Adding and Intro and Outro

[Sterling]

Igor,

Are there any plans to add AVI or MPEG files support? Let's say that I wanted to add and introduction and an exit to my slideshow, and there both are in AVI format. Will there be any plans to add them?

[boxig]

Sterling,

I can make a small utility which will make this:

Add Avi movie as a welcome before your presentation.

Maximum AVI size: 400x320.

Sound: Yes

When inserting the CD the video will start and when video finish

your presentation will start.

Are you or anyone interested ?

Granot

[alrobin]

Granot,

If you can design it so that it will run other programs as well such as "Flash" (maybe this capability is already in the program using the Object editor???) then I would be interested.

Ciao,

Al

[boxig]

alrobin,

Yes. Can make. Flah intro before slide. Soon.

[Sterling]

Boxig,

That above comments are exactly what I'm trying to do. I have flash (or swish) presentations that I want to use for an intro and exit. Your utility would be greatly appreciated. Can you send it to spoteat@austin.rr.com?

BTW, Will it incorporate the flash files and the exe into one exe?

[fgnoel]

Boxig,

This is exactly what I have been hoping for. A small avi file or mpeg 1 movie to start or introduce a presentation. Please let us know if you have or are working on such a utility and if so when it might be finished.

Thanks

Frank

[boxig]

Yes.

I made this two utilities for myself and just finished modify them so you can use them with different AVI or SWF files for different shows.

Maximum SWF file: 660x380

Maximum Avi file: 400x320

Very easy to use. I just need to see it works OK before uploading to http://beechbrook.com/pte/

I hope one day more.

Granot

[LumenLux]

Granot, can you help educate me here a little further. When dealing with avi files, what is it that makes the viewable video size such a restrictive item to deal with?

[boxig]

Bob,

The AVI utility has a window which calles your avi file from the folder and shows it. I had to determind the window size. If I make a big window and your avi has big dimentions there is no problem. But if the utility window is 800x600 and your avi is 200x200 then it will be shown on the up-left corner of the screen. Since, i guess, most avi files are much smaller,if the utility window is 400x320, every smaller avi you use will be shown more or less in center of screen.

If there is a demand for bigger window for bigger avi I can make.

Same explanation is for the Flash utility.

[RodB]

Hi

If you have any trouble boxig , l could make a container that will play an avi or mpeg fullscreen no matter what size it is going in .

All that would be needed is for somebody to place the utility exe in the same directory as the mpeg or avi and also have your pte show in the same directory also .

You will only have to name your files and have them in the same directory as the utility

autorun.exe - this is the utility

IntoM.mpeg - for your mpeg file

IntroA.avi - for your avi file

Slideshow.exe - for your PTE show

It will play a fullscreen movie on all Windows systems , let me know if anybody wants it , as it will only take about 10 minutes to make .

Regards Rod

PS

Just had a look and it is easy to get it to play autorun fullscreen and close when the video has played , the trouble lm having is , by not knowing the length of your movie , and getting the movie to trigger the action to play your PTE show is not quite so easy .

Im am comunicating to media player using mci commands , if l new the length of your movie its real easy to do , but not knowing is going to take some fancy scripting .

If it can be done with scripting , the whole job is only a copy paste , and can be built in minutes .

Because its built in MMB it will run on all systems and will be about 400kb in size .

[boxig]

l could make a container that will play an avi or mpeg fullscreen

Rod,

What's the use of this ? If someone have a 200x200 movie and you show it full screen how you think the movie will look like ? Tha't only my logic but maybe I miss something.

I finished already the utilities and soon will upload.

[RodB]

Boxig ,

A movie originally made at mpeg defaults for web stream is 320x240 , if you compile a movie at this size and have the bit rate around 1500kbs , it will look ok fullscreen , it will look very good at 2000+ .

The quality of a movie is not related to its dimension but in its bit rate .

Most people that make there own intros can control the bit rate an in doing so can make a video at small dimension with a high bit rate that will look great fullscreen up to a screen res of 800x600 which is what the vast majority of monitors are set up at .

I think a very small movie like your example, (200x200) as an intro would look like a postage stamp and a bit silly to be used as an intro for a fullscreen slideshow , l really dont see the point of an intro that is run smaller that what your slideshow is run at .

Rod

[boxig]

Rod,

Good to learn new things. I never used mpeg movies. It will be interesting to see this utility you are talking about. Let me know when it's ready and where to take it.

Granot

[fgnoel]

RodB and Boxig,

I hope you guys pursue this. Is exactly what I have been looking for. My avi files are generally 640x480.

Frank

[boxig]

Frank,

Please try my utility and If it works for you post your remarks and request for size at the topic named "boxig's video utility".

If more members ask for bigger size I'll change the file at http://beechbrook.com/pte/ and if not, I'll make one for you.

Granot

[Sterling]

[Frank,

Please try my utility and If it works for you post your remarks and request for size at the topic named "boxig's video utility".

If more members ask for bigger size I'll change the file at http://beechbrook.com/pte/ and if not, I'll make one for you.

