PicturesToExe as a slide show

[saleeltambe]

I would like to prepare a auto run photoCD using PicturesToExe.

But I want to have some animated text titles at the start up and some small animation icons inserted onto some pictures to make the CD a multimedia interactive presentation.

Can I use several slideshows ( cerated as standalone exe files in PicturesToExe ) as embeded slideshows in a web design package which convertys text to HTMl( for eg MS frontpage) etc ?

My question is that whether exe files created from PicturesToExe can be inserted in other developments ?

Any ideas , suggestions please ?

[nobeefstu]

Welcome, saleeltambe

It is possible to insert or embed PTE Shows into other programs ( or as you say "developments").

However, this is only possible if your "development" program can perform such a function. I do not use Frontpage ... so Im not aware of its capabilities of what it can/can not import/embed.

As to your purpose :

I want to have some animated text titles at the start up and some small animation icons inserted onto some pictures to make the CD a multimedia interactive presentation.

Making your external animations overlay/combine with the PTE Show for interactive purposes ... may prove to be a difficult/impossible task.

[alrobin]

Hi, saleeltambe

Welcome to the forum.

No, it's not practical yet to adapt PTE to HTML for web use as the file sizes are just too large. You'll have to stick to "Flash" or similar programs for web animations.

It should be possible to mix animations and PTE now that we have the option of starting another application at the end of a PTE show, although I haven't tried it yet. Boxig has some utilities on his web site which facilitate this as well. You can find a link to these utilities HERE .

[saleeltambe]

Thanks for your mails .

I am still in a bit of confusion.

Though I want to use a web design packagewith inserts / overlays of multiple several PTE slideshows, but is not to build up a website.

But it is with the objective to prepare a photo Cd with clickable hyperlinks on these web pages and some interactive menus( embeded exe files).

Essentially there need to be multiple slideshows which one can navigate and click.

I hope this should be possible.

Saleel

[alrobin]

I haven't heard of anyone trying it, but you could give it a try, and let us know how it works. You can use the free trial version to try it out if you haven't purchased it already.

However, you can accomplish at least part of this objective within PTE itself, using an introductory show consisting of one image, and add hyperlinks, control buttons, images, and text objects. These can, in turn, be used to start up other shows, etc.

The main problem with objects in PTE at the moment is that they are not scaled to the size of the screen. This may or may not be a problem for your application.

These can then all be put into a cd with auto-start capabilities.

Let us know if you need more information on how to do this.

[nobeefstu]

saleeltambe,

Sorry if the answers seem to a bit confusing ... but you have somewhat described a broad view of your intentions/expectations in binding both applications (PTE & HTM).

PTE can do as Al has mentioned in the above post ... and performs quite well.

But I suspect the interactive control you desire/propose is much more involved than linking between the muliple applications. I believe you want to have more control of the interaction between the 2 programs.

Heres what can work ....................

Example : You can have hyperlinks on PTE to open a HTM ...and vise-versa. This is about the limitation of actions/interactive control you can expect.

Heres what wont work .................

Example: You cannot send parameters or variables to PTE to control it thru your hyperlink. By this I mean ...you wont be able to have a HTM hyperlink go to a certain PTE page and perform some functions in the PTE page ... and vise-versa. (This is what I define as "interactive" ... both binded as if 1 program .)

Also Note : Unless your HTM and PTE Shows are truely "binded together" you run into issues common to using multiple windows ... one is "always on top" and "stealing focus' from the other.

Hope this post hasnt become more confusing

[saleeltambe]

Thanks again for your reply.

let me make it more clear ...(thanks for your patience and paying attention to my point )

My basic idea is to preapre a CD with about 600 wildlife photos clicked by me.

The opening screen should say the Title "wildlife CD" ( just for eg) in an attractive font anfd music.

The second screen should have three clickable buttons for -

a) Birds , Animals and c) others.

each of these have subcategories like

a) Birds- 1.Aquatic birds 2. ground birds 3. Preying birds

Animals - 1. herbivores 2. Carnivores

c)Others -1. Butterflies 2. Insects 3. Reptiles

Each of these are separate slide shows on their own ( PTE exe files )

I can just link them from and back to the opening screens through the PTE hyperlinks.

