A few handy tools on Beechbrook

[HvK]

Hello,

Just for those who are interested. I uploaded a few handy tools for some easier background work in the Object editor. I made a new raster to place buttons and small pics so you can put them nicely in line. Just load the raster, place your buttons and small pics in line and delete the raster again and you have everything nice in line. (don't forget to group the small items before saving)

The buttons I uploaded are already online and include are not only a whole bunch of buttons (gifs) but also the psd file for those who familiar with Photoshop!

The background raster for placing 2 vertical (portrait pictures) is very handy when you want to make a show with pictures in portrait view. Same trick, just load the raster for portrait views, place your pictures onto them, delete the background raster, set position in centre and group the 2 pictures and you can view these portrait shots in any screensetting 1024 and higher.

The most important tool is the 1x1 pixel (doesn't work in version 5). Always load this file as first before you want to work with several things in the background.

So again, load your 1x1 pixel, load your raster, place buttons and objects, delete the raster (but not the 1x1 pixel. Group your objects and save everything! The 1x1 pixel always have to stay in your presentation.

If you want to activate the buttons or want to bring people to other presentations within your presentation, click right mouse button and set the properties for the button.

(don't put music on the files you loading but keep all your music on the page you want to have your buttons on. Don't forget to let the presentations stop at the end so the mainpage will stay on screen. You now can play music without any synchronisation as well.

Just try it. Some of you will like it!

[LumenLux]

Thank you Hans. This is a good reminder of the techniques you use so effectively. Many of us remember our first ventures into using a front page as you showed us years ago. Your rasters or grids will also be helpful to many users. Nice of you to make these helps available.

[HvK]

Your welcome. I will include a few sample pictures in this topic later this week so more people will know where I talk about. Since I discover years ago that you could load a large autorun, a mainpage (pte exe) with all your music and thumbs and finally your seperate exe files and let them run ALL at the same time without any problems PTE became my most favorite and useful program for presentations and photo shows.

I see great idea's with version 5 because beamer shows always less then slides and the chance to use your presentations for tv opens a complete new world for me. That means I am already concentrating on the startpage layout for the video shows in future.

I still have to learn a lot about the BIG difference between foto and video (mainly the computer stuff) I have no clue right now. But luckywise layout work and similar idea's doesn't change too much for me. I feel real good right now, just finish a 1.22gigabite presentation. It's my masterpiece so far. It runs from 1 DVD or 3 cd's and all thanks to PTE and MMB!

[HvK]

As promissed include some samples about how I am working with backgrounds and buttons

Sample 1 is from the autorun (MMB) , the other 3 samples from the PTE mainpages that are activated from the autorun. As you can see I have many shows running from just 1 mainpage.

To make this entire Iceland project I had to include 3 mainpages to be able make the show as I wish! and as it it very useful for me to use it for different kind of people.

For example CD 3 only presenting fly fishing and birdlife.

This Iceland dvd includes 37 PTE shows, all running from mainpage or autorun. Altogether the entire project has 54 (exe) actions and also 10 acrobat files. (No problem to activate them from the project, as long people have installed acrobat reader on their computer!)

To view and read the entrire project will take you at least 5 hours! By seperate the presentations, it' very easy to use a beamer and show the presentations for people with different interests.

There shows for people only interesting in birdlife, or fly fishing, or volcanic impact, or just nature as flora and fauna.

Now you also can see why I don't upload more shows on Beechbrook, because ONLY the mainpages including the music. This to reduce the sizes from the seperated shows a lot. Some shows have more then 150 pictures!

[alrobin]

Very professional-looking, Hans!

I'm looking forward to being able to download the full 5 hours someday!