More on building Menu sequences

[fh1805]

Earlier this year there was an active thread running concerning the building of "menu" sequences or "chained" sequences - for example, where one sequence has on it objects that when clicked with a mouse, cause another sequence to run.

I never really got anything to work to my total satisfaction. Don't get me wrong - I can get the new sequence to start whenever it's trigger object is clicked and I can get the menu system to tick away in the background and still be there at the end of that triggered sequence. The problem that I have not been able to resolve is, I believe, an issue to do with the way PTEv5 interfaces with the graphics card when running on a PC that uses Vista. I build my sequences on a Vista desktop PC and I use a Vista laptop to drive the projector when I'm "on the road".

In my latest attempt to resolve this problem I was building an "endless loop" sequence that would automatically trigger other sequences in turn. This is to be run "hands-off" onto a rear-projection screen in one corner of the room where my local photographic society is holding a fund-raising event this coming Saturday (2nd August 2008). The end result will be running on an XP platform PC. The triggered sequences are a mixture of PTEv4 and PTEv5 sequences. I chose to use PTEv4 to build the loop sequence. Everything works just fine on my Vista desktop and also on my old XP laptop; except that some of the v5 animations in the triggered sequences are a bit jerky on the XP laptop. I knew this would be the case. That was the reason I had to retire the old XP laptop from PTE work. Its on-board graphics could not handle the more complex PTEv5 animations. The club's XP-based desktop system will be used to run the loop on Saturday and has successfully run each of the triggered sequences before so I don't expect any problems (its got an nVidia 8600 fitted).

Having got everything built and working OK for Saturday I suddenly thought: what happens if, on my Vista desktop system, I now open that PTE4 loop project in PTEv5, (saving it under a new name of course!)?

Well, the problem hasn't gone away. It still manifests itself as a short, repeated flicker (often involving brief flashes of the Windows desktop) at the start of the triggered sequence and again at the end of the triggered sequence. It seems to me that it might be something to do with handing over control of the graphics card from one sequence to the other.

I have had to make the following setting changes from the PTEv4 project:

- disable hardware acceleration (there is no animation in the loop project - only in the triggered sequences)

- turned off "Pause when window of slide show becomes inactive" (otherwise the timing of the loop project went all to hell)

The "programming technique" that I have used is that recommened in the original thread (by Cor, I think it was). A blank slide of 1 second duration set to "Run application", a blank slide of 2 seconds duration to allow time for the next sequence to load, a slide with text giving the author of the sequence just seen with a duration set to a few seconds longer than that sequence.

As I said above, the PTEv4 versions works fine on both XP and Vista. The PTEv5 version shows flicker at the start and end of each triggered sequence on the Vista system. What the PTEv5 version does on an XP system is irrelevant to me since my XP system can't handle the animations of PTEv5.

I seem to recall that in the original thread Igor acknowledged that there was a problem with PTEv5 code design in this area and that it would be addressed in a future release. It would be nice to have an update from the development team on this issue.

regards,

Peter

Edit: to correct typo in Title

[xahu34]

Hi Peter,

Did you ever try the following workaround:

1. Prepare a black object (Word, PowerPoint, ...) and export it as PDF.
   
2. Open the Run window and type the name and path of your master show without starting it.
   
3. Open the PDF with Acrobat Reader in full screen mode.
   
4. Use Alt+Tab to bring the Run window to the top, and start the master show.
   

Hopefully the desktop flashes remain invisible. You may also try IrfanView with a black image instead of Acrobat Reader.

Best regards,

Xaver

Munich

[Ken Cox]

Cor menu inst's

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=52610

ken

[Barry Beckham]

Peter

I used to use PTE4 for this purpose, but moved over to a dedicated menu builder when 5 was launched. I love PTE to death as you know, but I now favour Multi-Media-Builder to to what you are referring to.

Try downloading this example that I produce for download videos and take a look, obviously the video it refers to wil not play as it would need to be in the root directory with the start.exe, but most of the menu does. You can create the menu as big as you like and customise it as you wish.

Its not an expensive program either

http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/start.zip

[jfa]

Peter

I believe Barry is correct on this one. I also have been using Multi-Media-Builder for similar jobs and have found it to be quick and reliable.

Have a look here:-- http://mmb.mediachance.com/

[fh1805]

As at 20 August 2008 a possible solution to the "flashback" problem has been documented here:

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=55730

regards,

Peter