Solving the problem with music in PTE

[alrobin]

Igor,

No problem - it's still 7 hours until my bedtime, but you are up after midnight!

The "preview.exe" file plays fine. But there is something interesting - the second slide should come up 4 seconds after the start of the show, but it doesn't appear in the "exe" version until 20 seconds after the start. Both for the compiled "ptemusic.pte" and for the new file, "preview.exe".

When I select "Create ... and run", the show plays OK, with music, but again the second slide does not appear until after 20 seconds.

By the way, I'm using v. 4.44 for these tests.

Edit: I just answered my own question - the first image stays on for 20 sec because "automatic synchronization" is selected in Project Options. However, if you access the timeline and start to play the show there, the synchronization quickly switches to "Customize Synchronization" with the first slide on for only the default 4 seconds.

[ronwil]

Have been carrying out Igor's tests with no problems. Latest results as follow:

1. ptemusic1.exe - plays OK

2. ptemusic_synced.exe - plays OK

3. pte_prev1.exe - OK

4. pte_prev_synced.exe - OK

5. ptemusic.pte - OK. Unchecked "Synchronize slide show to music duration". Still OK

Created *.exe files from *.pte. Both OK

Pentium 4 1.4GHz 1024 Mb RAM 20Gb HD + 160Gb HD Windows XP

Ron [uK]

[Igor]

Al,

Please download special v4.45A: http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte445A.zip and unpack to some new folder.

Run apr.exe file and please make sure that you really started this special version - the caption of main window should shows v4.45A.

Over file panel you'll find 3 buttons - "Preview 1", "Preview 2" and "Preview 3".

Please open some project where you experienced problem with music during preview.

1) Press "Preview 1" button. Please let me know will you hear music now during preview?

2) Press "Preview 2" button. In this case will the music plays during preview?

3) Press "Preview 3" button. In this case will the music plays during preview?

[alrobin]

Igor,

As I mentioned in my email, Preview 1 and 2 play fine, but Preview 3 hangs up as before. The normal preview button at the bottom now also plays just fine in special version 4.45a.

[giljones]

Al, Gilbert,

1) So when you press "Show Music Duration" button (Project options | Music tab) you always see "00:00" length and when you try to open timeline window you see the text "Please visit Music tab and add sound file"?

2) Please download this utility I've prepared, it will show duration of selected MP3 file.

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/ShowLength.exe (400 KB)

If it shows "Length: 0 ms.", it will help me to more exactly determine the problem.

Have downloaded the utility and placed it on my desktop so that I could find it easily. When I moused the icon a box appeared saying Get l;ength and play and another button marked play. When either were pressed it brought up a windon displaying my C drive from this I found the desktop and tried to rtun the file but nothing happened, Gilbert

[alrobin]

Gilbert,

First of all, you should never save a program directly to your desktop - always select a folder (preferrably a new one for a new program), or save it directly to your C drive.

When you run Igor's utility and press "Get length and play" you should see the following window:

Then if you select an mp3 file (you can use the one Igor included in one of his posts above), you will see the following:

If you press "OK" you should hear the file playing.

In order to solve the problem it's important for Igor to know exactly what happens with specific controlled utilities like this one and the ones in his following posts.

[Ronniebootwest]

1) Please run 4 EXE files you'll find inside. And let me know about result.

(For example, ptemusic1.exe - OK.

ptemusic_synced.exe - NO MUSIC

)

Here are the results of this test:-

1. pte_prev_synced Shows an exception error 'cannot open file'

2. p2e_prev1 Same as above

3. ptemusic_synced Slide show plays OK with music

4. ptemusic1 Same as above

Ron West.

Igor,

As I mentioned in my email, Preview 1 and 2 play fine, but Preview 3 hangs up as before. The normal preview button at the bottom now also plays just fine in special version 4.45a.

Hi Al,

You mentioned that you think your problem is different to mine - I don't think so because everything you have described so far is exactly the same problems that I am having.

What is 'special version 4.45a' and where can I download it to try?

Ron West

[alrobin]

)

What is 'special version 4.45a' and where can I download it to try?

Ron,

See Igor's post above at 10:23 AM GMT.

[Ronniebootwest]

Al,

Please download special v4.45A: http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte445A.zip and unpack to some new folder.

Run apr.exe file and please make sure that you really started this special version - the caption of main window should shows v4.45A.

Over file panel you'll find 3 buttons - "Preview 1", "Preview 2" and "Preview 3".

Please open some project where you experienced problem with music during preview.

1) Press "Preview 1" button. Please let me know will you hear music now during preview?

2) Press "Preview 2" button. In this case will the music plays during preview?

