PicturesToExe v5.00 beta #3

[mountain man]

Please let me know about any possible problems/error messages with beta #3

It's very important for us, because I consider that we finished new graphical core of PicturesToExe and now we're working on other features.

Hello Igor,

I love the simplicity and quality of the slide shows I can create with Pix-to-Exe.

Is it correct that you are adding pan and zoom effects in 5.0? What about ability to show rotation of images (as in ProShow)?

Any chance that more than one audio track can ever be added (3 tracks would be wonderful) to permit a music track plus a narration track plus a sound-effects track? And any chance that some sort of basic sound editor will ever be incorporated so that music and other sound files can be trimmed to a desired length within the program?

Thank you for your great work on this fine program.

[thedom]

Hi Igor,

When you say "Music still not fully synchronized", what do you mean ?

Does it mean not synchronized on each slide or only problem with the start ?

And if we start to work on a synchronized project, will we have to start from scratch with the sync when it's fixed ?

Anyway, I have to have a deep look to discover how "synchronisation" works because this feature is new for me.

Something else to play with...

[alrobin]

Igor,

When we select an object which is behind other objects, (in "O/A"), and then click on one of the hot-points on the corners and sides of the dotted selection rectangle around the object to apply a PZR effect to it, the hot-points and the selection rectangle disappear. This makes it difficult to determine visually when to stop stretching or rotating the object.

Would it be possible to have the selection rectangle remain visible while moving or resizing it with the mouse?

[Ken Cox]

and Igor said

"Please let me know about any possible problems/error messages with beta #3"

Igor

when i built the initial show with 4.48, i started with a collection of slides - c/w music - some mine and some my daughter's home renovation -- then when b1 came out i opened it and save it as v5 b1 - and added picts as they were provided by my daughter -- then b2 came and i continued -- as the show got bigger i started to selectively remove my picts.

along comes b3

i installed b3

opened the above mentioned "suppposed working show" made with b1 and b2

it ran as best as i can make it run

but the picts need to be thinned out again -- there were too many of mine and some to be added as the renovations had progressed

-- in the tree on left "classic view" which shows all in folder - the ones in the show are darker than the ones not in show, so i went to folder and removed picts not being used to another folder

save as create as went fine

now it was time to remove my selected picts from the r window - using r mouse command - tried to run preview - oh oh pict to exe has committed fatal error -- do you want to send to MS -- ignored it re saved as / re create as and tried to run again

same error

tried to run exe -- same error

rebooted system

tried again same error

opened the pte with beta 2

ran show ok save as create as

opened with b3 ok ran show ok added added 4 picts save as create as ran show ok

and that is all for this attempt

btw there are a minimum of animations, haven't got a handle on it yet - cant figger how i got what i have so far but i aint give up yet:)

ken

ps at least i'm trying

[Lin Evans]

Hello Igor,

I love the simplicity and quality of the slide shows I can create with Pix-to-Exe.

Is it correct that you are adding pan and zoom effects in 5.0? What about ability to show rotation of images (as in ProShow)?

Any chance that more than one audio track can ever be added (3 tracks would be wonderful) to permit a music track plus a narration track plus a sound-effects track? And any chance that some sort of basic sound editor will ever be incorporated so that music and other sound files can be trimmed to a desired length within the program?

Thank you for your great work on this fine program.

LOL - you've got to stop by the forum more often! Actually, P2E has always had the ability to use two audio tracks. You have the first as a "background" then you have the ability to add voiceover, other music, whatever by adding it to a slide. It can transcend slides, that is continue from one to the next so you could have a running narration over the course of a slideshow by starting with slide one and just continuing with the voice-over, etc.

