Copy Slide Problem (bug?)

[zman]

I have used PTE for a few years and I think I have a decent understanding of how to use it (at least to the point that satisfies me). I am now working on a more “extensive” slideshow and think I may have discovered a bug. I have one slide that has four objects on it and each object runs a different application (another slideshow). I copy and paste this slide four times (using the copy/paste under “Slide” on the menu bar). All of this works fine.

However, if I go and edit any of the objects in any of the slides, the objects no longer run the application they once were able to prior to me editing the objects. They simply do not work. I do not get the "finger pointer" indicating an action will be take place on click.

Am I doing something wrong, is this how it’s supposed to work or is this a bug?

I am running PTE 4.20

Thank you for your help.

[Alan Lyons]

Hi zman,

Will any of us ever fully understand the ins and outs of P2E?

I'm guessing that your problem is that you are copying the objects and slides, so you end up with 2 or more copies of the same object trying to run different aplications. As with all things computer, "if I'm confused then I'd best do nothing" .

Try copying the slide only and adding new objects to each,

Best of luck,

Alan.

[Conflow]

Hi Zman,

You say that you are 'editing' objects in one particular slide - and thereafter certain functions

will not run - thats normal, there is no bug, let me explain !

When you open the 'Object Editor' and make 'Button Objects' you must 'double click' on the

Button to bring up its Properties Window - then select -"Action on Mouse Click" - then select

a function for the Button in question. It is 'saved' when you press O.K on the top Toolbar.

What you have done, is to make a "command function" or a micro-mini Exe. which points to

a selected function and prompts the run-command for that function. (Simple explaination)

Thereafter,if you open the Object and start to 're-edit' it you are effectively 'over-writing' your

origional embedded command - so what is the Program supposed to do ??

When you 're-edit' an Object you MUST re-assign the origional or a new command to it,

then and only then can you 'Copy' and 'Paste' an Object to another Slide, but no re-editing.

Hope this helps you,

Brian Kelly.Conflow.Dublin

[alrobin]

Hi, Zman,

Welcome to the Forum!

I don't understand why you are experiencing this problem, as it works fine for me as you described it should. In other words, I get the "finger"!

Brian, you probably have more experience with objects in computer programming than I do, but I have to say that I don't have any trouble copying and pasting either slides with objects on them, or the objects themselves onto other slides, and thereafter each one acts as its own separate object, with properties which I can readily edit. (see my PTE-101 tutorial slide show for an example of objects copied onto sevaral slides, and then re-edited to make them look different).

Maybe it has something to do with the particular operating system that Zman is using?

[Conflow]

ZMan,

AL Robins is correct about the 'Object Editor' mode of PTE, of course you can Cut,Copy,Paste

and Modify the imported features of the 'Object Editor' - you have already done this and

you say it works perfectly -

Then you said...when I edit an Object in any Copy Slide ...it all goes wrong.

I had 2 concerns about this:-

Concern.1.

(a) That you may have inadvertently changed the 'command line' in Button Properties within

the window....."Action on Mouse Click"....There is a choice of 2 commands to open another

Show (1).... 'Run Application or Open File' - or number (2).... 'Run Application and Exit'...

and furthermore you must make sure that the path to the selected Show.Exe is correct.

If the origional was changed you need to re-select it - just check to make sure !

Concern.2.

If you have opened any of the the 'embedded' J.Peg Copies with some Photo-Editor and made changes and then re-installed it to its prior position. I am afraid it simply wont work.

In this case you have to re-open the show and re-install the modified J.Peg and re-edit

with the 'Object Editor.

I hope this clears up any confusion.

Brian Kelly.Conflow.Dublin

[zman]

Thanks to all for your responses. I spent over an hour on this last evening before reporting it to the group. Before posting, I had tried everything you all had mentioned here but to no avail. So, today, I went back to try and duplicate the problem but I couldn't...at first. I have now found the "problem" to be when synchronizing these few slides to music. It is then the "finger" disappears. When I deselect the synch to music, the finger then reappears. I apologize for not including this and what is now a vital piece of information.

For futher clarification, what I am doing is creating a "Master” or “Main" page which is one slideshow. This main slideshow has four slides. Working backwards, the last slide contains 3 "buttons" which link to run other slideshows. I only want these links to work on the last page. So, what I did was create the last slide first, dupe it three times, edit the first 3 slides so as each slide appears in the main slideshow each new button appears and by the time the last slide appears all buttons are visible and it is here that I want the buttons to actually “work” (that is, they will activate the associated program). Confused? I hope not.

So, if you're still with me, all of this was synchronized to music. And, I didn't want those who view this slideshow to be able to breakout of it until the music stopped.

So, after all that, I'm still not sure if this is how PTE is supposed to work or not. But I think I can work around this by adding the music in last but I'm not entirely sure. I need to play some more. I can report back if you’d like.

Thanks to all!!!!!!

[alrobin]

Zman,

To be able to access the button controls in a synched show you need to click "Permit control of show" in "Project Options". It will then be possible for the viewer to activate the button controls as the slides go by, and have the program break away to the indicated second show. However, the music for the first main show, and the show itself, will continue to play, which could interfere with the second show which is now being displayed on the screen.

In your case, if you want to prevent viewers from breaking away while the initial music is playing, don't show the buttons until the last slide, and don't display the last slide until the end of the music. Also be sure to click "When show ends keep last slide on screen" so that these buttons will remain accessible to the viewer. You can add a moment of silence to the end of the music if necessary to achieve the timing you want. Hope this helps.