Sequential .exe files in PTE???

[starfish]

Hi,

I don't know if there is a solution to my quest, or a workaround, but if there is I'd appreciate hearing about it.

I am creating a CD of large full-screen 3D fractal animations. Each animation is first made as a video file, then disassembled into frame stacks, and imported into PTE. The technique works very well, and looks great. PTE is a great program to use with video animations because full-screen presentations are possible without distracting windows and visible controls.

It is necessary for me to give each animation it's own .exe file, because each fractal loops continuously. Since there is currently no function for looping certain segments of slides independently of the rest (an addition to the program I'd like to add to the wishlist), if I were to put all the slides within one file, I would have to copy and recopy them and the resulting file would be unnecessarily large and very difficult to work with. So, I created a menu with thumbnails. When a thumbnail is clicked, the animation plays until it is exited by a left mouse click, whereupon it returns to the menu.

What I would like to do---in addition---is to give the user the option of clicking a PLAY ALL button, and having an .exe file play for a specified period, then exit, load the next .exe file, and so on---without returning to the menu in between---until all are played. In this way, there could be a continuous show (it's very psychedelic :-) for about an hour's show.

Is this at all possible with PTE? Or would it be necessary for me to have a programmer hook all these together?

Thanks for your input.

Sharon (Starfish10)

[LumenLux]

Sharon, I think a program or two shared by nobeefstu and by boxig will work quite well for you. I think they are all still available on Beechbrook.com. Without looking, the name might be Autorun or Autolink. Having visited your site in the past, I can imagine your current project would be a mesmerizing presentation. Hope we can view it.

[boxig]

Sharon,

"AutoLinkPlus" by nobeefstu is what you need.

Take it here: http://beechbrook.com/pte/

[nobeefstu]

Sharon,

Yes, AutoLink Plus V2 should serve your intended purpose of linking your multiple exes. The utility is programed to link upto 12 shows and a additional menu exe at the ending if needed. If you need more links than the 13 total exes ... I can send you a customized dll file that can handle more shows.

A word on distribution : AutoLink has some loading issues on certain OS and XP user configurations ... XP has some config settings that doesnt like to be tricked into running multiple or stacked exes in a single window from what I gather. It has worked on XP pending the users OS config, but in most cases all should be fine if you make sure your shows autoplay and auto close ... thus limiting any user interaction with the linking process ... thats why the menu exe link should be at the end of all links.

If you require any help ... let me know.

PS additional comment :

If you make your looping shows in FULL SCREEN mode you may be able to interact with the exes somewhat without disrupting the next link process... if you use WINDOWED mode shows and user interaction , this will cause disruption in the links.

[anthrodoc]

....LumenLux mentions your site, Sharon, and I would be interested to know where to find it-- I a colleague who teaches at our place uses/studies fractals and I would like to share the site with him.

Thanks.

Brian

[starfish]

Hi,

Thanks for all your help.

Can autolink be called from an opening P2E menu? or must it be run first?

And for the person who asked, here's my website:

Fractal Images by Sharon Webb

Sharon (Starfish10)

[starfish]

Hi,

Another question about autolink. Can looped .exe files be specified to run for a given length of time? This would be necessary, or else they would just run once and be over in a few seconds. And, if so, can a different time be specified for each file?

Thanks.

Sharon

[nobeefstu]

Sharon

Autolink can be run from a menu button or autorun.inf ... AutoLink will not play itself. You can use Multiple folders of AutoLinked shows also.

Best way when launching from your menu first .... is to have your menu close after execution ... then have AutoLink reopen your menu as its last link. Its is best not to have other unneccessary programs running and other windows left open that dont need to be open ... as these background processes could interfere in launching links (plus why does one need to do other things while watching a autoplaying show ?).

AutoLink was not originally designed to play Looping or Non-Closing shows ... so no allowances in time display duration were programed in (plus every one would require their own preferences rather than a preset duration.)

You can still ESC out or RIGHT CLICK your closing actions (in PTE settings ) to close your show while its running in Autolink ... the links will continue.

Give it a test .. see what results you get.

[starfish]

Nobeefstu,

Thanks so much for your input.

Unfortunately, without a timing function, I don't think autolink would get me anywhere, because it sounds as if one .exe would play indefinitely unless escape was pressed to go to the next.

That is about where I am now, with using the menu. The only difference, I think, is that autolink would then go on to the next .exe rather than returning to the P2E menu. That is an improvement, but what I'm trying to do is get rid of the necessity for mouse clicking and let the show run all by itself.

Sigh.

Gee...if only there were a function in P2E where you could direct it to loop, for example, slides 42-72 for so many times or minutes and then proceed....

Maybe someday....

Thanks, again.

Sharon

Fractal Images by Sharon Webb

[nobeefstu]

Sharon

Sorry it doesnt fit your special needs ... The only other resort would be for me to program each show link according to your specs.

As PTE progresses ... Im sure we will get all these add-in features some day ... then we wont need any add-on utilities to support the needed functions.

Good luck

[alrobin]

Sharon,

PTE already allows you to repeat image in a show withought actually having a "physical" copy, or copies, of that image. So, repeating several images many times over is quite feasible, without increasing the size of the program by having to add copies of the images.

Ciao,

Al

[starfish]

Yes, thanks. I know.

However, when I am running slides as videos, each slide displays for extremely short periods...that is, anywhere from 2 to 20 microseconds, so that a file of say, 35 slides would run through in an extremely short time. Therefore, I would have to make hundreds of copies of the slides for each animation. Without a search and count function for segments in PTE, that would make putting together a show designed to run for an hour so unwieldy as to be nearly impossible. The show would end up with 10,000 lines or more in the code.

To make this even more impossible would be to try and get the numbers right to sync to the music. What I'm trying to say here is that while the music sync feature works well with normal slides which each display for five or six seconds, it doesn't work at all with slides set for microseconds when the ability to loop segments is not implemented.

This could be solved easily IF there were a way to loop segments of the show instead of just the entire show.

But thanks. :-)

Sharon