quality.

Jose

[orizaba]

Jose,

"TODO" is more usually written "To Do" (two words). A list of things that must get done, or that we'd like to get done.

Peter

Peter,

GI!

Thanks.

PS: GI (Got it...)

[xahu34]

...

More flexibility always welcome, but what are you thinking about? Modifying design, for example?

...

What I would like to see (for example) is a user defined rectangular white mask (with adjustable size and width of blur) having a black circle inside with similar, independent options for size and blur.

Best regards,

Xaver

[xahu34]

...

When you say "in many cases the new mask effects can be achieved with standard masks, as we have them today, just by changing the order of the layers" you are right only in some cases. Other cases can not be solved just by changing the order of the layers, so the need for the negative masks.

...

Jose,

We should not fight for words (some or many), and if Igor manages to implement useful "negative" masks, I will not complain about them

Some time ago, I presented in the German section of this forum a template showing a zooming circle with a constant line thickness, see here. It uses some kind of negative mask. I have modified this example (see attachment), showing that it can be done with a standard mask as well

Best regards,

Xaver

ZoomingCircleWithAlignment.zip

[orizaba]

Jose,

We should not fight for words (some or many), and if Igor manages to implement useful "negative" masks, I will not complain about them

Some time ago, I presented in the German section of this forum a template showing a zooming circle with a constant line thickness, see here. It uses some kind of negative mask. I have modified this example (see attachment), showing that it can be done with a standard mask as well

Best regards,

Xaver

ZoomingCircleWithAlignment.zip

Hi Xaver,

Another example: I had to build "Mask 666x374" ("negative" mask) in order to show running clouds only on the borders of main subject (snapshot attached).

Once built, I couldn't adjust size or blur percentage, a new one would be necessary.

In this project I had to make some other negative masks, same type. A lot of work instead of pushing the "Negative option" button...

Regards,

Jose

Negative Mask.zip

[xahu34]

...

Once built, I couldn't adjust size or blur percentage, a new one would be necessary.

In this project I had to make some other negative masks, same type. A lot of work instead of pushing the "Negative option" button...

...

Jose,

The proposal that I made above will only work in cases where your main subject has a simple structure (e.g. it should not include masks). In your rather complex example, you presently may use a workaround with 4 standard masks

Best regards,

Xaver

NegativeMask-modified.zip

[orizaba]

Jose,

The proposal that I made above will only work in cases where your main subject has a simple structure (e.g. it should not include masks). In your rather complex example, you presently may use a workaround with 4 standard masks

Best regards,

Xaver

NegativeMask-modified.zip

Xaver,

Yes, I understood your method, may be it's a reasonable solution which didn't occur to me.

In any case, nothing comparable with a direct and simple "negative option button", which I hope Igor can develop.

Thanks and regards,

Jose

[Igor]

New version 7.5 will bring Auto Recovery feature.

PicturesToExe automatically saves your edits without interrupting your work. A copy of your project is saved every 7 minutes and recovered automatically in the event of an unexpected shutdown.

This feature doesn't rewrite your original project file. PicturesToExe saves a copy of a project to a special file in a temp folder.

When you launch PicturesToExe after an unexpected shutdown the program automatically loads a recovered project. All you need is to click the Save button to keep recovered changes in the original project file.

P.S. We hope to introduce the first beta in 30-35 days.

[davegee]

Igor,

Please confirm:

Is the Temporary File deleted after a NORMAL closure of the software?

DG

[Igor]

Dave,

Yes, in case of normal work this temporary project will be automatically deleted when you close PicturesToExe. The program also deletes this temporary file when you save or load a project, or start a new project.

When launched PicturesToExe discovers a recovered project the program performs three actions:

1. Loads a recovered project;

2. Adds the text "(Recovered project)" to the caption of the main window;

Project1 - PicturesToExe Deluxe (Recovered project)

3. Deletes the temporary file.

Auto-recovery is turned on by default since version 7.5. However you can disable this feature in the new System Preferences window.

[davegee]

Thanks Igor.

It's going to be a long 30-35 days!!!

DG

[davegee]

Igor,

One more question:

Can you make it possible to assign the Temporary Folder to a drive other than C Drive?????

DG

[Igor]

Dave,

Typical size of a project file is small. PicturesToExe saves a temporary project file into system Application Data folder. In this folder we also store PicturesToExe settings.

[davegee]

I understand - it is just the project file.

It is not like a Photoshop Temp File!!!

DG

[fh1805]

We hope to introduce the first beta in 30-35 days.

