Suggestions for the next version

[denwell]

I agree; and repeat that improvements to the timeline operation ( block adjustments to position, properties etc) are crucial to continued success of P2E. Whilst pan & zoom would be great (especially for rolling credits !) I still feel the sync window should receive the bulk of Igor's efforts.

Also - whilst just cosmetic - could we have an option to change the colours of elements in this sync window (waveform, cursor, transitions etc)?

Keep up the good work.

Den (NE UK)

[Michel]

could we have an option to change the colours of elements in this sync window = waveform

Oh !!!

Button "View", "Color of Waveform" !

[denwell]

OOPs !

My mistake here, SORRY, but my main point is still a valid suggestion.

Den (NE UK)

[Maureen]

I think Igor is a Superman ........ the way he manages to update PTE so fast and gives us everything we wish for!

Many Thanks Igor

If we are being cosmetic .........please could PTE change me into a size 8 with a super brain too !

I'll be happy with all your new changes Igor, whatever you manage to create for us.

My second wish (after above) would be to lock slides to the time line so when I want to delete one slide I don't have to leave the customize synchronization section. Maybe when I click customize slide #slide number, apart from the main, ccmments,effect, music buttons ..........it could also show an option to delete this transition and remove slide from the project - so at the same time you remove the transition you could also remove the slide.

Think everyone has come up with some great ideas.

Best Regards to all,

Maureen

[alrobin]

Maureen, I think this would be a good option to have, even though it can be worked around, but this "work-around" process becomes tricky, especially to people new to PTE.

And, just to add to your suggestion, if I may, it would also be handy to be able to view the images as thumbnails when in the timeline view, and simply click on one in the file list and drag it up onto the timeline to replace the one deleted (and also to add new images to the timeline).

[Maureen]

Maureen, I think this would be a good option to have,

Yes Igor would become a multi millionaire and Weightwatchers would go bust !

Only kidding !

Yes think your suggestion is better Al.

Best regards

Maureen

still battling the bulge..........

[PeteC]

Hi Igor,

Not sure if this is a new suggestion, but my strong wish is to have the slide number separate from the Comments. At the moment, if you include the slide number in the comments field, compose all your comments, then move even one slide, all the comments are lost! This is bad news.

If possible, I'd like the slide number to be in the form of "Image /n of /N images" or similar, where /N is the total number of images. Compupic ProShow does this and it's very good.

Thanks for the program. I went away to ProShow Gold for a while, but now that you've provided the thumbnails views, I'm back.

Peter

[hotmetal]

Igor,

Thanks for asking for suggestions.

Would it be possible to have two time lines so that we could truly emulate two projector systems?

ALan

[Guest guru]

Alan, do you mean two image tracks, like I asked in my post? (see the first page of this thread, my request #4)

[hotmetal]

Sorry Guido,

That's just what I meant, and I hadnot read your post.

Sorry again

Cheers

Alan

[Jimbo]

My picks would be, in no particular order:

Ability to resize added slides in Objects Editor

Music fade-out (no fancy editing, just the fade in/out

Pan & Zoom, preferably with options to control directions etc.

Ability to syncrhonize music to length of show while showing slides in random order (without repeating any of the slides.)

Be able to include a chosen font(s) with the exe

[Ed Overstreet]

Hello again. In working on a show just now, I have a thought for what I hope would be a fairly easy revision to one of the effects -- the Gates (Diagonal).

Usually when I wish to employ a diagonal wipe or gate, I want the angle of the diagonal to match a diagonal line in the next image. Usually that diagonal isn't quite the same angle as the diagonals given by the current effects. Would it be possible to replace the current four choices for the diagonal gate from e.g. top left to bottom right, instead with two choices -- left vs right, and then a spinner setting that lets the user pick and tweak the angle at which the gate comes in. I would find that very helpful, but not being a programmer I don't know how hard or easy it would be to implement.

Also the same change for the Page Effect (Diagonal) would be appreciated.

In fact, such changes would eliminate the need for the Horizontal/Vertical and Diagonal splits in the menu. A single Gates set, and a single Page set, each with left or right and an angle spinner, would do it -- the vertical/horizontal choices would simply be special cases of the angle setting (0, 90, 180, or 270 depending on the angle at which you do the Page, and 0 or 90 for the gate). I hope I'm communicating this clearly.

Thanks.

[Guest guru]

Sorry Guido, that's just what I meant, and I had not read your post

Don't be sorry Alan, two requests are better than one

But I have to better explain this feature to Igor - I was not clear enough.

[Marcovelo]

Guido wrote:

4. Two separate image timelines, one for slides, the other one for transition effects. This way we can not only better see superimposing effects, but also take control on the effect (e.g. a long fade-out + a fast fade-in).

5. At least one new soundtrack in addition to main one (even without fade ability).

I also push to suggest one of these 2 ideas.

Point 4 (two separated image timelines) would be fantastic (and would fundamentally change synchro and transition approach in PTE), but I'm afraid about technical issues (and load of work) compare to actual PTE architecture (at programmation level). But may be I'm wrong... I think this is an idea to be thinked about and discussed. Of course multi-track image projectors would be a dream (like in professional AV software) , but is it possible to integrate in PTE ?

Point 5 (one new soundtrack): YES ! would be great ! (and may be easier to add to PTE in current architecture). This can be a secondary Timeline (slave) working the same way than main one, but instead of adding image, we could add sounds clips (voice comments, sound effects...). The master timeline could keep master soundtrack (as time reference) for global synchro. Audio fade would be great on this secondary audio timeline !