Pan, zoom, rotate, scroll are already incorporated in the beta available for download here from the forum. The rotation is much more sophisticated than ProShow or Producer. You have the ability to not only rotate the entire frame on a center point, but the ability to move the center so the rotation can result in a "circular" motion of the entire frame. You also have levels like Producer only with much more power than Producer. You can have indepedent animation of any object or "objects" on each level simultaneously which allows three dimensional effects. You can also independently adjust "opacity" or transparency for "any" object be it jpg, png, tiff, etc., something which can't be done in Producer.

Run this little slideshow created in version 5 Beta 1 to see over 30 levels in motion simultaneously:

zipped executable:

http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/puzzlesmallRAM.zip

Lin

[Igor]

Dominique,

When you say "Music still not fully synchronized", what do you mean

Music starts on 200 ms. earlier than first slide so just add 200 ms. offset to all slides in global timeline in "Customize synchronization" window. Also music always repeats in beta #3.

Al,

Would it be possible to have the selection rectangle remain visible while moving or resizing it with the mouse?

Often selection bother to exactly place an object. I can add mode to "Tools" button? "Hide Selection on Dragging/Resizing/Rotating". Probably you may help me with right and short name of this mode?

Ken,

If you kept EXE file that doesn't run, please send me to my email address int_support@ <nospam> wnsoft.com I think it's bug in some combination of slides and parameters, not a bug with video card or DirectX. Such mistake can be easility fixed if I can receive EXE file which produces the problem.

[Ken Cox]

Igor

i overwrote the bad exe with b2 then reopened with b3 - have added an additional pict last nite and it still works

would be too big to mail

exe is 37 +- mb in size at present

70 picts and 2 mp3's

will email the pte

I just mentioned it because you said to report all errors

the big error is PEBKAC

ken

[Igor]

Ken,

If you will have EXE file with slide-show created in beta #3 that crashes, even after restarting of Windows. Please however try to send it to me (write be to int_support@) we can use FTP way.

[Ken Cox]

I have sent the pte by email

and i do not have the exe that crashed -- i overwrote it and it works now

and i never had any luck ftping to people but have had luck with msn and yousendit

ken

[Igor]

Ken,

Thanks to God and to you - I reproduced this bug!

I've received your .pte project file, spent 20 minutes to manually replace all images with my files without any hope to reproduce the problem. First attempt - all worked fine. Then I removed one slide and then I see the problem you described - in EXE file and in Preview.

It's some combination of parameters of a project - it occurs on any PC.

So please don't worry - if your slide-show works fine, this problem will never occur.

We'll fix it in next beta #4

[Ken Cox]

so it was not

PEBKAC eh

leave it to the Canucks to make you earn your keep

the todo list gets another entry

ken

[alrobin]

Often selection bother to exactly place an object. I can add mode to "Tools" button? "Hide Selection on Dragging/Resizing/Rotating". Probably you may help me with right and short name of this mode?

I would just call it "Hide selection markers on Pan/Zoom/Rotate" .

If this is too long, then "Hide selection on PZR" .

[Igor]

Ken,

Thanks

Al,

OK!

[mountain man]

Actually, P2E has always had the ability to use two audio tracks. You have the first as a "background" then you have the ability to add voiceover, other music, whatever by adding it to a slide. It can transcend slides, that is continue from one to the next so you could have a running narration over the course of a slideshow by starting with slide one and just continuing with the voice-over, etc.

Lin

Lin: Thanks much for your help. Also, any idea if PTE plans to add the ability to trim an audio/music clip to a desired length within the program (an "audio trimmer")?

[Lin Evans]

Lin: Thanks much for your help. Also, any idea if PTE plans to add the ability to trim an audio/music clip to a desired length within the program (an "audio trimmer")?

Probably not in the immediate future, at least not for version 5.0. This would require including an audio editor engine which would make the code size considerably larger. P2E has always been "streamlined" in terms of code overhead. Programs such as ProShow Gold and Producer which have incorporated both rudimentary audio processing and DVD burn engines have been plagued with "bugs" and system component incompatibilities which drive some users up the wall. Fortunately P2E has been relatively bug free and having smaller and tighter code makes it easier to keep things running smoothly.

