Project File Management

[JEB]

Folks,

If during the process of putting a show together you move your project file (images, audio etc.) from its original position to some other location on that or a different drive how can you tell PTE where to look?

I have tried to do this without success. I have created a ZIP backup (filed in a different directory) but can’t get it to open from that new location using the “.pte” icon within the zipped folder unless the project file is at its original location.

By way of illustration what I have done is create a short show from images stored in a project folder located on my desktop. Provided that folder stays on the desktop it will open ok. If I move that folder PTE doesn’t want to know. How can I tell PTE where to look?

If I create a ZIP back-up and file that somewhere else and temporarily remove the project folder from the desktop to the Recycle Bin the .pte icon within the ZIP folder will not open the show and I get the usual message regarding lost images. When the original folder is returned to the desktop from the Bin all is well.

My understanding was that one of the benefits of using the ZIP option was to enable work in progress to be moved between computers, am I wrong?

Guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation.

Regards

John

[Lin Evans]

Folks,

If during the process of putting a show together you move your project file (images, audio etc.) from its original position to some other location on that or a different drive how can you tell PTE where to look?

I have tried to do this without success. I have created a ZIP backup (filed in a different directory) but can't get it to open from that new location using the ".pte" icon within the zipped folder unless the project file is at its original location.

By way of illustration what I have done is create a short show from images stored in a project folder located on my desktop. Provided that folder stays on the desktop it will open ok. If I move that folder PTE doesn't want to know. How can I tell PTE where to look?

If I create a ZIP back-up and file that somewhere else and temporarily remove the project folder from the desktop to the Recycle Bin the .pte icon within the ZIP folder will not open the show and I get the usual message regarding lost images. When the original folder is returned to the desktop from the Bin all is well.

My understanding was that one of the benefits of using the ZIP option was to enable work in progress to be moved between computers, am I wrong?

The zip file created is totally self-contained and has all files including the PTE file.

Once you have this created and you want to reopen and use the files, just create a folder and unzip everything into that folder. Then open PTE and use the "File Open" feature. Click on down arrow to the right on the the "Look-In" window, negotiate to the folder where you have unzipped the files from the zip created in PTE, click on the PTE file and you are back in business. Couldn't be easier. You can save the zipped files on a CD or DVD then load them on your hard disk any time. You can rename them to something more meaningful to you if you wish.

Best regards,

Lin

Guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation.

Regards

John

[JEB]

What kept you Lin!

That took you almost 15 min!

I will have a go at that in the morning as I am just going out for a pint or two .....or........

Cheers and thanks

John

[jevans]

John,

Just tried this by zipping up a project and transferring to a USB memory stick. Then deleting the original directory on my C:\ drive. Unzipping the project on the USB drive produces all the files and PTE will run the project. All seems to be working as it should.

Jeff

[Conflow]

Hi John,

It seems that you have 2 Problems as shown in your "Quotes" below:-

(1) Quoted.

By way of illustration what I have done is create a short show from images stored in a project folder located on my desktop. Provided that folder stays on the desktop it will open ok. If I move that folder PTE doesn’t want to know. How can I tell PTE where to look?....

(2) Quoted.

If I create a ZIP back-up and file that somewhere else and temporarily remove the project folder from the desktop to the Recycle Bin the .pte icon within the ZIP folder will not open the show and I get the usual message regarding lost images. When the original folder is returned to the desktop from the Bin all is well....

In Answer:-

Item (1) above

Yes you are quite correct, if you move the "Containing Folder" to another location PTE won't find it - you have to physically guide PTE to the new position and Re-Save the Folder. Look into Shot-01 below for Instructions...Firstly open the PTE Program and look up to the top-left corner thats Shot-01.

Item (2) above

Correct again, the .pte Icon is NOT a self-executing Exe so it can't work as a stand-alone executible such as the Show Exe. So zipping-it and relocating it simply won't work.

For simplicity consider the .pte Icon as a 'Program Tag' for Work in Progress.

