Voice files - inserting into slides

[aplman]

I have over 400 mp3 voice files that have to be inserted into 8 PTE project files.

I have used "Add audio or voice" plenty of times in the past, and it seemed tedious.  Nevertheless, I survived!

Now that I have many more files to insert, I would like suggestions for an efficient process.  I wonder how the experts do it?

I have all my voice files showing in the File List, and there I can play them, to confirm what I am about to add.  My slides are showing in the Slide List.  I can drag a voice file onto a slide, which is great.  However, this does not link the audio file to the slide.  I think it should do that.  Is there some way that I have overlooked?(I will mention this in the Suggestions forum).

I can click "Add audio or voice", then click "Add audio  ...  but finding the audio file can necessitate a lot of scrolling.  Drag and drop would be so much easier.

Any suggestions will be appreciated  -  Thank You!

[davegee]

Will it be one mp3 per slide - or more than one?

You can drag an mp3 into available space in a Track in Timeline view and position it. Right click on the mp3 (in the track) and use Customize Audio Clip to link to the desired  slide. You are also offered the facility to Link to the Slide under the cursor. You appear to be only able to Link one Audio Clip per Slide (per track). If you want to Link two clips to the same Slide then it needs to be done in a second track etc.

If the clip duration does not exceed the Slide Duration in each case, you only need one track for that and if the Slide position is changed the Link is maintained.

Does that help?

http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en/project-options/audio-tab

http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en/main-window/the_timeline

[aplman]

Thanks Dave for your interest.

Only one MP3 per slide, and not every slide.

I don't like using the time-line for this purpose.  I'm not fine-tuning, just wanting to drop each MP3 effortlessly onto an appropriate slide, and  *** Most Importantly  ***  have the MP3 linked to the slide.  It would be nice additionally if the slide duration to be increased if necessary to avoid any conflict with an MP3 on the next slide.

It's a pretty simple need, but making it happen using "Add Audio" is a tedious business, especially scrolling through an ever-increasing number of MP3 files.   As nobody else has responded, I assume others are happy with the situation.  But it could be made much simpler  -  I shall put a couple of posts in "Suggestions for Next Version".

Thanks again.

Ken T.  (aplman)

[Lin Evans]

Hi Ken,

I suspect Dave's sound asleep right now or he would reply. You don't need to be in the timeline to link an audio clip to a slide. Just highlight the slide in the slide list then right click on this slide. From the resulting menu, chose Audio Comment then Add Audio File. Browse to the file you want and left click on it, then click on "open". 

Now if you go to Project Options Audio, you will see if you highlight that audio file that it's been linked to the slide you highlighted. That's all there is to it.. The slide duration won't be automatically changed, but you can see what the time is then quickly click on the Main tab and change the slide duration to match the audio duration.

Best regards,

Lin

[davegee]

Lots of ways to skin possum in PTE.

Ken asked for alternatives to the "Add Audio" button.

Doing it in the way I suggested saves "browsing" - you have the files already showing in the files list and just drag them into place wherever you want them. Show File Tree makes changing folders easy - if necessary.

One of Ken's requirements was to be able to Play the file to make sure it is the right one - that can also be done.

Ken's idea of dragging onto a slide in the slide list is a good one but correct placement of the file in the present V8 is not achieved - it is a good idea - perhaps he should post it in Suggestions?

[aplman]

On ‎5‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 4:20 PM, Lin Evans said:

Hi Ken,

I suspect Dave's sound asleep right now or he would reply. You don't need to be in the timeline to link an audio clip to a slide. Just highlight the slide in the slide list then right click on this slide. From the resulting menu, chose Audio Comment then Add Audio File. Browse to the file you want and left click on it, then click on "open". 

Now if you go to Project Options Audio, you will see if you highlight that audio file that it's been linked to the slide you highlighted. That's all there is to it.. The slide duration won't be automatically changed, but you can see what the time is then quickly click on the Main tab and change the slide duration to match the audio duration.

Best regards,

Lin

Hi Lin ...

Thank you for your interest.  What you suggest is exactly what I have been doing.  However, after hundreds of repetitions involving multiple mouse clicks, and often time-consuming scrolling through the list of audio files, I felt there must be a better way.  I shall try to put forward a good suggestion in the appropriate sub-forum.

 

Regards ...

Ken T.  (aplman)

 

[Barry Beckham]

Ken

I have one thought, but it might not even be an option for your project, because what I will suggest does take away a lot of your flexibility. However, I use multiple voice files every month for an ongoing club project and I find it easier to use software like Camtasia to stitch all the sound comments together quickly and easily and add them as one  

For the project I do it works a treat and I don't need that flexibility for the style of presentation I am putting together. However, if I make a mistake and have to slot a voice comment in, it can be a pain. A right click to a selected image, as you suggest from the file list may encourage me to work from individual voice recordings in the future and retain the flexibility. 

 

 

[aplman]

Thank you Barry, interesting thought (as always!)

My work pattern goes the other way, actually.  I record a single commentary in one session, to get uniformity of sound volume  Then I chop it up using AVS Audio Editor.

There are two reasons I prefer individual clips attached to slides.  One is that I often need to produce multiple projects of different lengths, to suit different audiences.  Creating the long version to my satisfaction then allows me easily to pick and choose for each shorter version.  The second reason is that I often find a need to make minor alterations to timing and to slide sequence.

For these reasons, I am totally addicted to separate voice clips attached to slides.

By the way, I have just posted my suggestion in the "Suggestions for Next Versions" sub-forum.

Cheers!

Ken T.  (aplman)

[davegee]

Ken, 

I won't add this comment to your suggestion because that is the way that good suggestions often get lost.

However, I notice that you seem to have changed your mind somewhat. Originally, you wanted to drag and drop your audio file from your file list onto a slide in the slide list and in the one operation have it attached / linked to that particular slide. Is your newly posted suggestion instead of or as well as your original suggestion which I supported above?

[aplman]

Hi again Dave ...

I will happily settle for drag-and-drop or right-click.  I see advantages in both.

From a programming viewpoint, I would think that when either method is implemented, the other would be very simple.  Let's have both please.

Ken T.

(aplman)

[davegee]

Could you add that to your suggestion.

I would then endorse that.

DG

[Ken Cox]

I moved thread to suggestion's to next versions

ken

[aplman]

15 minutes ago, Ken Cox said:

I moved thread to suggestion's to next versions

ken

Ken, I wish you had not done that!  My original post was a request for help.  Most of the replies relate to my original query, and are not about suggestions for new versions.

I have now started a new thread under Suggestions.  Are you able please to put the old thread back where it belongs?

Thanks ...

Ken T.

 

[Ken Cox]

_{IMHO DaveG's last response will make it a new suggestion change}

_ken

 

[Barry Beckham]

Its now doubled up in the suggestions section Ken