Having audio fade-out capabilities would be really convenient, but since there are a number of great and basically "free" audio editors readily available (such as Audacity), it's not been a priority. I've found that I can get by really well by using outside editors for sound tracks and though I would like to see such a feature, I think only Igor and the development team can make such a decision. So far there has been no hint that this will be included in future versions, but only time will tell.

Best regards,

Lin

[thedom]

I would just call it "Hide selection markers on Pan/Zoom/Rotate" .

If this is too long, then "Hide selection on PZR" .

Sorry Al, I'm not with you on this one.

I agree With Igor when he says "Often selection bother to exactly place an object".

That's why I think the feature in the tools should be "Show selection on PZR".

(Hidden by default).

I know, it's just a small detail but I wanted to say it.

Btw, Thanks Igor for your answer about "Music still not fully synchronized".

[davegee]

I'm With Al.

Show by default.

DaveG

[Igor]

I prefer to hide selection by default, but you can change this option via "Tools" menu.

Ken,

I just fixed bug you've found in PTE v5.00

[Ken Cox]

"Ken,

I just fixed bug you've found in PTE v5.00"

Igor

but in the current beta 3 if a person removes a slide then they are still at risk of losing show un less they reopen it with ver 2 and resave with beta 3 -- correct?

ken

[Igor]

Ken,

This problem occurs in beta #3 if use "Auto" synchronization option in the Main tab.

PicturesToExe automatically sets keypoints along music(s) and does mistake with last slide.

[Ken Cox]

Igor

that clarifies things for all

thks

ken

[jevans]

I have a question about Keypoints. I have a slide of about 120 secs on which I want to add about 30 images, each with its own PZR effects. The keypoints for each object are vary close together and it is difficult to select a keypoint to adjust it because you can only select a keypoint by clicking on the time label.

How has anyone else tackled this problem ?

Would it be better to use the keypoint time box to show the actual keypoint time, instead of having a large label, and using the red dots to adjust each keypoint?

Jeff

[Igor]

30 images (especially large) on one slide is a reason of not smooth Pan/Zoom effects even on enough powerful video card.

It better to help video card and divide images on separate slides as it possible.

- PicturesToExe have to load all 30 images on one slide and keep them in video memory.

- But if divide them on 30 slides, PicturesToExe will load new slides when it necessary and will unload previous slides from video memory.

p.s. you can select keypoints on the timeline using Left/Right arrows keys.

[Lin Evans]

30 images (especially large) on one slide is a reason of not smooth Pan/Zoom effects even on enough powerful video card.

It better to help video card and divide images on separate slides as it possible.

- PicturesToExe have to load all 30 images on one slide and keep them in video memory.

- But if divide them on 30 slides, PicturesToExe will load new slides when it necessary and will unload previous slides from video memory.

p.s. you can select keypoints on the timeline using Left/Right arrows keys.

Igor,

I believe there is a bit of a "bug" with this feature. For example, if I open P2E and choose a pte file then click on an object in the object list the right and left arrow do nothing to move between keypoints. However, if I subsequently click on some other keypoint, the right and left arrows suddenly allow me to navigate between keypoints. It's as if there needs to be a click on a "different" keypoint before the arrows will be actuated.

Best regards,

Lin

[alrobin]

Igor,

I believe there is a bit of a "bug" with this feature. For example, if I open P2E and choose a pte file then click on an object in the object list the right and left arrow do nothing to move between keypoints. However, if I subsequently click on some other keypoint, the right and left arrows suddenly allow me to navigate between keypoints. It's as if there needs to be a click on a "different" keypoint before the arrows will be actuated.

Best regards,

Lin

Lin,

It works OK for me. You have to have a keypoint highlighted before the arrow buttons will function. Sometimes when you first click on an object there is no keypoint highlighted until you click on one.