play multiple pte after each other

[CorVdK]

DaveG, DJH David and Xaver,

Thank you for your answers and efforts.

DaveG,

I tried your "Menu.exe" but there was a big blink between every "show". Also the Desktop showed minimum a second between the shows. Sometimes parts of the black background are in pieces.

It was about the same manner that I did my first tests. This way, when you will put complete EXE files in place of the small EXE files (shows of 5 to 12 minutes, in a row of 5 to 10), in the best case the chain will stop or if the worst comes to the worst will block your computer completely. It all depends of the power of your videocard.

DJH David,

I also tried your "Start menu with candles". Your solution is not what is realy wanted. It's not a show that is controled by buttons. We want to present a complete automatic show, that runs several EXE files in a row.

Please is it possible to do a small test for me. In the ZIP folder TEST Chain Show.zip you find a .pte file "FESTIVAL 01 FESTIVAL". The background is 1024 x 768 pixels. Run the file in PTE or run preview, let it play 10 to 15 sec. or longer (it's an endless loop). When you move your mouse the arrow will be visible, click on the screen, the shows must now show one after one (only the title and logos). Sorry it's in Dutch.

Just let me know if it flickers, have some breaks, does not run, or whatever.

Thanks in advance.

Greetings,

Cor

[JPD]

I made an exemple for somebody sometimes ago, it's here.

[davegee]

Hi Cor,

Apologies if it did not run smoothly for you.

Obviously, it runs perfectly on both my desktop and my laptop or I would not have made it available!

What is the spec of the computer which you used for showing?

Is anyone elese getting the same result?

DaveG

P.s. The site is running VERY slowly again with long delays and time outs.

[fh1805]

Hi DaveG,

I've just downloaded your zip file and run your Menu.exe and everything seemed to go as expected.

I didn't apply the instruction to turn off the Windows taskbar - and it was displayed. Why do I need to hide the Windows taskbar to run your sequence? I never see it when I run any of my own?

[davegee]

Good question???????????

Is it because the secondary shows are 1024x768 on a larger resolution screen?

The Menu fills the screen on anything up to 1920x1080 but the actual shows that the menu calls up are smaller.

On my setup, if I don't use "autohide" and the other one I ger a blue line across the bottom of the screen.

I'm not sure of the WHY - perhaps someone else can explain it better - but it works.

THANKS for confirming that the demo works OK.

I wonder if it is - Aaaaah Vista - my desktop and laptop are both XP and my new laptop with VISTA is still in its case.

Is anyone else seeing the SLOWNESS of the site and the timeouts?

DaveG

[fh1805]

DaveG,

Re slowness of site and timeouts. I've dipped in and out several times over the past two hours this morning on a broadband link without experiencing any problems.

What automated background tasks are running e.g. Anti-virus updates, Windows software updates? If your machine is running in what I sometimes think of as "quiet mode" with no such events taking place than the problem is likely to be with your network supplier.

Re Vista - don't believe all the horror stories you see/hear/read. I've been running two Vista machines for over six months now and haven't had any major problems. Sure, Vista has tightened up its attitude to security - to a state of paranoia at times - but it doesn't stop me doing anything that I want to. Certainly, some of my older software was rejected by Vista as being incompatible (I had to replace Photoshop Elements 3 with Photoshop Elements 5 for example). And yes, I get that annoying "flashback" to the desktop between shows when running them off a menu but Igor has previously indicated that he will fix this.

But, like I found Windows XP to be - the code is stable. So go on, take the damned thing out of the box and play with it!

[Ken Cox]

DAVE

ran ok on my system - i never hid task bar your demo covered it

ken

[CorVdK]

Dave,

1) Obviously, it runs perfectly on both my desktop and my laptop or I would not have made it available!

2) What is the spec of the computer which you used for showing?

1) I do not doubt about it.

2) HP Pavilion m8180.be

Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz

Physical Memory: 3070 MB

DirectX: 10.0

Hard disk total: + 1 TB

Video card: NVidia Geforce 8600 GT 512 MB ram VGA DVI

Monitor: HP f2105 Wide Flat Panel Monitor - res.: 1680 x 1050

VISTA Home Premium

I also tried the demo on a XP machine, Pentium 4 2 GHz, Memory: 1 MB, Nvidia Geforce Graphics n card with 128 MB.

