Screen Layout Changes

[keffs]

Hi,

I have not used P2E in anger for a while, and I am having a few difficulties with the screen layout. Currently on 5.6 bete 9.

What I would like to have on screen are: thumbnails of slides already added, the timeline view and a larger preview of the selected slide. AFAICR, I used to be able to do this, but I can't figure out how to set this up.

When I select timeline, I get the timeline and the file panel, with the option of not having the tree. I must be missing somethig here, because I can't see the use of this view. At least with 5.5 I could also have a preview of the slide on the timeline.

Am I missing some options here, or is this a major loss of functionality?

Steve

[fh1805]

Steve,

The basic screen layout of PTE v5.6 beta is exactly the same as that of PTE v5.5. You can view either the Timeline or the SlideList across the bottom of the window - but not both at the same time. You can close the tree view if you want to. If you then click on one of the numbered "flags" in the Timeline view, that slide will appear in the "mini-player" area.

The only point to bear in mind is that there may be some features of v5.5 that have not yet been re-activated in v5.6 beta (for example: Wait for a key press or mouse click... was re-activated only in beta10)

regards,

Peter

[keffs]

...The basic screen layout of PTE v5.6 beta is exactly the same as that of PTE v5.5. You can view either the Timeline or the SlideList across the bottom of the window - but not both at the same time. You can close the tree view if you want to. If you then click on one of the numbered "flags" in the Timeline view, that slide will appear in the "mini-player" area....

Peter

On my PC, with 5.6 betas 4,8, 9 & 10, I do not get the preview, or mini-player pane as you call it, although I get it with 5.5. As you say the screen layout is exactly the same, I assume that you have seen the mini-player and timeline together. Therefore there must be a switch or option somewhere that enables this. Any clues?

However, I assume from you comments that it is not now possible to view the timeline and the added slide list simultaeneously, although I am sure it was possible in a previous version - obviously prior to 5.5.

If it is not now possible, this is, IMHO, a major step backwards. When doing final slide timings, I want to see the slides. If these are not available, then the timeline is not really of much use. Does anybody else have a problem with this, or is it just the way I do things?

I am now looking at ProShow Gold, and this feature is readily available. Although I would much prefer to stick with P2e, if I can't get this issue sorted, then I will have no choice. We are looking at slide show programs down at my camera club, and there does appear to be a general movement towards ProShow Gold. I can only assume it is because of issues like this.

Steve

[fh1805]

Steve,

I'm baffled as to what you are actually seeing. With the Slide List (thumbnails) visible across the bottom of the window you should have above that three "panels": from left to right they are the tree structure, the file list (also thumbnails if the files are image files) and the mini-player area that gives the preview image of any slide selected in either the Slide List or the File List panel. This mini-player area sits just above the Customize Slide and Objects and Animation buttons. Do you not have this screen dispaly?

regards,

Peter

[wideangle]

What happens if you go up to 'View' on the top menu bar and try switching between Classic View, Horizontal View, Timeline View etc. Does this bring into view anything you are missing??

Regards,

wideangle.

[keffs]

Steve,

I'm baffled as to what you are actually seeing. With the Slide List (thumbnails) visible across the bottom of the window you should have above that three "panels": from left to right they are the tree structure, the file list (also thumbnails if the files are image files) and the mini-player area that gives the preview image of any slide selected in either the Slide List or the File List panel. This mini-player area sits just above the Customize Slide and Objects and Animation buttons. Do you not have this screen dispaly?

regards,

Peter

Peter,

Yes I was getting that layout. The problem was that when I hit the timeline button, the file list expanded to take over the mini-player. However, I have just discovered that the mini-player had been reduced to zero width. I can drag it back onto screen, and I have the mini-player in timeline view.

There appears to an issue with the resizing algorithms. I have dual screens, and if I "restore down" my maximised window and extend it over two screens, and then maximise the window - to a single screen - the mini-player dissapears, and can sometimes be difficult to get back. It looks as though it has been assumed - wrongly - that maximising a window always makes it bigger. Not the case with multiple screens.

However, the main issue is still there. I want to see a view of the slides along with the timeline. It appears I can only have one or the other, but not both. It is this that I could do with prvious versions, and I can do with ProShow Gold.

I want this so I can fine tune the slide show to the beat of the sound track, and I wan't to see the adjacent slides so I can determine if I want to shorten the slide or lengthen it, and possibly adjust the running order. Obviously if there is a way to do this without switching between slide view and timeline view, then I will be happy, but I can't see how to do it.

Steve

[Lin Evans]

Hi Steve,

Don't you get a view like this when on the timeline? If not, click on "View" at the top of your screen, then click on "File Panel as thumbnails". If this doesn't correct it then could you do a screen capture and show us what you are seeing?

Lin

[nobeefstu]

Steve,

However, I assume from you comments that it is not now possible to view the timeline and the added slide list simultaeneously, although I am sure it was possible in a previous version - obviously prior to 5.5

Yes ... this change in view happened in v5.52 where you now have a Slides button view which toggles to the Timeline button view.

You are accustom to the individual timeline window popup while being able to see the Slide List as in v5.51 You make a valid comment of being able to see the Slide List while in the Timeline rather than need of seeing the folder tree and file selection tree/list. However, not enough to warrant a change of program in my opinion ... but to each their own.