The opening screen can be made in paint shop etc with good fonts .

Or some information text pages can be pput as JPEG screens (as good as a single slide inside the individual slideshow)

Does that seem possible to be done using PTE ?

Sal

[nobeefstu]

saleeltambe,

Yes indeed .... you can do all this quite easily. Also, in PTE you can use buttons or other objects (pictures, text) as your clickable links ... this can allow you to be even more creative.

Your initial post gave me the impression of something much more in complex interaction( animated text and icons scrolling across selective PTE slides).

[think(box)]

Saleeltambe, I think you can consider using just one P2E show for your entire project. To do this just include a navigation button on every slide except the first and second slides, for example, in the top left corner. The navigation button is created in the object editor and needs to have the action, "go to slide #". I would use button text "Go back".

Your second slide - with birds, animals and others buttons brings viewer to additional sub-selection slides within the same show by their slide number that is coded in the "go to slide number" action. All selection slides should be customized to play for something like 10,000 seconds so they will wait for viewer action.

The slide that a "bird" button click goes to can have the same method again except it needs a "Go back" button coded to go back to the original selector slide number, with buttons to select Aquatic birds, ground birds and Preying birds. Let's say that there are no further sub-selection levels from this point.

Now when the viewer clicks Aquatic birds the show jumps to the slide where that segment begins. That "first" section slide can start custom music themed to the subject by slide customization (only first slide of a photo segment needs to mention custom music to play). And that slide and all others need a button with something like "Go back" that is coded to go to the current selection slide level. The last slide in a given segment, that says "End" in some way, should be set to play for 10,000 seconds once again, and should have the "Go back" button coded as always to go back to current selector slide level.

If the viewer keeps clicking "Go back" they can keep going back levels of show hierarchy until they get back to the original, top-level selector slide with no "Go back" button. You can see that the viewer has control at all times in this manner.

Finally, set up the CD files to include Autorun.inf to run your show.

Other than as Stu mentioned regarding your need for animation, this appears to fit your needs. You can always have any slide customized to run external application so that when the slide is displayed some other app with animation or otherwise plays briefly.

One final note - if you want precise picture to music synchronization, then you can not use the above show design idea. If that is the case you will have to use independent shows with no buttons, since buttons are disabled in a synchronized show. And each selector show would have to be music-less and set to stay running in the background until exiting to the previous level selector show.

[saleeltambe]

Many thanks to you all - Bill, nobeefstu, Alrobin.

I think I got a very good solution to my query through all your answers.

It was indeed a great help.

The forum is great !

Now I will go ahead and buy one copy of PTE and start off the work.

By the way...are there any good animation text freeware / shareware which can be inserted as a short title moving on the first slide ?

Can I then get a short animation title flash exe made from outside and insert the same on the first slide ?

Thanks once again for all your help.

Sal

[think(box)]

Saleeltambe, it looks like we're on the right track. If you want to make little extras like the title you mentioned, and you want to do this often, consider investing time and expense in MMB (this is not a five-minute quick fix...):

Main page:

Multimedia Builder by Media Chance software

Features page:

Makes standalone exe and can have animation etc features

As with PTE you can download MMB and try before you buy. If you buy, it is $45, or $60 for MMB with MP3 support and license.

To use for first slide, just customize that slide for "Run external application"

[alrobin]

Hi, Sal,

Glad you found the information useful.

No, there is no way of incorporating animation into the show as you describe it - however, there are utilities on Boxig's site which will run PTE and then a Flash animation in sequence. Also, you could try running Flash as an "external application" at the end of a PTE show.

[think(box)]

Good point Al. If I'm not mistaken, Granot (boxig) uses MMB to make the utility. This may be the five minute "quick fix" if it fits. Here is a link:

Granot's site - Look for utility number 11 "Flash Intro Utility"

[saleeltambe]

Thanks for giving me the inputs .

One simple question-

Can the small animation symbols and icons ( GIF) available free on internet be inserted in PTE slides in some way ?

( Since these work and animate only when used with a browser , otherwise they are static pictures).

Can they be run on individual PTE slide as an object ?

Sal

[Guest guru]

No Sal, PTE doesn't (yet) support animated Gif's.