Wide Screen Monitor Problem

[Rooskidiver]

I am currently using Version 4.48 and trying to create a menu driven show and working with two other people. The menu was created in Photoshop but I am using buttons inserted in the Object Editor for selecting the different menu items. I have made each slide 1024x768 and have checked Fit to Screen under the Project/Screen option and Full Screen Mode.

This works fine on my monitor but does not work at all on the wide screen monitors that my friends are using. The buttons don't appear in the right place on their screens. Is there any way in this version of PTE to resolve the problem so that it will run on both a normal monitor and a wide screen monitor and still look right?

Thanks!

[Limey]

I am currently using Version 4.48 and trying to create a menu driven show and working with two other people. The menu was created in Photoshop but I am using buttons inserted in the Object Editor for selecting the different menu items. I have made each slide 1024x768 and have checked Fit to Screen under the Project/Screen option and Full Screen Mode.

This works fine on my monitor but does not work at all on the wide screen monitors that my friends are using. The buttons don't appear in the right place on their screens. Is there any way in this version of PTE to resolve the problem so that it will run on both a normal monitor and a wide screen monitor and still look right?

Thanks!

Hi Rooskidiver,

Version 4.48 Object Editor. Select all of your Buttons, (Shift, Left Click). Then select "Group" from the upper bar.

This will ensure that your buttons stay in the same relative position to each other at any screen resolution.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Limey.

[Rooskidiver]

Limey - that doesn't seem to work. The buttons stay in the same position as they were before I grouped them. My son tried setting the resolution on his wide screen monitor to 1024x768 and everything looked like it was supposed to. But then when he set it back to his normal 1280x1024 all the icons on his desktop had moved. And he wasn't too happy.

Is there some other way to link about 25 individual PTE shows with a menu system other than the way I'm trying to do it?

Thanks,

Carol

[Limey]

Hello Carol,

I'm not quite sure what you are trying to do with your Button locations. If you are trying to place them in precise positions on the Photoshopped background, you will lose the locations at any other resolution.

Another tool you can use in the Object Editor window is in the top left corner "Preview In". This allows you to see how your buttons will look at the resolution of your son's monitor, without causing family strife.

Limey.

[Rooskidiver]

Limey - I have one slide that I made in Photoshop with text. I'm inserting the buttons (which are jpegs) onto the slide in the Object Editor in PTE and placing them in line with each texted menu choice which is in two columns. As long as the monitor's resolution is 1024x768 or less everything looks perfect. It's only when I try to go larger than the 1024x768 that the buttons get out of whack. Until I come up with something better I am running the menu itself in Windowed Mode. The actual menu looks good at any resolution in that mode but on the wide screen monitors you can see the desktop around the window. After a choice is made on any monitor the individual shows look fine at any resolution because there are no buttons or objects to worry about lining up. This is the only thing I've come up with so far but if anyone has another suggestion I'm open. And I do use the preview option in Object Editor to view other resolutions.

Thanks,

Carol

[Limey]

Carol,

O.K. I understand your dilemma now.

I'm afraid the only solution I can think of is to discard your Photoshop menu, start again and re-do your menu by adding both Text and Buttons in Object Editor.

This way you can group Text and Button objects together. At different resolutions they will still change location on the background, but Text and Buttons will stay aligned. I can't think of a more elegant solution I'm afraid.

Regards,

Limey.

[Conflow]

Carol,

Yes "Limey" has the correct approach ~ there is an 'anomaly' in the Pte.4 Series

of Programs in that it was designed to have the Text within the Buttons and then

the Buttons should be 'best-placed' on the Object Image after reviewing their size

and relative positions in various Screen Sizes. Avoid 'Text' placed over/under Buttons.

I adjust the 'positions' to suit one Screen size (above) 1024x768 and the other

Screen size (below) 1024x768. The size 1024x768 being the Standard IEEE Size.

