Is "Pause when window of slide show becomes inactive" workin

[ADB]

I'm trying to make a manual Powerpoint type presentation but at three or four points through the presentation I want to be able to launch a separate fully automated PTE show then come back to my manual presentation.

The only way I have discovered how to do this seemlessly is as follows:-

1. Make sure Hardware Acceleration is turned off in the "Screen" page of the Project Options menu

2. Create a blank slide solely for the purpose of launching my "other" PTE show, make sure this is set to 1 sec duration no effects and in the customize slide option "Main" select "Stop at the end of this slide"

3. The slide before my "launching slide" announces that the show is next, this slide is also set to "Stop at end of this slide"

4. Go to my XP Bottom Task Bar, right click and unselect Properties/"Keep Task Bar on top of all windows" option. This prevents your desktop flashing briefly at the end of your "other" show.

So when running my manual presentation I come to my "announcing slide" hit the mouse, it goes immediately to my blank "launching slide" my "other" PTE presentation is run then because I selected "Stop at end of this slide" returns to a blank screen in my manual show awaiting my next mouse key to continue.

NOW

What I don't get is that there is an option in the Projects/Main called "Pause when window of slide show becomes inactive", I would have thought if I had have selected this all I would need to do is, on my launching slide change the "Stop at end of this slide" option to "No actions after this slide". This would then mean that my "other" show would run its course then once finished PTE would automatically carry on to the next slide. This isn't happening, what does happen is that I go straight to the next slide after the launching slide plays and it displays that slide for a few seconds then my "other" show starts up and when its finished I am returned back to the slide after the launching slide. Infact the "Pause when window of slide show becomes inactive" seems to have little effect at all.

Am I missing something here? I have seen other posts with similiar problems but these appear to relate more to object menus or linking menus.

Any thoughts greatfully received.

Cheers

Andrew

[alrobin]

Andrew,

Are you trying to have the show cut away without having to press any buttons on the "announcing" slide?

I haven't been able to get this method to work seamlessly, as you mention, nor have I found a use for "Pause when window of show becomes inactive" either.

I have successfully used buttons to cut away, though, and for this I usually set "Stop at the end of this slide" on the control slide. I get a flash to the desktop, so will try your method of unselecting the taskbar option.

ps,

Yes, that solves the flash to desktop beautifully. Thanks for the tip!

[ADB]

Hi Al

Yes I don't want to have to press any PTE "Buttons" on the "announcing" slide as I will be walking around a conference room with a Logitech 2.4 GHz Wireless Presenter (amazing peice of kit by the way) and will be 50 feet or so away from my Laptop hence the need to run from the slide options and not a PTE button.

Great the flashing thing worked - only problem is if you distribute your show - others probably won't know to adjust their Taskbar settings.

I think with all the work arounds involved this is actually a bug and maybe Igor can fix in future versions.

Just another side comment, PTE as a Powerpoint type presentation software is fantastic!

Cheers

ANdrew

[thedom]

Andrew,

I already used this option to launch videos (using granot's utility) because I wanted the slideshow to NOT continue while playing the video.

And tt works perfectly well.

I don't understand why it wouldn't work for slideshow the way you wan it to work.

I will try to make a test tonight and will let you know...

[ADB]

Thanks DOM

[alrobin]

Andrew,

I agree that this is a bug - using "stop at the end", the action proceeds as intended, but it is very jerky at the point of cutting away to the next show, and it cuts away before the slide comes to an end, leaving the title semi-opaque until the second show finishes and the action returns to this slide.

Re the pc controller, I found a Logitech "bluetooth" mouse that works up to 30 ft, and I now use this to control my presentations.

I agree with you regarding PTE for "powerpoint" type shows. I have been using it this way for years.

ps,

On further testing, I find that "Pause when window ... becomes inactive" does work - it holds the position on the originating show until focus is returned to it, even though I have selected "No actions after this slide" in "customize slide". But the transition to the new show is very jerky, with the last slide in show 1 remaining partially visible for a split-second.

One way to solve this might be to put in a dark slide, and set up the transfer to the new show from it.

[targa912]

PTE as a Powerpoint type presentation software is fantastic!

Not totally familiar with Powerpoint. Do you mean using PTE with the ability to manuelly advance the slides? Bob W.

Bob W

[alrobin]

Just as a feature-rich presentation software, able to display top-quality images, with stunning graphics, and the ability to control these as would be required in a professional business presentation.

[ADB]

Andrew,

ps,

On further testing, I find that "Pause when window ... becomes inactive" does work - it holds the position on the originating show until focus is returned to it, even though I have selected "No actions after this slide" in "customize slide". But the transition to the new show is very jerky, with the last slide in show 1 remaining partially visible for a split-second.

One way to solve this might be to put in a dark slide, and set up the transfer to the new show from it.

Al,

I have tried your test above and agree the show does in fact come to the original position in the originating show but in my tests it seems depending on how long you display your launching slide (the slide that starts the "other" PTE show) you may or may not see following slides before your "other" show starts. For example if my launching slide is only say 1 sec duration and I have three following slides each of say 1 second then when I run the show I get to the launching slide, I then see the next three slides THEN the "other" show starts. Now if I make my launching slide 10 sec duration, when I play the show and come to the launching slide, it stays on screen for 10 secs then the "other" show starts without any following slides playing until the "other" show finishes. Clearly some tweaking is needed to PTE by Igor.

As a work around though I think it may be best to disable the "pause when window ....." option and manually control the show with the Stop after slide command as you are not going to know how long necessarily to make your launching slide to prevent following slides to display before your show starts, also you do have to wait less time for the show to start using this method.

Regards

Andrew