Use of the 'Duration' term is confusion. Suggestions for chang

[goddi]

Greetings,

Trying to understand some of the postings and menus that deal with the 'Duration' term has me frustrated in trying to understand what they are talking about. Here are some suggestions that I think will help clarify some of the problems I think are going around. At least with me...

1- In the Users Guide and in the PTE program, change the references to the 'Duration' of media files to 'Length'. Use 'Duration' only for slide's actions in the 'Timeline'.

2- Remove the 'Settings|Preference|Toolbars|Duration of a Media File' menu item and add a column for 'Length' of media in the File List, next to the Date/Time column. But remove the 'Time', to make room; I don't think it is needed. Remove 'Duration of the media file (for files highlighted in the File list)' on page 19 of the Users Guide. It would be more useful to see all the lengths of media files in the File List as opposed to having to click on each media file, one by one, to show in the Status Bar.

3- There are too may references to 'Duration' in the Users Guide and the Forum that seem to be inconsistent or seem to be used to refer to the same definition. Here are some of them in just a couple postings:

Total Duration (this is the only one with a definition in the Users Guide: 'Total Duration (means duration of the slide and the next transition effect)'.

Full Duration

Total Full Duration

Pure Duration

Transition Effect Duration

Default Slide Duration

Slide Duration

Can we come up with a set of consistent terms with defintions for the different 'Duration' terms for use in the Forum and the Users Guide? It makes it very difficult to understand the discussions in certain postings, such as the KFSD discussion, and what these terms mean.

5- In Users Guide, page 11, it states 'Keep slide duration is helpful...'. Shouldn't it say 'Keep full slide duration is helpful...'?

6- Shouldn't the 'Default slide duration' In Project Options|Main|Timing' be 'Default full slide duration'?

Gary

[aplman]

Greetings,

Trying to understand some of the postings and menus that deal with the 'Duration' term has me frustrated in trying to understand what they are talking about. Here are some suggestions that I think will help clarify some of the problems I think are going around. At least with me...

...

Gary, thank you for highlighting this situation. I think it has become terribly messy, especially since the introduction of video clips.

I would get rid of all those "durations", and have just "slide time" for each slide, and "transition time" for each transition. It would be simplest to understand if those were independent and exclusive.

Consider this situation:

A B C D

tttttttttttttttSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSttttttttttttttttttt

where the tees represent transitions and the ESSES represent the slide's clear view time.

In my opinion, it would be clearest and simplest if we could call

A to B TRANSITION TIME.

B to C CLEAR SLIDE TIME

C to D TRANSITION TIME

A to D FULL SLIDE TIME

A to C HISTORIC SLIDE TIME

I would go further and ask Igor to allow the user to define one's preferred SLIDE TIME (for display in Slide Options, Slide List, Timeline, etc).

I would choose to have SLIDE TIME to mean B to C

Others might prefer SLIDE TIME to mean A to D

Traditionalists might prefer SLIDE TIME to mean A to C

I guess it would all depend on one's preferred workflow.

Ken T (APLman)

[davegee]

Gary,

There are only two durations which possibly need clarification for you and both are being discussed elsewhere.

The time from the beginning of a slide to the beginning the next transition is being refered to as "Pure Slide Duration".

Each slide is visible from the beginning of its own transition to the end of the next transition and is being refered to as "Full. Slide Duration". Hence "Keep Full Slide Duration" or KFSD.

DG

DG

[goddi]

Gary,

There are only two durations which possibly need clarification for you and both are being discussed elsewhere.

The time from the beginning of a slide to the beginning the next transition is being refered to as "Pure Slide Duration".

Each slide is visible from the beginning of its own transition to the end of the next transition and is being refered to as "Full. Slide Duration". Hence "Keep Full Slide Duration" or KFSD.

DG

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

Hmmmmm.... I just made a rather extensive reply to your posting but it seems to have disappeared. Is there any way to find it in the Forum???? :(/>

Gary

[davegee]

I hope not!

I don't like the sound of it.

DG

[goddi]

I hope not!

I don't like the sound of it.