This works well for Monitor sizes:- 12" to 21"

You're 'Wide Screen' problem is a tricky one ~ some users create a 'Black Screen'

of sufficient size to cover the Wide Screen Format and then paste their Images on to

multiple copies of the Black Screen. In this way you will have a Black Border around

your Images, at least its better than seeing the sides of the Desktop.

Brian.Conflow.

[Rooskidiver]

One more question then. Brian you say "there is an 'anomaly' in the Pte.4 Series of Programs ...". Does this mean that it's different in Version 5? In other words if I upgraded to Version 5 would it be easier to fix the problem I'm having or would there be a better way to create a menu driven show?

Carol

[fh1805]

Hi Carol,

I think there are two avenues that can be explored in respect of your problem: we can work to help you understand why you are seeing what you are seeing and we can work to advise of how a change of PTE version might, or might not, change the situation.

Let's take a look at the first of them. I, too, use menu sequences to drive a group of other sequences. All the sequences are built on a desktop PC with a monitor whose native resolution is 1280x1024. The vehicle for the end-delivery is a digital projector whose native resolution is 1024x768. That digital projector is driven by a laptop whose native resolution is 1280x800. I still build my menus in PTEv4 even though I now use PTEv5 for building the main sequences.

For use in PTEv4 menus, I size all my "background" images to be 1024x768 i.e. the correct size for the digital projector. When positioning buttons, text or thumbnail images on the background via PTEv4's Object Editor I ensure that I am previewing (in the Object Editor) at 1024x768. This ensures that the design layout is right for the digital projector. If I feel a compelling need to preserve the spatial relationship between the objects when seen on the laptop I will select all of them (Hold down Ctrl key and click on each one in turn) and then Group them. If I don't Group the objects then their spatial relationship goes out of the window when viewed on the laptop. If I do Group the objects their spatial relationship with one another is preserved when viewed on the laptop but the alignment of the entire group against the background image is still off the mark. BUT... (and for me this is the important point) because I designed and built using the 1024x768 preview, I know that all the spatial relationships will be correct when projected.

I'm not sure that the explanation which is about to follow is technically correct but it seems to fit the observed results. I think that in PTEv4 the position of an object is encoded in the pte file as a percentage offset from top left corner of the screen. In other words if you position a button to exit from the menu down in the bottom right corner (let's say at 95% across and 95% down) then that is where PTE will place it. And it will place it there irrespective of the monitor resolution.

Now, would upgrading to PTEv5 change the situation?

Yes it would. Because in PTEv5 you have the options (on Project Options, Screen tab) of setting the aspect ratio separately from the Full Screen or Windowed mode. I leave the aspect ratio set to 4:3 (i.e. correct for 1024x768 projection) and have the Full Screen mode active. I thus find that in PTEv5 I can view everything at full monitor resolution of 1280x1024 whilst designing and building on the desktop - but with the aspect ratio constrained to 4:3 - and, when I move the exe file to my laptop, PTEv5 ensures that the playback takes place at 4:3 aspect ratio. Spatial relationships are thus preserved in all situations. Previwing the sequence on the desktop I get a small band of black at top and bottom (where the 4:3 image doesn't fit in the 5:4 hole), on the laptop I get a broad band of black on the left and right (where the 4:3 image doesn't fit the wider hole) and on the digital projector I get edge-to-edge image in all directions.

Hope this helps you to a better understanding.

[Hawk]

Hi Carol

Here is a trick “alrobin” came up with awhile back in 2004, you may want to try.

Creating 4 transparent. gif’s for each corner of your image and “ group all “.

However this will not prevent the desktop showing on widescreen.

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....44&hl=group

I also would recommend you do upgrade to version.5, for the same reasons the above members have mentioned.

I have e-mailed you a few ver 5 sample menus with different settings that you can have your friends try.

[nobeefstu]

Carol,

I have one slide that I made in Photoshop with text. I'm inserting the buttons (which are jpegs) onto the slide in the Object Editor in PTE and placing them in line with each texted menu choice which is in two columns.