After Un-zipping the Folder follow the same instructions as shown in Shot-01 below...(Find the Folder etc)

Hope this helps you ~ Don't forget to keep any Music in the same Folder.

Brian.Conflow.

[JEB]

Firstly, thank you all for your replies.

Thanks to your replies I have now discovered how to use the ZIP folder. I was not unzipping into another folder but simply trying to open the project directly from the ZIP folder – daft!

I have now managed to open the project on my laptop so that now enables me to work on more than one machine but more importantly gives me security comfort.

I’m almost there but still have one problem, let me explain.

If I initially create a data folder for a project on my desktop and subsequently move that data folder to another drive I am not able to open the project in PTE though I can navigate to the data folder in its new location from within PTE and view each image in the main window. However in the window along the bottom, though each image file name appears below an empty box, which should contain the image, instead has the message “This image can not be loaded………”.

I am however able to open the project (without the data folder being on the desktop) provided I have created a ZIP back up and use the unzip procedure properly! This is fine provided you follow good practice and ZIP regularly. However it doesn’t appear to get over the problems encountered if you embark on some directory reorganisation at some point during the production of a show.

Brian,

You seemed to be suggesting that this is possible. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks again folks.

John

[nobeefstu]

John,

If all else fails try this :

Just simply Drag-Drop your project file onto the PTE program executable ( Apr.exe ). This has worked just fine for me from projects made on / saved on different pc and drives.

Note:

You cannot Drag-Drop your project file into an opened window of PTE program executable ( Apr.exe ) ... this wont work. The PTE program executable ( Apr.exe ) cannot be open/running.

[Conflow]

Hi John,

The method given by "Nobeefstu" is one way of doing the job ~ here is another way that

I personally favour and it works irrespective where I park the Show-Folder, even if its on

a Memory-Stik or a Floppy or on my Firewire (LaCie) External Hard Drive.

See ScreenShot "Shot-2" below for Instructions.

Hope it works for you ~

Brian.Conflow.

[jevans]

If I initially create a data folder for a project on my desktop and subsequently move that data folder to another drive I am not able to open the project in PTE though I can navigate to the data folder in its new location from within PTE and view each image in the main window. However in the window along the bottom, though each image file name appears below an empty box, which should contain the image, instead has the message “This image can not be loaded………”.

I am however able to open the project (without the data folder being on the desktop) provided I have created a ZIP back up and use the unzip procedure properly! This is fine provided you follow good practice and ZIP regularly. However it doesn’t appear to get over the problems encountered if you embark on some directory reorganisation at some point during the production of a show.

John

John,

Maybe I am wrong, but some of the replies appear to me not to be answering your question. What I think you are asking is .... If you have a series of images in a particular folder and then start to make a PTE show in which the images used are in this folder, AND THEN, without creating a backup zip file, you do some folder re-organisation, your PTE show cannot find its images. If this is your problem then the answer is you should not do this. PTE like many other similar software, creates a link to the images it uses. Now if you move or rename the source data for the image, PTE does not know what to do and says, "where have the images gone".

So, if you want to do some folder re-organisation in the middle of preparing a pTE project, just zip up the project and, when you have finished the re-organisation, unzip the project into its new home. I have found by bitter experience that ALL the images and associated files for a project should be in the same directory. I use Adobe Audition for my sound editing and its creates "session" files. I need to keep these all together to avoid getting in a terrible muddle.

Best regards

Jeff

[JEB]

Hi All,

Thanks very much for your input.

I have learned a lot, mainly that I can’t do precisely what I thought was possible, as has been clearly spelt out by Jeff.

I had hoped that there was some way whereby you could quickly redirect PTE to the new location of the image/audio folder by simply altering the routing instructions.

As ever, there is a work around, using the ZIP option. Perhaps this is no bad thing as it underlines the benefits of good working practice by getting into the habit of saving to a ZIP file.

Thank you all again for your help

Regards

John

[Ronniebootwest]

Why does everyone seem to forget that the 'Make a Template of this show' still exists. It works very well, why not give it a try.