DG

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

I have tried a dozen different times to post my reply but I keep getting the following error message, "You must enter a post". The Forum is really sluggish too....

Is it just at my end or is the Forum having problems?

I hope this goes through...

Gary

[goddi]

I hope not!

I don't like the sound of it.

DG

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

[quote name=davegee'

timestamp='1383894763' post='113172]

Gary,

There are only two durations which possibly need clarification for you and both are being discussed elsewhere. The time from the beginning of a slide to the beginning the next transition is being refered to as "Pure Slide Duration". Each slide is visible from the beginning of its own transition to the end of

the next transition and is being refered to as "Full. Slide Duration". Hence "Keep Full Slide Duration" or KFSD.

DG

[aplman]

Hello All!

I am following this discussion with great interest, and I do appreciate the points put forward by each poster. However, I would like to suggest that suggestions regarding the User Guide could be left until we get the software improvements we are seeking. Obviously, once a new version comes out, we should offer suggestions where the documentation is lagging.

Ken T (APLman)

[goddi]

Hello All!

I am following this discussion with great interest, and I do appreciate the points put forward by each poster. However, I would like to suggest that suggestions regarding the User Guide could be left until we get the software improvements we are seeking. Obviously, once a new version comes out, we should offer suggestions where the documentation is lagging.

Ken T (APLman)

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

Greetings Ken,

I am not sure that is the way to go. Many of the documentation problems are not related to Version 8. I think we should have a 'User Guide Documentation Problems' topic for users to post where they think there are inconsistencies or problems or misunderstanding. These can be collected so when Ver. 8 is ready to go, the User Guide can be revamped quickly and become more useful. There are also places where the English can be improved to be better understood. Starting to work on bettering the User Guide now will improve the usefulness of the new version. We are always pointed to read the User Guide first before asking questions, so we should improve it without waiting for new versions to be finalized. Just my thoughts.

Gary

[davegee]

Chambers:

duration

n ......................... length of time.

DG

[goddi]

Chambers:

duration

n ......................... length of time.

DG

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

Greetings Dave,

But does it define: Full Duration,Total Full Duration, Pure Duration, Transition Effect Duration, Default Slide Duration, Slide Duration? Posters are using many different terms for duration and it is difficult to follow what they are referring to. Let's bring some order into this. I wish someone would establish the correct terms to be used and insure posters stick to them. I am tired of trying to translate what they mean when I try to understand their posting. My point is to get everyone to speak the same 'language' for better understanding of their discussions. You say there are 'only two durations' but there are more than two 'duration' terms used by posters. The Glossary of the Users Guide just gives a generic definition. How about being more specific...A to D...or B to D or.... ???

[davegee]

You are right.

But surely it is a case of correcting the posters and not changing what Igor has correctly defined?

DG

[goddi]

You are right.

But surely it is a case of correcting the posters and not changing what Igor has correctly defined?

DG

=

Yes, let's correct the posters! It is apparent that those who are posting in a discussion seem to understand what they are talking about but others may not, especially when different terms are used for the same meaning. The Forum managers should step in and insist on using the correct terms when posters stray from the proper terms so we can all learn and be on the same page. Without consistency, we have confusion. And, can you direct me to where Igor has defined these terms for the different 'duration' terms?

Thanks... Gary

[PGA]

I wish someone would establish the correct terms to be used and insure posters stick to them.

Gary,

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. You are asking a "half impossible". Yes, the terms could be clearly defined but there is no way that anybody can be forced to use them.

regards,

Peter

[goddi]

Gary,

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. You are asking a "half impossible". Yes, the terms could be clearly defined but there is no way that anybody can be forced to use them.

regards,

Peter

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

Greetings,

Yes, but that leaves "half possible". :)/>

First, let's establish the correct terms that we should use and be consistent in its use. One of the difficult things I have when I make a posting is to find the correct term to use. I wish Igor would put in the '?' feature so that you can click on it and then click on any window, or menu or title in PTE, you would get the proper definition or term to use. If we had the correct terms to use, we can at least point out that the correct term is not being used or it has not yet been defined.

Gary