PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.6 Beta 7

[mhwarner]

My backup laptop is a 4-year old Dell with an NVidia GeForce FX GO5200 graphics card and 1.5 Gigs of RAM. All 3 of the mask demos posted so far, as well as the mipmapping demo run fine on that laptop. And of course, they run ok on my working machine (except for the annoying ATI darkening) with an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 card and 2 Gigs of RAM.

[Igor]

Patrick,

Michel,

You're welcome to the new topic I just created

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8948

[Adda]

Common sense seems coming back !

I am very pleased to read that I probably don't come from an exotic planet and that others are also bothered with the evolution of that software which is now to the antipodes of PTE V4's end version philosophy, due partly probably to the inflation of never ending new features .... all of absolute urgent need and vital necessity !

If I understand you, you don't want new functions as masks etc?

My English is really bad, sorry.

For me - I am really glad about this new functions.

And I hope, there will be some new functions in the future.

Nobody is forced to use the functions, which he does not need.

Please help me to understand.

Best regards

Andreas

[goddi]

Igor....

Getting away for the moment from the 'original mode' debate, how about a fresh 'bug'?

I see that the problem in moving and setting the Grid Lines manually to the center of the image window has improved. However, when I press the 'C' button, I presume that the orange lines will be brought to the center of the image window. It still does not. It is still too far down and a bit to the left of center. Yes, I can use the Offset buttons to re-align it but it would be very nice if the 'C' button would actually bring the orange lines to the center of the image window, if that is what it is designed to do.

Thanks, Gary

[fh1805]

Gary,

I don't think it's a bug. Try unticking the "In pixels" box, setting the two values from 10 to 20 and then click on the C button. This will align the orange grid intersection with the centre point of the image if the image is at pan = 0.

regards,

Peter

P.S. I didn't know any of that until you made your post and I did the research. Thanks for increasing my knowledge of PTE.

[goddi]

Gary,

I don't think it's a bug. Try unticking the "In pixels" box, setting the two values from 10 to 20 and then click on the C button. This will align the orange grid intersection with the centre point of the image if the image is at pan = 0....

=====================

Peter...

Gee, thanks for making some sense out of it. But it really is non-intuitive! I hope Igor will make it so when the 'C' is pressed (with or without the "In pixels" box being ticked), the orange cross-hairs will move to the center. The way it works now, just does not make much sense.

And it really seems to only work when you have the "In pixels" box unticked and set at 10. Then the orange lines are on the outside edges of the image window, but no cross-hair lines in the vertical and horizontal centers, as I would like. Otherwise, the orange lines do not mean anything. ("0" gives no grids). I do think it is a 'bug' because it is not doing what a user (like me) expects it to do. And why would you want the effects of unticking the "In pixels" box? What is the measurement if not in pixels? And there should be a box between the two drop-down boxes to sync both boxes simultaneously when you want to enter the same number in each box.

Gary

[Igor]

Beta 5:

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip

+ You can use 2-pass encoding of video (in preset for PC and Mac).

+ Improved speed of creating of video when "Pan and scan" option enabled.

+ Various small improvements.

* Fixed old bug with visual defects in Slide list after pressing of Win+L key, or after locking of PC.

* Fixed bugs with error message on attempt to delete a slide (if "Random show of slides" option was enabled).

* Fixed problem when creating of H.264 video for PC and Mac didn't start.

* Fixed bug with incorrect proportions of slide when "Pan and scan" option unchecked in creation of video for PC, iPhone, Vimeo.

* Fixed bug when values in Size/Position tool window (O&A editor) were not actual.

[goddi]

Beta 5:

===============

Igor,

Good news. I was able to create, in Beta 5, an HD of the slideshow that I was having difficulties with in Beta 4. I made a 1280x720HQ and an 800x600LQ. Both looked just fine.

One thing I noticed is that I have some text at bottom of one slide. In the 800x600, it showed correctly. However, in the 1280x720, this text was cut off. It was created in 4:3. It might just be the nature of the 1280x720 conversion. But I had the text within the 'safe TV zone' and the Screen was set to 94%. I figured that would be enough not to cut off any part of the slideshow. Is this what should be expected?

Thanks... Gary

P.S. I noticed also that the Grid features were not improved yet. Hopefully, next go-round, when the C is pressed the orange cross-hairs will automatically be placed in the center of the image window. And the outside orange lines are still not equi-distant from the edges of the image window when 'C' is hit. I do see that only when pixels are set to 102, the left, top and right orange lines do surround the image window. Maybe 102 should be the default?