To summurize my suggestions:

1. secondary soundtrack

2. better control of fade effect: fade-in/fade-out with independent duration

3. Pan, Zoom and Move (Ken Burns effect): on this point, I wouldn't be schocked if these new features require "specific minimum hardware requirement", as it seems difficult to obtain such effects to run smoothly on "out of date" configuration. But even if it's not totaly smooth on "all configurations" (impossible), I think it would be valuable to start openning PTE in this way, if there is a possibility to ensure audio-sync during these effects (even with "missed-frames" on old configuartions).

4. Effect preview in light table (ability to select 2 images and to preview default project's effect or specific effect selected in the list).

5. automatic rescale of objects according to screen resolution

Marco

[LHazlett]

Please create a Mac version of your slide show program that creates either a exe file or possibly a Quick Time show. I am a designer/photographer, and use mainly Macintosh. I have searched high and low for a slide show program for the Mac that even comes close to your program and there are none out there. There are quite a few photographers that use Macintosh and if you were to create one, I am sure you would find a niche in the market.

Any way to integrate the DVD burning for TV into the program would be greatly helpful too!

Thanks!

[Guest guru]

a Mac version of your slide show program that creates a exe file

But Mac systems don't accept .EXE files!

As to Quicktime video format, if you have Quicktime full edition (not only Qt reader) you can make a DVD and them convert it into a Qt file.

[Merlin]

Hello,

Although I read this webboard daily, I dion't post often (not skilled enough)

Anyway, I still dream of an integrated flash player

Merlin

[fitzner101]

IGOR MY IDEA FOR A FUTURE ADD ON WOULD BE TO DEVELOPE A WAY TO PUT THE .AVI FILE ON A WEB PAGE TO MAKE A MINI SLIDE SHOW LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS HAVE.

I REALIZE THAT THE AVI IS TEMP. SO IF THERE WAS A PERMAMENT .AVI FILE THAT WOULD ENABLE ONE TO MAKE A SMALL PRESENTATION ON A SITE THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

HARRY

[bjc]

One feature I would like to see added to PTE (it has been mentioned before) would be to allow a continuous music (backing) track to be played throughout the presentation (non-synchronised) and have each individual slide (with commentary attached) set to stay on-screen for the duration of the attached sound file.

This would aid in the production of ‘Documentary’ or ‘Tutorial’ styled AV’s – were individual recordings could be made with regards to the content of each image, where necessary, and have them stay on-screen for as long as the audio track lasted. Non-audio supported images could remain on-screen for a pre-set time as specified. A non-obtrusive backing-track to be set to loop ad-infinitum.

This I feel would offer a number of advantages (for this particular type of presentation). Firstly, shorter, therefore easier to record, individual audio tracks, which could be readily updated or changed at any time. Secondly, no problems with image synchronisation as the duration of the audio track alone would govern the time an image stayed on-screen (re-recording an audio track would therefore automatically update its time on-screen). Thirdly, adding images to or removing images from an existing sequence would have no adverse effect on synchronisation, as each image would govern its own time on-screen. And more importantly, as PTE already offers the option to attach individual sound-tracks to individual images, and has, built-in, the ability to accurately determine the length of an audio-track ~ I would like to think that the addition of this new feature would not demand too much work from the development team. (?) You guys seem to achieve the impossible already,,, hopefully this request isn’t asking too much.

Regards,

bjc

[alrobin]

I would like to add to bjc's excellent idea if I may. Could you please also include an option to permit an overlap with the sound clip onto the next slide if no sound clip exists for the second slide, and then have this second (or third, etc.) slide remain on for the rest of the sound clip. An option button or check box could be added next to the "sound" line on the main window to indicate whether the sound clip should overlap or not for that slide.

[Igor]

Thanks for your all wonderful ideas! I'd like to finish small work on v4.31(update of AVI video output) and some feature for future v4.40 and I'll reply in details on your messages!

[Danabw]

Ability to resize images brought into the object editor...handles to grab w/mouse would be best, typing in sizes in properties would be acceptable....

Ken Burns pan and zoom would be cool.

Igor...how do you find time to sleep!!!???

[Alanweb]

I appreciate everything you have done on PTE and I love the program as it is today. Below are a few minor things that I think would contribute to improving the program:

1. Using a background, "Tiled" image is nice, but I would like the ability to have a centered background image that will size according to the resolution of the desktop. Using a tiled image will cause the image to move around on the screen depending upon the original image size.

2. I would like the ability to have PTE reset the path for source images. I often move or rename directories and it's very difficult to reset the source for each file in a slideshow. I'd rather give PTE the opportunity to relocate the files by specifying a new path.

That's it...just those two.

Alan

[Marcovelo]

Igor,

I forgot to submit one important sugestion (and often suggested in the past: I'm sure Granot will agree with me !) to my "whish list": the ability to run external program WITH PARAMETER(S).

(same suggestion than Think(box):

It appears that one requested feature did not make it in this round of improvements: The ability to pass parameters to applications in object editor action buttons and links, and in customized slide application calls. An example: For "Run application or open file" the box could contain the following utility application name and parameter argument to set wave sound to 25% volume level. This still does not work, as the parameter is not passed. Please add parameter support to your wish list -- thanks!:

SetVol.exe 25

I also think this would be very usefull (in my opinion) in current options:

1) Customized slide/Advanced option/Run external application

2) Object Editor/"object"/Properties/Action/Run Application..*

3) Project Options/Advanced/Run Application after last slide

Marco

[boxig]

I forgot to submit one important sugestion (and often suggested in the past: I'm sure Granot will agree with me !) to my "whish list": the ability to run external program WITH PARAMETER(S).

Igor, I was sure this one old request will not be forgotten.

and...

...the ability to embed the external file, which you said, should not be difficult to add.

Thank you (and thank you Marco for remembering this ancient request)

Granot