Have you tried this senario in your v4.48 menu using full screen:

-Add your Photoshop image as an image object on a plain black ( or what ever color) slide. This way the Photoshop image is no longer a slide image ... but is now a object on the slide.

-Add your buttons, text, whatever

-Group all the Objects. The Photoshop image is now part of the group ... and should maintain relative position with the rest of the objects.

-You will still see black borders on different screen sizes ... but the view/objects should be consistant. It should appear/look like your previous windowed mode menu ... but this time with a full screen background to hide the desktop.

I would still try v5 ... it does offer many new options. It does however have a few limitations of which you may accustom to in using v4.

[Limey]

Excellent solution Stu.

Limey

[Conflow]

Carol,

You see from the responses to your origional Post there are always "Tricks of the Trade"

with everything ~ and I might add ~ that those responses were gained after many hard

hours of labour which shows the dedication of Forum Members to the PTE.Program.

One word of caution:- If you are thinking of changing to PTE.5XX make sure your Computer

is actually up to the 'specifications' demanded of Pte.5 ~ many are not suitable.

May I suggest that you Post a brief Tech.Description of your PC giving the following:-

* Processor Type and Speed.

* Make & Type of Graphic Card used.

* Size of the Hard-Disc Drive.

* Amount of 'User Memory' (RAM) available.

Some 'Forum Members' experienced in using PTE5XX will advise you of the PCs' suitability.

Hope this is of some help...

Brian.Conflow.

[Rooskidiver]

Thank you all for your comments, suggestions, emails, and help! If I weren't so pressed for time I'd put my project on hold, upgrade to Version 5, spend some time learning its new features, and start over. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of doing that right now. I think my fix for the moment will be to upgrade and make the menu in Version 5 while keeping Version 4 to make the individual slideshows that I'm using the main menu to connect.

I did try all of the suggested tricks though and they all worked! The hardest part was figuring out how to create a transparent object to stick in the four corners. As Ken Cox will testify to ... I really am a blonde. Using the menu slide as an object on a black slide worked too. So thanks to everyone for all the work arounds.

And I'm sure my system will run Version 5. Pentium 4, 3.20 HGz, 2 GB RAM, Radeon X1300 graphics card, 250 MB hard disk drive.

A friend of mine just purchased Version 5 having never used PTE before. But after looking at some of my shows and hearing my praises about not only the program but the support I've gotten he was sold. I first purchased PTE in October 2001 and have always felt it was the best money I've ever spent on any software. And not just for its features and upgrades over the years but for the help I've gotten from this forum. Thank you all again and again!

Carol

[Ken Cox]

A LITTLE BACkGROUND ON THE BLONDE

back in the early days Carol was one of the first to produce vcd/svcd to play on her ws tv and readily communicated her findings - very easy to find her postings via the search

but she has had a few other personal projects and she has not been contibuting. I have been trying to keep her up to date by sending links to posted shows

ken

[Conflow]

Carol,

Just in case Igor did not read your last Post may I make a suggestion that you

EMail him and ask if the "Radeon 1300 Graphics Card" is suitable for Pte.5XX.

Perhaps Ken Cox might know ?

Brian.Conflow.

[Ken Cox]

Brian, she as been playing the v5 shows posted and never complained

also

a dream thread that got lost in all the updates can be found here -- some background what we have gone thru - and you will see names we never see anymore

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums//index...;f=4&t=1350

ken

[fh1805]

I have an Acer laptop which has the ATI Radeon X1300 graphics. It seems to handle my PTE v5 animations OK.

[Rooskidiver]

Ken - thanks for putting the link to the old post. I sure do remember those hair-pulling, head-banging days. Used up lots and lots of blank media before getting something to work.

I got Version 5 today, created the same menu system that I had been making in 4.48, and everything is working perfectly. On my monitor of course it looks as expected. On my son's wide screen the buttons line up perfect with what they're supposed to. There's a small black bar at the top and bottom of the screen but we think that's better than seeing the desktop. And there's no problem with the video card.