Granot ]

Thanks Boxig for writing this utility. I see that I was not the only person who was thinking of something like this. I glad that I posted the initial question. I have recently downloaded the utility and added it to my slideshow. I do however have some questions. My avi file is fullscreen (975 x 600). Is there a way I can continue to run it full screen? Will you be adding a interface so that If I wanted to run in a cetain size window I could change the properties? Will there be features to change the duration of the avi file? I noticed that my avi file did not complete before running my slideshow. I read an earlier message that asked if you could leave the last frame of the avi file displayed until the slideshow starts. This sounds like a great idea. What was the final outcome? Also, the name of my slideshow says a lot about my slideshow, is there a way that I can keep the name of the slideshow and pass the name to the video.exe? Or is there a way that I could create one ".exe" file that incorporates my slideshow and your utility, and I could use your utility for an intro and exit.

Thanks

[boxig]

I'm a little confused now. It seems we are discussing same subject on three topics. As I tolds somewhere, I don't understand much in MPG and AVI files so here is what I can do to fit the utility to your needs, and you tell me what are your preferences.

Can make full black screen under movie.

Can make AVI show full screen.

Can make few defined options for AVI size which you can choose.

Can keep the movie 1-2 seconds on screen after giving "Run" order to the show.

Granot

[LumenLux]

Granot - not to pre-empt Sterling or others, but here are my thoughts on your "can do's"

Can make full black screen under movie.

I think this is important, yes.

Can make AVI show full screen.

This is only useful if video file is itself full screen capable. This "feature" is probably best addressed as part of your next "can do" here -

Can make few defined options for AVI size which you can choose.

I think full screen option and maybe three or four other common sizes to choose from. If having these options makes your program overly complicated, just do separate but identical programs for each of the sizes. Right now I have your first version and your full screen version in the same directory with my shows and I can simply choose which screen size works best for the video in question.

Can keep the movie 1-2 seconds on screen after giving "Run" order to the show.

It seems to me it could make sense to keep the last frame on screen for much longer. This would then accomodate a PTE show that loads slowly. It seems that it won't matter if the video stays on "too" long, because PTE will open on top and cover it until it closes.

Hope this may help your good work.

[boxig]

Ok, basically I thought the same. But I will try to make a few sizes in same program otherwise you will have 3-4 files of 500 kb each. I only need the most common AVI sizes used and I'll make it tomorrow.

[Sterling]

Ok this is becoming more complicated by the replies. Boxig, I truly appreciate all you have done. I was initially suggesting new features for PTE. I would have love to stay with one "exe" file and set options on it; at a minimum two "exe"s with custom options on both.

But since you have done a great job with the utility, I would like to offer my preferences.

I think that the user/creator should set the color of the background (as in PTE).

I think that the user/creator should set weather to run the AVI in full screen or set the window mode (as in PTE).

I think that the user/creator should set the duration of the AVI after it is done i.e. last frame, pause for a time period, or wait for the PTE to load.

Since this is a separate "exe," I thinK that the user/creator should be able to set what PTE he/she wants to run after the introduction.

Ia ther any possiblity using the utility to run an AVI at the end of my slideshow as an exit?

[boxig]

1. set the color of the background.

What's wrong with black ? PTE not shown yet and there is no need to math the two.

2. run the AVI in full screen or window mode.

Done.

3. set the duration of the AVI after it is done or wait for the PTE to load.

Done.

4. set what PTE to run after the introduction.

The tool runs "Presentation.exe" so just rename your show and finished.

And if you are thinking of using more than one on a CD, just put them in separate folders. So this mission is not needed.

5. run an AVI at the end of slideshow as an exit

Can be done. It's same tool but without the order to run PTE. So this should be a second exe.

[Sterling]

Thanks for your responses.

1. set the color of the background.

What's wrong with black ? PTE not shown yet and there is no need to math the two.

My slideshow has a sky-blue background with a royal-blue border. I would like to do all my customizations in one program instead of jumping back and forth to create one multi-media presentation.

2. run the AVI in full screen or window mode.

Done.

Is there an interface for this or is this still two separate utilties?

3. set the duration of the AVI after it is done or wait for the PTE to load.

Done.

Where will find it this? On your site?

4. set what PTE to run after the introduction.

The tool runs "Presentation.exe" so just rename your show and finished.

And if you are thinking of using more than one on a CD, just put them in separate folders. So this mission is not needed.

As I mention, the name of the icon and the icon itself says alot about the presentation. I would like to keep the name. Will it be possible to pick the name of the presentation to run after the intro duction.

5. run an AVI at the end of slideshow as an exit

Can be done. It's same tool but without the order to run PTE. So this should be a second exe.

[boxig]

I will make one for you. Please send the color you like for background (in numbers), name of presentation and name of Avi. It will be Full screen. Do you want same video to run after presentation ? Will it close by itself or loop ?

Write your mail too where to send it.

Granot

[Sterling]

The color of my background is RGB 170, 170, 255. The name of my presentation is Aspen and the name of my AVI is Aspen.avi. The Exit video is MyPromo.avi. My e-mail address is spoteat@austin.rr.com

[boxig]

Ok.

I hope 1-2 days I'll send you. If it's too big I'll send you a link to download.

Forgot: Send me the AVI files (zip) or a link to download.