With the same result, with or without hiding the Windows taskbar. Why is it not working for me????????

Peter,

Re Vista - don't believe all the horror stories you see/hear/read. I've been running two Vista machines for over six months now and haven't had any major problems.

I completely agree with you, also have my Vista computer for about 5 months now.

Re slowness of site and timeouts.

No problems for me as well.

Has somebody already tried my "TEST Chain show" please? Link: Mediafire

Greetings,

Cor

[CorVdK]

Jean-Pierre,

I made an exemple for somebody sometimes ago, it's here.

Merci bien, thank you for "Album et EXE de démo".

J'ai aussi pu mettre en pratique vos conseils, et en effet, ça marche très bien...

I succeeded to put your suggestion into practice, and indeed, it's working fine when I use the 1-pixel backgrounds with attached EXE shows,

and when I hide the Windows taskbar (otherwise it is shown all the time). It's seems to be "solid" so far (no tilt or popping of the black background).

But still there is a flickering between 2 shows when I put a title background between the shows.

Jean-Pierre, as I read the French topic right, did you make the original demo with PTE v4.48?

Did you ever tried the same with PTE v5.1?

Greetings,

Cor

[fh1805]

Cor,

I've just downloaded and run your "Test Chain show" - by double-clicking Reeksen.exe file. It seemed to run OK. I saw seven images each separated by a black slide: Kleurenfestival, Zeeland, Justitia, ZOO Antwerpen, Stadsfestzaal, Smog Alarm and Pauze. However, I had to use ESC key to get out of the sequence.

The whole sequence set looked as though it was built for 1024x768 (4:3 aspect) and it occupied the centre of my 1280x1024 (5:4 aspect) monitor with my Windows desktop visible all around the edges. There was no flicker or other interruption to a very smooth show.

Is that what you wanted to hear?

[JPD]

Jean-Pierre,

Merci bien, thank you for "Album et EXE de démo".

J'ai aussi pu mettre en pratique vos conseils, et en effet, ça marche très bien...

I succeeded to put your suggestion into practice, and indeed, it's working fine when I use the 1-pixel backgrounds with attached EXE shows,

and when I hide the Windows taskbar (otherwise it is shown all the time). It's seems to be "solid" so far (no tilt or popping of the black background).

But still there is a flickering between 2 shows when I put a title background between the shows.

Jean-Pierre, as I read the French topic right, did you make the original demo with PTE v4.48?

Did you ever tried the same with PTE v5.1?

Greetings,

Cor

Yes I did it with V4.49, the screen 4.49 must be the same at the beginning and end of a slideshow, so in order to have no flickering, if your slideshow is 3'20" long for instance and you want to have title, do something like :

Slide 1 for Hidetaskbar duration 200 ms

Slide 2 you title for instance 6 seconds and the end become the same color as Slide 3 (generally black)

Slide 3 for your slideshow duration 3'22"

Slide 4 a second title and son on.

The reason is that when the slideshow is finishing, it need between 50 and 300 ms at the end of it to refresh the V4 screen. It was the same with V4 slideshow.

I have made some little tests with V5, but quickly decide I'll continue to use V4 for that, so I haven't a great experience on that point.

NB You can put a sound on each slide with title to say the name of the next slideshow or others informations, nobody think to use this possibility. and it's possible also to have several slides between each slideshow and make a little sequence to present the next slideshow.

You also can put button to jump at another slideshow.

All seem correct with your test festival.

[CorVdK]

Peter,

Thank you very much for testing my sample show.

There was no flicker or other interruption to a very smooth show.

That's good news.

I had to use ESC key to get out of the sequence.

Yes, that's "normal", I made it that way.

Peter, is it possible to do an other try?

Please start the show by clicking on "FESTIVAL 01 FESTIVAL.pte" this will open PTE with 2 slides.

Start preview.

There must be an endless intro on the screen.

Let it run 10 to 30 sec. (whatever), move the mouse, it must be visible on the screen now (on the background slide), click once (at random on the background slide), then the "chain" is activated with the title backgrounds and logos.

