Bug with Replace Audio..... Fit all slides to sound track....

[Lin Evans]

Place a single audio and a number of slides then from the timeline click on the audio icon and fit all slides to sound track. Everything works perfectly and the audio ends with the end of the last slide. So far so good.

Now go to Project Options Audio Tab and right click on the audio selection and choose "Replace Audio." Select your new audio then go back to the Timeline and again click on the audio icon and choose "fit all slides to sound track." Doesn't work. One must delete the audio track and add it in order to get things working correctly. Perhaps there is a fix for this insignificant bug??

Lin

[tom95521]

Hi Lin,

I can verify in version 8.0.4 when you replace the audio file the time duration does not change as displayed next to the file name and so the fit all slides does not work.

Thanks,

Tom

[davegee]

At the risk of this being branded a "workaround"........

In the Customize interface you are given the Original Duration (of the replacement Audio File).

If you set the New Duration to equal this (manually) it will do what you want.

Imagine that you are replacing a clip in the middle of a track which has three or more clips and the slides have already been set to the original track duration. If it did what you are wanting it to do that would also mess up your timings - no?

DG

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dave,

I think the original intent of the feature as was requested by users was to quickly divide the total audio time by the number of slides and apply this value to each slide. I really can't see any logical scenario where one would care about precise timings when using this feature. At the present time, if one changes the number of slides in the show then reapplies the "fit all slides to sound track" the correct value is applied to each slide and eveything works as expected. However, if one changes (substitutes) one of the hypothetical audio files in a sequence of audio files and clicks on this feature - the value of the old replaced audio file is used in the calculation. Surely this is a bug? Why would anyone ever want to do that?

My assumption is that this feature is simply a convenience for those who do not try to synchronize their audio to the beat of some melody, etc. A sophisticated user who is building a customized slideshow probably would never use this feature anyway. It's for a quick fit to make the audio stream and slide stream end together. I just can't see any scenario where I would ever want to preserve a non-existent audio file's time once it has been replaced.

Best regards,

Lin

[davegee]

I still think that you are mixing up a Track with an Audio Clip.

You don't fit the Slides to the Clip length - you fit them to the Track length. If you want to fit them to the Clip Length then you use "Arrange Selected Slides".

You create a track by inserting a Clip of a certain length and then replace it with one of a different length. You now want the Track length to be adjusted to suit the Clip Length.

This can easily be done Manually either in the Project Options Tab or in the Timeline - THEN if you use the Fit To Track option it does what you ask it to do.

By adjusting the Track Length to suit the Clip Length (automatically) you would "possibly" create other problems.

Just putting another point of view since no one has yet chimed in with an opinion?

The "Fit to Track" function is working correctly - it is the adjustment of the Track due to the change of Audio Clip Duration which is causing the problem.

DG

[Guest Yachtsman1]

I do all my editing in Audacity, then if necessary make minor adjustments using PTE. IMO PTE's method is over complicated.

Yachtsman1.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dave,

Let's simplify this.

Let me put it another way. Suppose I have ten slides and one audio clip which IS the audio track. I use the "Fit all slides to sound track" feature and the slide time are adjusted each to the track duration divided by the number of slides value. I have done this because I want the end of the slideshow and the end of the audio to coincide. Now I change my mind and want to use a different audio clip. I use the "replace audio file" feature and a different audio is substituted. My expectations have not changed. I expect the slides display to end in synchronization with the end of the sound.

Now if I go back and tell PTE to again "Fit all slides to sound track" this doesn't happen. Instead the value of a non-existent audio clip is still being used to calculate the timing for each slide duration. This makes no sense. Whether I have ten audio clips or one audio clip inhabiting the track, my wishes are for the audio to end as the last slide fades off the display.

If instead of using the Replace Audio File feature I simply "delete" the audio clip and add a new clip, position it to the same or other position, doesn't matter which; then I use the "Fit all slides to sound track" everything works as expected. I think we are just arguing semantics here. The "purpose" of the "Fit all slides to sound track" hasn't changed because I substituted one audio for another. Had I used the now substituted audio clip in the first place instead of the original sound clip and had clicked on "Fit all slides to sound track" it would be logically no different than what I have done by substituting the new audio clip for the old one. I know "how" to make it work; the issue is that it doesn't work as expected.

Best regards,

Lin

[davegee]

OK

[tom95521]

I might be the one who submitted this as an idea and suggestions topic a long time ago. It's great for beginners that just want to add a bunch of images and music and make them end together. It's not for advanced users who want to to sync the transitions to the music.

Tom

[Igor]

Lin,

As I tested, Fit all slides to sound track always works correctly.

The problem comes with Replace Audio File function. We had an internal discussion in WnSoft what to do with a duration for a replaced audio file. There are several possible scenarios when users need to replace an audio file:

1. Replacement of WAV to MP3 (same audio, both files has same duration).

A. Customized duration equals to original duration.

B. Customized duration SHORTER than original duration.

2. Replacement to a different audio file (with different original duration).

If replace audio clip and reset the duration it will affect to position of next audio clips on same track.

So we don't see simply solution.

[tom95521]

I did not know this option existed until Lin started this thread. Is anyone using this method of changing audio files?

Tom

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Tom

I think the "Fit all slides" option came in after 2007 to make it easier for those who didn't/couldn't edit audio, but allowed them to have a natural finish at the end of their shows. I remember the first show I made in 2007 had an abrupt end to the audio but at the time it didn't seem to matter so much.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[Barry Beckham]

Igor

If a user replaces a sound file, it's not likely that the file lengths will be the same and if that impacts on other music on the same track, so what! We all replace slides and then change our mind a few times and its our responsibility to keep track of what we are doing. Same with sound ?

Would it not work better if when a sound file is replaced, any previous fit to slide options are deleted so the user can re-apply them if they want

[Igor]

Barry,

If we replace a main image file (still image), it doesn't change a duration of this slide. Other slides are not affected.

But if you remove old slide and then add new slide, it will get the default duration specified in the Project options | Main tab.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Igor,

I don't think the same logic applies to audio as to a still image. The assumed purpose of "fit all slides to sound track" is to make the audio track end in synchronization with the end of the last slide. When an audio track is replaced, the assumption of that feature has not arbitrarily changed. What possible value is there in preserving the audio run time of a non-existent audio track?

I think this feature is used to quickly adjust the display time of slides to coincide with the run time of an audio track. Users who are matching specific audio timings to specific image portions would, in my opinion, never use this feature.

Best regards,

Lin