[davegee]

Goddi,

Just trying to understand your reasoning:

The MPEG files you created cannot be burned to a PAL/NTSC DVD - they are too big.

You will need Blue Ray technology to make DVDs from these files - am I correct?

Will TV Safe Zone still apply? - I suppose it will but I don't know of anyone doing this at the moment to give a definitive answer.

I am still playing these MPEGs from my laptop to my TV via HDMI/DVI and TV Safe Zone does not apply to me.

DaveG

[goddi]

Goddi,

Just trying to understand your reasoning:

The MPEG files you created cannot be burned to a PAL/NTSC DVD - they are too big.

You will need Blue Ray technology to make DVDs from these files - am I correct?

Will TV Safe Zone still apply? - I suppose it will but I don't know of anyone doing this at the moment to give a definitive answer.

I am still playing these MPEGs from my laptop to my TV via HDMI/DVI and TV Safe Zone does not apply to me.

DaveG

==================

DaveG,

I am not sure what you are asking. I only did a simple Create HD Video to produce the mp4's. The PTE show that I was using was produced making sure that the text that I included was within the TV Safe Zone. My point was that the text that was within the TV Safe Zone (in the exe version) was cut off when I made the 1280x720 version, as opposed to the 800x600 version where the text was not cut off. The text was just above the TV Safe Zone at the lower part of the image.

As far as size goes, the final size of the 1280x720 was 116 mb and the 800x600 was 32 mb (the exe was 44 mb). So I don't see any problem burning them to a DVD, which I have done, and I have played them on my PC. They will not play on regular DVD player.

Gary

[Igor]

Gary,

One thing I noticed is that I have some text at bottom of one slide. In the 800x600, it showed correctly. However, in the 1280x720, this text was cut off. It was created in 4:3. It might just be the nature of the 1280x720 conversion

By default "Pan and scan" option enabled to avoid black strips if your choosed video format (say 1280720 = 16:9) not equal your project's settings (4:3). Choose "Custom" in video output window and untick "Pan and scan".

[goddi]

Gary,

By default "Pan and scan" option enabled to avoid black strips if your choosed video format (say 1280720 = 16:9) not equal your project's settings (4:3). Choose "Custom" in video output window and untick "Pan and scan".

====================

Igor... Yes, thanks for clearing this up. I did tests in Custom, with and without the "Pan and scan" ticked. When the "Pan and scan" was unticked, the text in the slideshow came out as it did in the original exe. It was not cut off. So, I don't understand why you should have to go into Custom to make the slideshow come out as you would expect it to be (same as the original). Don't you think the 'default' preset should do this???

I think that when someone chooses a non-Custom preset, it should come out the way you might expect it to...same as the original exe. Maybe I am missing something here, but I think that the default for the non-Custom presets should have the "Pan and scan" unticked. If someone wants to make it different than the original look, then they should have to go into the Custom settings to make the change. (And I have no idea what "Pan and scan" means or why one would choose it.)

Gary

[davegee]

Hi Gary,

The point I was trying to make (I think!) was that TV Safe Zone is only necessary for regular PAL/NTSC DVD Authoring.

For making an MPEG for viewing on your computer it is not necessary?

DaveG

[goddi]

Gary,

By default "Pan and scan" option enabled to avoid black strips if your choosed video format (say 1280720 = 16:9) not equal your project's settings (4:3). Choose "Custom" in video output window and untick "Pan and scan".

====================

Igor... Yes, thanks for clearing this up. I did tests in Custom, with and without the "Pan and scan" ticked. When the "Pan and scan" was unticked, the text in the slideshow came out as it did in the original exe. It was not cut off. So, I don't understand why you should have to go into Custom to make the slideshow come out as you would expect it to be (same as the original). Don't you think the 'default' preset should do this???

I think that when someone chooses a non-Custom preset, it should come out the way you might expect it to...same as the original exe. Maybe I am missing something here, but I think that the default for the non-Custom presets should have the "Pan and scan" unticked. If someone wants to make it different than the original look, then they should have to go into the Custom settings to make the change. (And I have no idea what "Pan and scan" means or why one would choose it.)

Gary

[goddi]

Hi Gary,

The point I was trying to make (I think!) was that TV Safe Zone is only necessary for regular PAL/NTSC DVD Authoring.

For making an MPEG for viewing on your computer it is not necessary?

DaveG

============

DaveG,

Yes, I understand your point now. However, I try to make my slideshows so that they will play on both the computer and when played from a DVD. So I have the TV Safe Zone appear while I am making the show to be sure that the text does not have to be moved if I happened to burn the show to a DVD.