To get out of the chain you must click twice on ESC.

Is this running OK?

Greetings,

Cor

[CorVdK]

Jean-Pierre,

NB You can put a sound on each slide with title to say the name of the next slideshow or others informations, nobody think to use this possibility. and it's possible also to have several slides between each slideshow and make a little sequence to present the next slideshow.

You also can put button to jump at another slideshow.

Thank you for the suggestions and ideas.

All seem correct with your test festival.

Thank you for testing.

Greetings,

Cor

[fh1805]

Cor,

I've just done the extra test you asked for. Everything behaved as you said it would. I got the zooming and rotating "50", moved the mouse and clicked once. That gave me the Kleurenfestival image and then on into the rest of the chain as before. First ESC took me back to a multi-column list image and second ESC took me back to my own desktop.

No flickers, no "flashbacks" to desktop.

Test was done using PTE v5.1 running under Vista Home Premium.

[CorVdK]

Peter,

Thank you again for the extra efforts.

I'm going to put in place all the real EXE files (shows) now and when that is working fine, I think we have a solution.

After the tip of Jean-Pierre,

Slide 1 for Hidetaskbar duration 200 ms

Slide 2 you title for instance 6 seconds and the end become the same color as Slide 3 (generally black)

Slide 3 for your slideshow duration 3'22"

Slide 4 a second title and son on.

The reason is that when the slideshow is finishing, it need between 50 and 300 ms at the end of it to refresh

I put 2 separate black slides after the title background in "Reeksen.exe". So that there will be a possible recovery timing after every EXE file (show).

The first black slide with -timing 3 sec.- will take care of the "recovery". The second black slide -timing 2 sec.- with <Customize Slide> <Main> "Advanced Options" path to the "Run external application".

And that for all of the "support"-slides before every show included in the chain. I end with a black slide, with or without end credits.

The show will be projected with a beamer, resolution 1024 x 768 pixels.

Fingers crossed.

Greetings,

Cor

[filip.debacker]

Hello Filip, Hello to all,

It can be done with PTE 5.1!

I made for the 50th anniversary of our camera club a complete lay-out of a chained sequence of EXE-files. Those EXE-files are not alone done by PTE, but also by m-Objects and Photodex-ProShow EXE-files are involved. About the flicker or other "waiting" problems between the shows: It's all depending on the power of the computer (we did it with a XP-computer Intel Pentium 4 3,2GHz, graphic card ATI 256MB Radeon x1950). The only flawty with "my methodology" is that before starting each show you see a fraction of a second the cursor on a black background (XP) or the "turning ring" of Vista.

Some basic tips before starting with a project like that, all providers of a show with PTE must be sure that:

1) their EXE-show is started and ended with a black slide

2) in <Project Options> <Show Settings> "Close show after last slide" is ticked, otherwise you have an endless loop, or you must push "ESC"

3) in <Project Options> <Advanced> "Hide mouse cursor during show" is choosen

If I get it straight, Filip want an endless projection of the shows.

Some questions Filip:

1) Do you want an intro, label, name of your camera club, first?

2) Do you want a break or pause in between?

Give us some more details please.

50th Anniversary of our camera club intro

This is the intro I made for the 50th Anniversary of our club. It's an EXE-file, that contains a background and the same background with the logo's, the titles of the shows, on that same backgound a button to launch the shows, in <Objects and Animation> <Common> "Action on mouse click - Run application or open file..." and point to (path) an "other" EXE-file to launch the shows.

Zip with .pte-file and used slides

That "other" EXE-file contains then, a black slide, possible backgrounds with titles before every show, after these again a black slide -timing 3 sec.- taking care of the loading of the next show, again a black slide (timing 2 sec.) with <Customize Slide> <Main> "Advanced Options" path to the "Run external application". You use the same combination of "support"-slides for every show you include in the chain. You end with a black slide or a slide with end credits.

If any questions...

Greetings,

Cor

Hello Cor,

1) The intro is also a show with a logo of the club

2) break (with drinks ;-)) is after the show, so no pause between the shows

thanks for all help!

Filip

[CorVdK]

Filip,

With pleasure.