So that would be, possibly, about 1st August: the countdown begins, at last! Does anybody know of a Countdown widget for Win 7? I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

regards,

Peter

[Ken Cox]

Peter

count down widget

https://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=2&oq=countdawn+timer+widget&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADFA_enCA470CA470&q=countdown+timer+widget+windows+7+&gs_upl=0l0l1l916870lllllllllll0&aqi=g4&pbx=1

ken

[fh1805]

Thanks, Ken

[Ken Cox]

"I put one on my PicturesToExe Portal link below"

Tom

neato

ken

[Igor]

The new timeline shows pictures of slides.

[Picsel]

Igor, it would be nice

- if it was possible to use the mouse's wheel for setting parameters (mainly rotations, inside O&A editor, for which the existing sliding index is not very accurate but that would be very useful for other parameters too);

- to have the possibility of multi soundtracks and multi sounds (comments + sound effects or others...) associated with slides by using the "Add Sound or Voice" button ;

- to have a third "Mode" in common parameters of images in order to keep the original size of images without having to put a different zoom setting or to specify the size of the image (that PTE is able to recognise), this is important for photographers who want to be sure that their images are not recalculated during the process.

Do you intend

- to provide european or american parameters option for videos

- to take into account AVCHD videos coming with Sony and Panasonic cameras without transcoding?

Do you plan to provide such improvement with v7.5?

Thanks in advance

Daniel

[Igor]

Daniel,

- to have the possibility of multi soundtracks and multi sounds (comments + sound effects or others...) associated with slides by using the "Add Sound or Voice" button ;

Yes.

- to have a third "Mode" in common parameters of images in order to keep the original size of images without having to put a different zoom setting or to specify the size of the image (that PTE is able to recognise), this is important for photographers who want to be sure that their images are not recalculated during the process.

It already possible. But I don't recommend this way. If I remember this topic has been discussed earlier. Sorry if I didn't understood rightly your question.

- to provide european or american parameters option for videos

?

- to take into account AVCHD videos coming with Sony and Panasonic cameras without transcoding?

Not in v7.5

[Picsel]

Thanks Igor for your reply

Concerning image modes, (sorry my english is a bit vanishing. I try to put it in another way).

As it is today there are two modes for images in comon tab

- Fit to slide

- Cover slide

If I want to use my images without any modifications I must select "Fit to slide", then "Size/position in pixels", then "Original mode" Tab, then click on "size" to get 100%.

But if I come back on animation tab the zoom value is not 100% but the ratio between the screen size and my image size. And so, I must keep this zoom value for all other images or to take it into account for the calculation of animation parameters which is not very easy. This is misleading and confusing for photographers who do not want their pictures to be modified.

That is the reason why I suggested to add a third mode (by default) for which the image is centered on the slide without any size modification and zoom value equal 100%. I think that could help a lot of slideshow makers.

What about my first question concerning setting parameters by using mouse's wheel?

Concerning video parameters, I will come back on it later, I want to check something before with PTE video converter.

Best regards

Daniel

[goddi]

Daniel,

Quote-

to have the possibility of multi soundtracks and multi sounds (comments + sound effects or others...) associated with slides by using the "Add Sound or Voice" button ;

Yes.

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

Igor,

Speaking of 'sound', have you or are you going to put in a feature that will let us adjust the volume level of the audio track from added video?

Gary

[Barry Beckham]

Thanks Igor for your reply

Concerning image modes, (sorry my english is a bit vanishing. I try to put it in another way).

As it is today there are two modes for images in comon tab

- Fit to slide

- Cover slide

If I want to use my images without any modifications I must select "Fit to slide", then "Size/position in pixels", then "Original mode" Tab, then click on "size" to get 100%.

But if I come back on animation tab the zoom value is not 100% but the ratio between the screen size and my image size. And so, I must keep this zoom value for all other images or to take it into account for the calculation of animation parameters which is not very easy. This is misleading and confusing for photographers who do not want their pictures to be modified.

That is the reason why I suggested to add a third mode (by default) for which the image is centered on the slide without any size modification and zoom value equal 100%. I think that could help a lot of slideshow makers.

Igor. I think Daniel has a point here. I did raise this myself a long time ago and I think it got lost in some hysterics on the forum. Its not an uncommon way to work and I find myself having to go through what Daniel describes a lot of the time. It is tedious to have to do this and if it is possible to do, I would love to see a setting where I could import an image and not have it made 300% of the size I originally made it.