Igor gave a response on how to untick the "Pan and scan" in Custom to avoid having the problem I had with the text being cut off, even though the text was within the TV Safe Zone. And also note that the text is cut off when playing the mp4 on the PC. So the text would be cut off whether you made the mp4 for the PC or for a DVD.

Gary

Added later... And the fact that I my project setting was 4:3 and I created the HD in 1280x720, probably is part of the problem. But I am 'unskilled' in what happens when you use these different settings. Perhaps if the original show was made in 1280x720, I would not have had this problem. My bad...

[Igor]

Beta 6:

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip

* Fixed problem with uploading of created video to Vimeo.

* Fixed bug of previous betas when there were no music in created video files if music in WMA/OGG format.

* Small improvements.

[Ed Overstreet]

Forgive me if this is redundant to another post, but I have only returned to this forum recently and don't have the time or patience to go through all the earlier threads on beta 5.6 ...

I am delighted to see that one of the enhancements in beta 5.6 is having the sound play during playback within the Objects and Animations window. I have long been frustrated by the lack of sound in earlier versions in that window, since I take great care in timing all of my visual effects and moments, even in O&A, to specific moments in the music.

Would it be possible also to incorporate into the O&A display that portion of the waveform display that is appropriate to the time slice affected by the current O&A display? That would make timing of moments to the sound even easier.

Thanks, hope this isn't too late to make the suggestion and that it is feasible and reasonably easy to accommodate on top of your other no doubt long list of priorities for updates and fixes.

[Jean-Claude]

Would it be possible also to incorporate into the O&A display that portion of the waveform display that is appropriate to the time slice affected by the current O&A display? That would make timing of moments to the sound even easier.

Thanks, hope this isn't too late to make the suggestion and that it is feasible and reasonably easy to accommodate on top of your other no doubt long list of priorities for updates and fixes.

Not too late, but certainly useful to repeat this suggestion ( thread which is the most viewed in " Ideas and suggestions for next versions" chapter)

[fh1805]

This gets my vote too!

regards,

Peter

[jjf]

I went to a slideshow with the swedish landscape photographer Hans Strand and he had som amazing 3D transisions and he was using Apples Keynote. That program only works on Mac and I have a PC.

When I came home and found that the new Betaversion och PitctureToExe Deluxe had the same great 3D-features I was very pleased. Can´t wait for the official version.

Keep up the good work

[Igor]

Beta 7:

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip

+ Improved encoder of H.264 video: quality of video better than created in previous betas, file size smaller on 30% but encoding takes on 30% more time.

+ "Pan & Scan" option (when you create MPEG4 video) is more intuitive now.

+ Added new FPS presets for creating of MPEG4 video: 24p, 50p, 60p.

+ Improved protection of images and music in created EXE file with slideshow against extracting.

+ Small improvements with inserting of a new keyframe.

* Fixed bug of previous betas when there were no music in created video files if music in WMA/OGG format.

* Fixed minor bug of previous betas with "Save slide" feature in slideshow. Incorrect slide number in file name - "Slide 5.bmp" instead of "Slide1.bmp" for a project with four slides.

* Fixed an old bug (since v5.5) when after renaming of a main image in Slide list or File panel MiniPlayer didn't display renamed image.

* Fixed an old bug (since v5.1) when changing of display resolution, locking of PC or Sleep mode applied during encoding of video caused visual defects in created video file.

* Fixed other small bugs in the main program of PicturesToExe.

[JPD]

Beta 7:

+ Improved protection of images and music in created EXE file with slideshow against extracting.

Is it always or, as I hope, only an option ?

Thanks for mp4, must be nice, but haven't test at this moment.

[Lin Evans]

Hi JPD,

At least in this beta it is "always" - not an option and it works very well!

Best regards,

Lin

Is it always or, as I hope, only an option ?

Thanks for mp4, must be nice, but haven't test at this moment.

[Igor]

Jean-Pierre,

Is it always or, as I hope, only an option ?

Always for all created EXE files.

[ADB]

I am delighted to see that one of the enhancements in beta 5.6 is having the sound play during playback within the Objects and Animations window. I have long been frustrated by the lack of sound in earlier versions in that window, since I take great care in timing all of my visual effects and moments, even in O&A, to specific moments in the music.

It seems that in the O&A window it would be very helpful if you could PAUSE the animation rather than only being able to select STOP or PLAY. When you stop (after pressing play) the cursor returns to the start of the animation it would be very helpful to be able to PAUSE the cursor at any point in the animation so you could then add you keypoint at that point, this may even remove the need to see a wave form?