Ron

[Conflow]

Why does everyone seem to forget that the 'Make a Template of this show' still exists. It works very well, why not give it a try.

Ron

Ron,

You are so right, I completely agree with you ~ it would save so much 'hastle' ~ In fact it would be a great feature if making a Template could be an "Automatic-Function" with user choice to switch it On/Off as a personal preference.

It would also create the framework towards constructing a personal 'Library Facility'.

Perhaps Igor would look at that suggestion after his Vacation.

Brian.Conflow.

[JEB]

Ron, Brian,

Does making a template get over my problem regarding moving the original data folder/s from their original location during the production of a show and still getting access to continue the production of the show?

John

[Ken Cox]

I shot 300+ shots at a road race yesterday - with 2 cameras - this involves renmaing every shot with the runners placement tag number and runner name

i make a new template over the other one every 4 shots to the default location and a save after every shot

i will not use the template until i am ready for the burn

and every so often i create a new zip and put it on another drive

discipline is the secret JEB

i may be done sometime this week

ken

[Conflow]

Ron, Brian,

Does making a template get over my problem regarding moving the original data folder/s from their original location during the production of a show and still getting access to continue the production of the show?

John

John,

I have always advocated making a Template and Ron is saying the same thing ~ Point being, if you "damage"

the contents or "misplace" the source Folder for any reason ~ Then simply open your PTE Program Folder and

open the contained Template Folder and voila:- There is an exact "Carbon Copy" of your Show including the vital .pte File, Music, Photos etc. Simply RH.Clk your Template, copy it, and park it wherever you wish.

As Ken has indicated, most of us who use Templates do so for the crucial reason that we need a Copy Folder for "Work in Progress" which you could name and 'Template-Save' as Work-2.

As you can see the reason is very obvious, you always have direct access to your origional Folder irrespective what happens to the "Work in progress" Folder.

Golden Rule:- Always make a Template of the origional Show and another for the "Work in progress" and now and then, re-save the second Folder as Show-2 ~ it just takes 2 clicks !

Brian.Conflow.

[JEB]

Thanks Brian,

Sounds like that is the answer but just to confirm, I take it if for whatever reason, I move the template folder or the template to a different drive, I can still access it and continue working on my show.

If that's the case then that's the answer.

I think I now understand the difference between templates and zip.

Regards and thanks to all.

John

[Peter S]

I had never come across this "Template" idea before so thanks to all those who have brought it to my attention. But it seems a most odd term to use. Surely it is not a "Template" is it ? It just seems like a copy of all the files relevant to a project. If you keep all the files in a specific folder it is just as easy to make a copy of that folder. Have I missed some important aspect of this "Template"?

Kind Regards

Peter

[Conflow]

I had never come across this "Template" idea before so thanks to all those who have brought it to my attention. But it seems a most odd term to use. Surely it is not a "Template" is it ? It just seems like a copy of all the files relevant to a project. If you keep all the files in a specific folder it is just as easy to make a copy of that folder. Have I missed some important aspect of this "Template"?

Kind Regards

Peter

Peter,

Yes,in essence you are quite correct ~ it does appear as if its a Copy Folder ~ but the comparison stops there.

The Template is a non-exe carbon-copy of your "Work in Progress" or indeed the entire data contents of a Show which is automatically-created together with its crucial .pte File containing the 'script instructions' needed to re-generate the data content back to the PTE.Program so it can process this data into a working Model.

There after you create an Exe.File which runs as a dynamic Program, viz:- "Your Slideshow".

Template's gives you the ability to 'copy' and store them where you like with the certain knowledge that the

contained .pte File will always find the Main PTE Program provided it can get access to it via the PC.Databus

which is nearly 100% foolproof. In comparison if you copy a .pteFile into a Show Folder and move that Folder

then its almost certain that you will loose the connectivity with the PTE.Program which happened to John.

The .pte File within the 'Copy Template' (no matter where that is) will always re-load your Project back into

the PTE.Program and will re-open the Program in its entirety.

No excuses made in trying to keep the explaination simple...

Brian.Conflow.