So I'm happy! And thanks once again for everyone's help and suggestions. One of these months or years when I find some free time again PTE V5 is on my list of things to "play" with.

Carol

[Conflow]

Ken & Carol,

Well Ken there's another satisfied customer ! ~ "just joking Carol"...I'm pleased that the

Radeon Card is working well for you ~ I'm gonna bookmark that fact because so many

have problems with VGA Cards. Best of luck with PTE.5XX, its a great Program.

Brian.Conflow.

PS. Ken thanks for the assurance on the VGA Card.

[Ken Cox]

BRIAN

quote by Peter

"I have an Acer laptop which has the ATI Radeon X1300 graphics. It seems to handle my PTE v5 animations OK."

all i said was Carol had not complained

the point you missed tho' -- Carol is not planning on panning/zooming at this point so the HP needed to do a basic fade show is small -- all she need 5 for is for the menu. I expect once she gets rolling she will experiment and am quite sure she will advise us any hiccups

ken

[cjdnzl]

Carol,

Just in case Igor did not read your last Post may I make a suggestion that you

EMail him and ask if the "Radeon 1300 Graphics Card" is suitable for Pte.5XX.

Perhaps Ken Cox might know ?

Brian.Conflow.

For general interest, this link shows a pretty complete list of graphics cards in descending order of performance, compiled by an overclockers member.

http://www.overclock.net/graphics-cards-ge...rd-ranking.html

There are actually three x1300 cards, an x1300se, ranked lowest, then x1300 with no suffix, then x1300xt. Both the x1300se and x1300 rank well below the Nvidia 6600GT, considered minimal for good graphics performance, while the x1300xt ranks just above the 6600GT and below the 7300GT.

Unfortunately, I would consider the x1300se and the x1300 as not good enough for advanced graphics, i.e. zooming and panning and/or fast slide changes. The x1300xt, like the Nvidia 6600GT, is marginal but probably usable for most, but not all, requirements of PTE 5.

If a graphics card upgrade is to be considered, then an Nvidia card is preferable to ATI because of lost profile problems inherent with ATI cards. My recommendation for a mid-range card that will perform but not break the bank would be an Nvidia 8600GT, or perhaps better if it can be afforded.

Colin

[Conflow]

I have an Acer laptop which has the ATI Radeon X1300 graphics. It seems to handle my PTE v5 animations OK.

Peter,

It's nice to hear that your ATI-Radeon 1300 is also working well ~ it might not be the

top of the range ~ but having done more research, it sure is very 'stable' compared to

'Nvidias GeForce 8600' which is giving an amount of headache here in Ireland all of which

are Driver related. Changing or getting New Drivers into the thing is an absolute nightmare.

Brian.Conflow.

[fh1805]

Brian,

Thanks for the reassurance about the ATI Radeon graphics and for the "heads-up" about NVIDIA GeForce 8600. I 'm amazed at the depth of your technical knowledge. As an ex-IT "techie" myself, I understand why you, and others, urge getting the latest drivers but I swear by the dictum: If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Right now, all three of my computers are working satisfactorily: the oldest laptop having been relegated to family history research work because its Intel graphics couldn't hack PTEv5 animations. The Compaq desktop is NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS and, as stated in the post above, the Acer laptop is ATI Radeon X1300. Both these systems currently are handling everything that I throw at them.

Rest assured, if I find anything in PTE that either of these cannot handle properly I'll post a "heads-up" for all the forum members to see.

[Rooskidiver]

According to the box I have a VisionTek XGE 512Mb AGP 8X/4X ATI Radeon X1300 Windows Vista Ready and some other stuff graphics card. My son got it for me and installed it after I was crying about having trouble hitting the monsters in Gothic 3. After installing this video card I had no trouble killing anything.

And yes ... my children and granddaughter think that besides being a "blonde" that I'm weird ... but I like to think of myself as eclectic.

Carol