Have you tried this? Mediafire: TEST Chain show

Please start the show by clicking on "FESTIVAL 01 FESTIVAL.pte" this will open PTE v5.1 with 2 slides.

Start preview.

There must be an endless intro on the screen.

Let it run 10 to 30 sec. (whatever), move the mouse, it must be visible on the screen now (on the background slide), click once (at random on the background slide), then the "chain" is activated with the title backgrounds and logos.

To get out of the chain you must click twice on ESC.

Is this running OK on your computer?

I tried it with real EXE files (complete shows, EXE made with PTE, m-Objects and Photodex-ProShow), no flicker, no glimmering, or whatever on my machine.

Perfect projection with a beamer with resolution of 1024 x 768.

Greetings,

Cor

[filip.debacker]

Cor,

It works fine!

I see the black screen with the 'endless' intro show in the middle of my desktop (Vista).

thanks!

Filip

[fh1805]

Cor,

In an earlier post you wrote:

After the tip of Jean-Pierre,

I put 2 separate black slides after the title background in "Reeksen.exe". So that there will be a possible recovery timing after every EXE file (show).

The first black slide with -timing 3 sec.- will take care of the "recovery". The second black slide -timing 2 sec.- with <Customize Slide> <Main> "Advanced Options" path to the "Run external application".

And that for all of the "support"-slides before every show included in the chain. I end with a black slide, with or without end credits.

You were trying to produce a chained set of sequences that ran seamlessly. Did you succeed? If so, what operating system did you build it on and what operating systems have you run it on or tested it on (other than the system used to build the sequence). I'm interested to know whether any of the systems were running under Vista. I'm struggling to get totally seamless chaining off a menu to work on a Vista system without giving me "flashes" of the Windows Desktop either before the next sequence begins or after the sequence has finished and before the Menu image is displayed once more.

Any enlightenment will be much appreciated.

[stonemason]

There is a very easy way of preventing taskbar flashes between menu driven slideshows. Create your menu sequence to run through to a slide full of buttons which activate other shows ( I used PTE 5.1 ) turn off 3d acceleration for the menu sequence and select stay on screen until escape is pressed, create your menu.exe file. Now for the important part before running your menu right click on windows taskbar select properties, and Uncheck "Keep taskbar on top of other windows". Your shows will now run and go back to the menu with no desktop or taskbar flashes.

Regards

Geoff

[davegee]

Hi Peter,

There is a temporary solution for Vista, until Igor can sort it out.

Using my Menu Demo as a trial I created a black Powerpoint slide with a large black autoshape hyperlinked to the root menu of my demo.

Run the Powerpoint show and click on the "invisible" hyperlink.

Autohide the task bar and move the mouse cursor well out of the way and the demo runs quite smoothly with no flashes to the desktop. It is probably flashing back to the Powerpoint slide but because it is black you cannot tell.

Not very elegant but it works.

DaveG

[stonemason]

Peter try my suggetion above (right click on windows taskbar select properties, and Uncheck "Keep taskbar on top of other windows"). I don't use vista so it may not work but if it does then it's a very simple solution. It certainly works with XP pro

Geoff

[CorVdK]

Peter,

You were trying to produce a chained set of sequences that ran seamlessly. Did you succeed?

Yes. With PTE 5.1.

...what operating system did you build it on and what operating systems have you run it on or tested it on (other than the system used to build the sequence).

build it with: VISTA Home Premium on HP Pavilion m8180.be; Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz; Physical Memory: 3070 MB; DirectX: 10.0; Video card: NVidia Geforce 8600 GT 512 MB ram VGA DVI;

Monitor: HP f2105 Wide Flat Panel Monitor - res.: 1680 x 1050.

tested it on: VISTA Home Premium (same computer as above) & Pentium 4 2 GHz; Memory: 1 MB; Nvidia Geforce Graphics n card with 128 MB & Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2.

I'm struggling to get totally seamless chaining off a menu...

Peter, you tried my "TEST Chain Show", did it work for you? If yes, you must succeed to make your own "chain".

Geoff,

Create your menu sequence to run through to a slide full of buttons which activate other shows...

