PicturesToExe v4.40 beta #2a

[Igor]

PicturesToExe v4.40 beta #1 is released

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip (1,5 MB)

This new version contains new transition effect. Please look at this small example:

http://www.wnsoft.com/beta/RollPaper.exe (500 KB)

(Also there is diagonal variaton, but it works slowely and we will improve it)

Horizonta/vertical variations work fine even on Celeron 900.

You also can adjust diameter and it will look as a scroll. And two styles of curling. All it - work of Aleksey which again created new transition effect!

In v4.40 I've fully rewrote "Customize synchronization" window. Now you work with real slides on the time-line. Please let me know what you think about it.

This beta doesn't contains all new features.

No new Navigation bar in beta #1 yet.

Pan/Zoom effect also will be in the next version, because it will work slowely on current graphical engine and we're working on new presentation engine for v4.50 right now.

I hope on your responses. And next suggestions. If something is not right, please let me know! I still working on new functions for v4.40.

What's new in v4.40:

+ Added new terrific transition effect: Curling of page

It contains 16 variations and ability to set radius of curling.

Horizontal/vertical variations of this effect work smooth on any PC.

(Note: Diagonal variants require very fast PC.

And we'll try to optimize this new diagonal effect in the future.)

+ Fully reworked "Customize synchronization" window:

> You work now with real slides on time-line.

It means that every transition point exactly linked with a particular slide.

Deleting of some transition point means deleting of linked slide.

> Added "Shift slides..." feature which allows to shift all or selected slides.

> Added "Shift all slides to right" function which moves all slides outside the music

and it allows to work with "Add transition" button as earlier.

> Cancel button discards all changes with slides (if you mistakenly deleted slides).

> Multi-select and various actions with several selected transition points;

> And all usual actions with Shift and Ctrl keys;

> Added transition point of the first slide;

> Improved preview of transition effects;

> Vastly improved show of waveforms. Just click "Waveform" button and all visible

waveforms will be shown automatically.

> Ability to visually change duration of effect.

Drag the small grip at the end of effect strip;

> Press Up/Down keys for accurate moving of the cursor;

> Press Right/Left keys to move between transition points;

> Various another improvements.

+ Now you can edit personal settings of several selected slides.

It means that, for example, it possible to set some transition effect

for several slides, but their another different personal parameters

will be leaved individual.

+ Added "Timeline" button to the main window of PicturesToExe. Or use Ctrl-L hotkey.

+ Improved protection of "Expire date" option.

+ Added new kinds of protection: "Expire after (days)" and "Number of runs".

+ Improvemed Navigation bar:

> Added "Auto hide Navigation bar after <...> seconds" options;

> Added "Hide Navigation bar at startup" option;

+ Improvements in AVI video output:

> It supports Personalized background music now.

(If you want to set new playlist starting from some slide.)

> Added "Show safe TV zone" option in Visual editor window.

This can be useful for preparing slide-show for DVD disc.

+ "Display slides in random order" option works for synchronized shows now.

+ Added "Don't interrupt sound comment when next slide appears" option.

It allows to play sound comment during several slides. (Project options | Music tab).

+ Added "Random order" function (Alt+R or see popup menu) for the Slide list.

It will help to randomly sort all slides (or selected).

+ Improved "Run application" action for buttons/hyperlinks or when new slide appears:

> It allows to run several applications. Type: "notepad.exe, "calc.exe"

> It possible to specify parameter: "C:\My Slide show.exe" 7

Please always use the double quotes for file paths to applications.

E.g.: "notepad.exe" "C:\My text.txt"

+ You can start show of EXE file of your slide-show from necessary slide.

Use "Run application" action and type: "C:\My Slide show.exe" 7

+ Improved moving of files of project into another disk or PC.

(Copy the main folder of your project (which may contains embedded

folders with pictures or music) and PicturesToExe will find new file paths.)

+ Various improvements in the interface of the main window.

+ PicturesToExe automatically detects protected WMA files if you add them

and show warning that the program can't play such files on another PCs.

* Improved stability of music player on two-CPU's PC with Windows 2000.

* Fixed bug with show of some transparent GIFs in 16-bit (Hi-Color) screen mode.

* Fixed small visual bug in Visual editor.

* Fixed bug when error message occured after last slide if slide-show

was synchronized, with "Show transition effect to desktop after last

slide" option, and first slide without main picture.

[Ian]

Igor, the page turn effect is excellent!

I'm just about to start a project based on a children's story book and this effect will be perfect!!

Ian

[LumenLux]

Igor, I am astounded!