3) Press "Preview 3" button. In this case will the music plays during preview?

OK I have run these 3 tests and here are my results:-

Test 1 The slide show runs OK and the music plays.

Test 2 The slide show runs OK and the music plays.

Test 3 The first slide appears on screen and then 'hangs' and will not transition to next slide. There is no music playing.

Update: the slide does transition after all, it just took a while - still no music though.

[Igor]

Al, Ron,

I finally found that we have two problems with sound in PTE:

1) Music in Preview doesn't play on your PC. We're very near to solve this problem.

2) And another problem on PC of Slee (Shik Lee) - PTE can't calculate length of music file.

Please download this v4.46 beta #1:

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte446b1.zip

(Unpack it to a new folder and run apr.exe file)

Please check up how music will play in Preview?

[Ronniebootwest]

Please download this v4.46 beta #1:

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte446b1.zip

(Unpack it to a new folder and run apr.exe file)

Please check up how music will play in Preview?

I have downloaded and run this new 4.46 Beta now. Sorry, the music does not play. In fact the first slide just freezes on the screen.

Ron West

[Igor]

Thanks, Ron!

I know now exactly that problem happens when we run EXE file from temp folder (for preview). It's very interesting.

Try newest beta #2 and please let me know exact information you'll see in message boxes (during Preview):

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte446b2.zip

[alrobin]

Igor,

With beta1 the problem with "Preview" is the same as before - no change (freezes on the first image, without any music).

I tried running the new beta2, and I get a message "Can not open WaveOut" when I press "Preview". Then when I press OK, the first slide comes on and freezes (without any music) as before.

[giljones]

Download this ZIP archive http://www.wnsoft.com/test/ptemusic.zip (3.8 MB) and extract to disc C:\

(After extracting there should be: C:\ptemusic folder with files inside).

1) Please run 4 EXE files you'll find inside. And let me know about result.

(For example, ptemusic1.exe - OK.

ptemusic_synced.exe - NO MUSIC)

2) If all four EXE file work, open ptemusic.pte project file (you will find it in this folder) in PicturesToExe and try to run Preview.

Thank you all for testing and help!

I have done as you have asked - results

Pte Prev Synced Would not run showed erorte Music Synced Ran ok

Ptemusic 1 ran ok

Pte prev1 Would not run ahowed an error box

PTE music Synced Ran ok

Hope this helps. Gilbert

[Igor]

Al, Ron,

It seems that when EXE file with Preview located in the Windows Temp folder PTE may not open sound output.

If it possible, download this test. Press "Open1" button and let me know about result, close window, then press "Open2" button and do as above. And finally 'Open3' button.

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/WaveOutTest.zip

[alrobin]

Igor,

Open1:

- Tests1 to 4 all returned "MMSYSERR_NOERROR"

Open2:

- Tests 1 to 4 all returned "MMSYSERR_BADDEVICEID"

Open3:

- Tests 1 to 4 all returned "MMSYSERR_NOERROR"

[Igor]

Al, Ron,

I've prepared v4.46 beta #3 which should solve the problem with music in the Preview.

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte446b3.zip

Please confirm how it works now.

p.s. just sound card doesn't work at all if we run EXE file of application (Preview) from

Windows temp folder! It is an amazed bug in drivers, or in Windows.

I can't exactly determine. Maybe even some kind of copyright protection.

[alrobin]

I've prepared v4.46 beta #3 .....Please confirm how it works now.

Igor - you are amazing! Everything seems to work perfectly now!

Thank-you so much for your persistent efforts on this.

I think you should give Bill Gates a call and offer to solve some of his many problems with Windows!

[Igor]

I grateful to you Al, and to Ron for the help!

By the way, this v4.46 asks new EXE file name on pressing "Create" button after "Save As" project.

I'll prepare beta #4 with installer a little later.

[Ronniebootwest]

Try newest beta #2 and please let me know exact information you'll see in message boxes (during Preview):

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte446b2.zip

I ran this test and got a message 'Can not open Wave Out' - when I clicked on OK, the first slide opened up on the screen but just 'froze'

Ron

Admin - I have just seen your latest post about the new beta 3 - I will download and test it now

[Igor]

Ron, it seems that you downloaded previous file of beta #2, please download beta #3:

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/pte446b3.zip

[Ronniebootwest]

Bingo! The latest beta works fine now - everything as it should be. Well done Igor, and thankyou for your tremendous work on this problem.

What do I do now though, shall I use this latest beta until you release an updated version?

Ron

[Igor]

You can freely use this beta #3 - it contains minimal changes. Mainly I only use another filepath for placing of EXE with Preview.