If you have followed the above posts, this is not what we want to do, we want a complete automatic "chain show", without manipulating buttons or whatever. The only thing you have to do is click your screen once to start the "chain" with the EXE shows, if you have an intro.

...turn off 3d acceleration...

Maybe you must do that with your system with the buttons, but I repeat it for the second time, you must NOT turn off hardware acceleration (with PTE v5.1), because all your chained shows, the "support" EXE file with the instructions (and the optional intro if any) will begin to flicker, the quality of your presentation will be zero if you have some animations, and in the worst case your show will end in a mess.

To all who are interested,

For the 50th anniversary of our camera club I made a complete lay-out of a chained sequence of EXE-files. Those EXE-files are not alone done by PTE, but also by m-Objects and Photodex-ProShow EXE-files are involved. About the flicker or other "waiting" problems between the shows: It's all depending on the power of the computer and mainly the video card. The only flawty with "my methodology" is that before starting each show you see a fraction of a second the cursor on a black background (XP) or the "turning ring" of Vista.

Some very important basic tips before starting with a project like that, all providers of a EXE show must be sure that:

1) their EXE-show is started and ended with a black slide

2) in <Project Options> <Show Settings> "Close show after last slide" is ticked, otherwise you have an endless loop, or you must push "ESC"

3) in <Project Options> <Advanced> "Hide mouse cursor during show" is choosen

MediaFire: TEST Chain Show

Start the show by clicking on "FESTIVAL 01 FESTIVAL.pte" this will open PTE v5.1 with 2 slides. This is the intro I made for the 50th Anniversary of our club.

Start preview.

There must be an endless intro on the screen.

Let it run 10 to 30 sec. (whatever), move the mouse, it must be visible on the screen now (on the background slide), click once (at random on the background slide), then the "chain" is activated with the title backgrounds and logos.

To get out of the chain you must click twice on ESC. Sorry, all the titles are in Dutch, but that is not important.

From this project we make an EXE file, it's called "FESTIVAL 01 FESTIVAL.exe".

In the folder "TEST Chain Show" is a file named "Reeksen.exe" this is the EXE file with all the "dummy" slides, titles, black slides needed. It is directing the finished EXE shows of the club members. It must be in the same folder as "FESTIVAL 01 FESTIVAL.exe".

This is the PTE file of "Reeksen" (Reeksen means the Slide Shows of the members of the club):

MediaFire: Zip file with slides to use in the "Chain", blacks, title slides with logo,"dummy" slides to connect your EXE files Just click "Reeksen.pte" and PTE 5.1 is opened with all the slides used. These are (possible) backgrounds with titles before every show, after these again a black slide -timing 3 sec.- taking care of the loading of the next show, again a black slide (timing 2 sec.) with <Customize Slide> <Main> "Advanced Options" here you enter the name of the attached "Run external application". The same combination is used of "support"-slides for every show you include in the chain. You end with a black slide or a slide with end credits.

I made a new folder with the name "REEKSEN" and put all the complete EXE shows of the members of the club in it. This folder must be in the folder were "FESTIVAL 01 FESTIVAL.exe" and "Reeksen.exe" is in.

I tried it with real EXE files (complete shows, EXE made with PTE, m-Objects and Photodex-ProShow), no flicker, no glimmering, or whatever on my machine.

Perfect projection with a beamer with resolution of 1024 x 768.

If any questions...

Greetings,

Cor

[fh1805]

Geoff,

Thanks for the advice. I was doing all of it except Unchecking the "Keep taskbar on top of other windows". Having added that into the mix I now no longer get any flashbacks to the desktop but I do still get a "double flash" on the Menu image both before the start and after the end of each sequence that is driven off the menu. It's a step in the right direction but still very intrusive visually.

Dave,

I've not had time to investigate your option of using Powerpoint. And I won't have until Wednesday at earliest. I'll report back in due course. Thanks for the suggestion.

[stonemason]

Peter may I suggest that you use Unchecking the "Keep taskbar on top of other windows" and nothing else as this works fine for me so maybe there is some conflict with the other things you are doing. Recreate your PTE menu exe with no other workarounds make sure use 3d acceleration is turned off and I'm sure you will have no further problems.

Regards

Geoff