I thought it might be soon we would see a new Beta with a few improvements you are working on. But I have just read the entire list and it is very extensive! Many of the "high priority" items that have been requested seem to be there. It will be a fun exercise to try these new features.

Thank you, Igor and Aleksey !

[alrobin]

Thanks so much, Igor! This version is very much appreciated, and I can hardly wait to get my hands into it and try out the new features and improvements.

Thanks again to you and Aleksey for your hard work on our behalf!

[Guest guru]

And #4.40 had to be a "minor release"!...

Plenty of new features and improvements. What will be the 4.50, then? A jubilee edition?

[Severn Bore]

Thanks again Igor. I have only been using PtoE for just over a year and have already seen massive changes. You are the King!

[Ronniebootwest]

The new effect will be used extensively by all of us I reckon. Igor, and your team, are to be congratulated on your technical wizardry.

Thankyou very much!

Ron West

[cottage]

Igor,

You've created another masterpiece with 4.40 beta. I am simply amazed with all its new features. The additional transitions are marvelous. Thank you and thanks to your team.

Also I am honored again that you have chosen to use some of my photographs to demonstrate your new rollover transition. Thank you!

Regards,

Bill

[Maureen]

Thank You Igor

This is wonderful !

We have been waiting excitedly for all these new developments.

Best wishes

Maureen

[ADB]

Wow!!

You have been VERY busy, the new features list looks amazing. Also very excited about the prospect of a new presentation engine and PAN and ZOOM in 4.5

I'll give this version a thorough testing but have really been holding back making any serious shows waiting for PAN and ZOOM.

Thanks to Igor and the Wnsoft Team.

[boxig]

Igor,

Great ! - I see some interesting "Run application" options but...

I tried it with MMB and it shows the slide before the selected for a split of a second. Well, this is not big problem since I can duplicate the slide but to let you know.

One suggestion: "Auto hide Navigation bar after <...> seconds"

How about: "Auto hide Navigation bar after <...> SLIDES".

This is useful if we want to allow print for some slides only.

And to continue with this thought, how about:

"Show Navigation bar after <...> slides"

(or on slide number)

Thank you and all stuff for the best program.

Granot

[alrobin]

One suggestion: "Auto hide Navigation bar after <...> seconds"

How about: "Auto hide Navigation bar after <...> SLIDES".

.............

And to continue with this thought, how about:

"Show Navigation bar after <...> slides"

(or on slide number)

Or, how about being able to check a box on the "Customize Slide" menu to show the nav bar for that slide?

[ronwil]

I too had a problem rolling up from bottom, with the slide flashing on before the roll. I wanted a tighter roll but settled for the default 400 and it worked OK.

Ron [uK]

[Ed Overstreet]

I haven't had the chance to play with the new beta yet, but I did view the new scroll effect. I'm impressed and can think of some good uses for it. The other features listed also sound really good.

One suggestion for a modification to an existing effect, possibly comparable to some of what the scroll effect does, it to modify the diagonal page (and perhaps also diagonal gate) effects to let the user customize the angle at which the diagonal transfer occurs. Presently the diagonal in the gate and page effects seems to be perpendicular to a line drawn between the opposite corners involved. Whatever it is, the angle of the diagonal is fixed once you pick the direction. I'd like the option of changing that angle a bit (by up to maybe 30 degrees), to match the angle of a diagonal line in one of the photographs involved in the transition. I'm not a programmer so I don't know how difficult this would be to add.

Just a suggestion. I'd made it earlier in other thread somewhere but I'm afraid it got lost in the thread or maybe you haven't noticed it, so I thought I'd make it again here.

Otherwise, as always I'm amazed at the good and imaginative work you are doing on the software. As are we all.

[bjc]

Totally awesome Igor - thank you !! Thank you VERY much.

Everything I have tested so far 'works' perfectly ~ I especially like the addition of the "Don't interrupt sound comment when next slide appears - option" ~ although not a feature that everyone will use,,, it will be much appreciated by those of us (me included) that do have a need for such.

I can hardly wait to see Version 4.50 now ~ this is all VERY exciting !!

Best wishes,

bjc

[MikeL117]

WOW

Love what you have done to the timeline window.

Only had a few minutes to play. A couple of suggestions as the damage that can be done to ones carefully positioned transitions are now so great it would be wonderful to have a simple undo function and/or a save file (or even save a copy) within the timeline window - the mistake function is bound to happen just after re-arranging a load of other slides correctly. The CANCEL function does not always get you back to where you started.

The Shift Points... function would benefit from an absolute time as well as the offset.

Well Done Igor and Team.

[ContaxMan]

Just use Ctrl S to save your file regularly!

[ADB]

I have had a chance to play with the new Beta and here are some observations:-

*NEW CURL TRANSITION

- Appears to work fine (very professional and very smooth

*CUSTOM SYNCHRONISATION WINDOW

DELETION OF TRANSITION POINT DELETES SLIDE

- Works but I think it needs to be enhanced. Maybe you should have the option to either:-

(a) delete the slide from ONLY the timeline (so it remains in the slide list maybe going to the back of the slide list)

( delete the slide from BOTH the timeline and the slide list at the same time

SHIFT SLIDES FUNCTION

- Great! Very Useful

SHIFT ALL SLIDES TO RIGHT FUNCTION

- I'm not sure what use this function is?

CANCEL BUTTON

- Didn't seem to reverse and changes I made

PREVIEW FROM WITHIN TIMELINE WINDOW AND MAIN PTE PAGE

- Preview doesn't work properly. Works OK in the small PREVIEW window on the timeline and in a completed show but doesn't work on full

screen preview. Shows the first image but the next image is always black?

PAGE UP DOWN KEYS FOR ACCURATE CURSOR MOVEMENT

- Couldn't seem to get this to work

FINALLY

- I couldn't move the first slide which appears on the timeline by dragging, is the first slide not supposed to be able to move and always locked to the start of the timeline?

I understand not all of the enhancements may not have been enabled but those are my findings so far.

Love the Timeline button on the Main PTE page and being able to change properties for slides from the customisable synchronisation window (both individually and in selections), a great time saver.

[Ken Cox]

Igor

navigaton bar - customize

LOAD _ RESTORE _

what do these functions do?

future navigaton bar improvements??

"No new Navigation bar in beta #1 yet."

"This beta doesn't contains all new features."

what is missing from from this beta that is mentioned on the list?

this is quite a meal you have served us Igor, it will take some time to digest - maybe just a light lunch would have been better

ken

[ccmanz]

When Deleting Do we have a choice?

a. Delete Transition point. (Shifts points to next slide Like it use to)

b. Delete Slide and transition point.

[Igor]

Thank you for your responses!

I hope vastly improve Nav. bar in this version, too.

Now it's impossible to delete transition points and keep linked slides, because every slide linked to particular transition point. So deleting of a slide means deleting of its transition points and on the contrary.

But to work as earlier (when just you have clean time-line and during music playing you've pressed "Add transition" button) I've added special option - "Move all slides to right" it moves all points outside range of music. And now you have clean time-line and you can press "Add transition" button which moves nearest points from right side to the place where located cursor.

Currently there is almost undo feature in the Customize Sync. window. If you press Cancel button it will discard all changes, even if you've deleted slides.

In the future we plan to add fully functional undo.

ADB:

Please try to reproduce this problem with full screen preview in new project.

I many times tested it and it worked in my test examples (with synced shows). I've selected necessary slide/transition point and then Preview button (in Cust. synch. window)

First slide should be located at 0 position. But you can swap it with another slides. Just move the first slide more right than any nearest slide.

Ed,

We have any angle earlier for diagonal Curl effect. But it worked even more slowely that current slow diagonal effect I hope new engine will improve this moment.

Granot,

Now PTE requires to set double quotes before and after file name for a run command. Probably I didn't understand, please tell me more.

[boxig]

Igor,

I used in MMB: Run("<SrcDir>\PTE_RunApp.exe","3")

I see slide 2 for a split of a second and then slide 3.

As I said, this is no big problem since I duplicate slide 3.

Granot

[ADB]

PROBLEM WITH PREVIEW

Igor

I have retested the preview function and can give you more precise information.

Firstly I completely uninstalled PTE and cleaned out all the files in the Pictures to exe directory (except for the "key" file) then reinstalled the new Beta 4.40 #1

1. If I do a Customizable Synchronisation and attempt a preview from within the synchronisation window (from the FIRST image) all I see is the first image which stays on screen and nothing else happens, no music is heard

2. If I do the above from any slide other than the first slide then the remain slides show in rapid succession still with no music.

3. When in the Customizable Sync window the play button plays the show correctly in the small preview window.

4. Back at the main window 1 & 2 happen when I use the preview button

5. If I create and run the show, the show appears fine.

I am running Windows XP Service Pack 2, 1 Gig of Ram, 2.4 GigHz Processor and about 20 Gigs free Harddrive.

Any body else having this problem?

[ADB]

P.S. To above post

Igor

Also the cancel command still doesn't restore any changes i.e if you delete a slide then hit cancel the slide is still deleted.

[ccmanz]

I am already starting to like the way the transitions are connected to the Pictures.

I just need more time to play with all the new toys added.

Also the cancel works correct for me, restores all changes when leaving the timeline.

cc