The best practical solution here is for Pte to allow the user to enable/disable what lists and panels are viewable at any given time from the View selection tab to suit their personal view preferences and current needs.

[fh1805]

A nice touch would the ability to choose between Timeline replacing SlideList in the main window and both Timeline and Slide List visible together one above the other. On a 5:4 aspect monitor you could probably work with both in view; on a 16:10 you might not want to do that. But having the option...now that would be nice!

regards,

Peter

[keffs]

...Don't you get a view like this when on the timeline? If not, click on "View" at the top of your screen, then click on "File Panel as thumbnails". If this doesn't correct it then could you do a screen capture and show us what you are seeing?...

Hi Lin,

Yes that is what I (now) get, but the thumbnails are the "file panel", not the slide list, unless there is a way to get it to show the chosen slides in the current running order.

Steve

[keffs]

A nice touch would the ability to choose between Timeline replacing SlideList in the main window and both Timeline and Slide List visible together one above the other. On a 5:4 aspect monitor you could probably work with both in view; on a 16:10 you might not want to do that. But having the option...now that would be nice!

regards,

Peter

Yes it would be nice, but as something similiar has been removed from the program, it is a little frustrating.

How do the rest of you do your final tweaking? Do you not find the need to iterate between the slide sequence and timeline and that the current interface is rather cumbersome in this respect?

With ProShow Gold, the slide list and timeline are combined in the one panel, and this can be toggled between larger timeline or larger slide thumbnails.

Steve

[fh1805]

Steve,

I do all my final tweaking in the timeline. I can easily change the duration of a slide (by dragging the numbered "flag"), the duration of a transition (by dragging the grey bar) , the actual slide image (by using the "Change image" icon on the upper toolbar) and I can see the waveform of the soundtrack to help me identify the musical emphases points. I can see a preview image of any selected slide in the mini-player area; and by using the mini-player, I can see and hear my changes straight away without having to switch between the Timeline window and the Main window as used to be the case. If I need to I can zoom in on the timeline to see the tenth-of-a-second "tick marks" more clearly for better precision of placement of slides and transitions.

I find the v5.5 user interface a great improvement over the previous version.

regards,

Peter

[keffs]

.... I can see a preview image of any selected slide in the mini-player area; and by using the mini-player, I can see and hear my changes straight away without having to switch between the Timeline window and the Main window as used to be the case. ....

Peter,

Do you work purley sequentially then? I.e., you fix your running order and then adjust yor timings, and never chnage your running order as a consequence of adjusting the timmings.

When adjusting your timings, does the adjacent slides never have any influence on these timing adjustments?

In my case the answers to both these questions is no. I want to adjust my running order to match the mood etc of my images with the mood of the soundtrack, and adjust transitions to key points in the soundtrack. When making these adjustments, the adjacent inages will influence whether I move slide forwards or backwards. Also, if I have similiar images together, I will possibly want to shorten the individual timings, again adjusting the transitions to the key points in the soundtrack.

I find it difficult to accept that I am alone in wanting to work in this manner, and having the timeline and slide list displayed simultaeneously would be a massive benefit in supporting this method of working.

Does anybody else have any input to this?

Steve

[fh1805]

Steve,

I don't have a single method of working. I adjust my work method to the needs of each sequence. Some sequences are built as an image sequence first, and then suitable music is found. With other sequences, it is the music that comes first and the images are added to that.

Images first: music second

I would use the "digital light box" to lay out the images in the approximate order that I felt was right. Each slide would have the Project Option default duration, the default transition effect and that effect would be at default duration (for me, that would be 4 to 7 seconds per slide depending on the tempo of the music, Fade effect, transition lasting 1500ms). I would then search for some music of an approximately suitable length and of a suitable mood. I would then play that music through whilst stepping through the images on the digital light box. In this way I would build up a feel for which images were in the right place and which were out of place. I would adjust the order of the images on the digital light box until I was happy with the order. (At this stage I might be discarding images or finding alternative ones). This phase gets repeated until I am satisfied that I have the main elements firmly fixed in my mind.

I would then switch to the timeline view and position the images at approximately the required place on the timeline using the waveform display to guide me and making use of the mini-player to do an in-window preview. Then I would Preview the sequence for the first time. After that it is usually just a case of refining and fine-tuning; getting the slide positions precisely on the beat of the music (if that is the effect that I want), choosing a more appropriate effect and deciding how long the effect should last. All of this I would do using the Timeline view and the mini-player.

Music first: images second

I would listen to the music several times to fix in my mind where the "must have" slide changes had to go. I would then identify which images I thought should go at these "must have" points. These would be positioned using the timeline view in conjunction with the waveform display (default effect and default effect duration as in the previous method). I think of these as "anchored" images. I would then fill in the gaps between the "anchored" images using the Timeline view and the waveform to guide me. As and when necessary I would switch to the digital light box in order to check on the visual flow of the images. Then I would give the sequence its first Preview. After that it is refine and fine tune as in the previous method.

And sometimes I find myself switching back and forth between the two methods of working. Whatever I am trying to achieve, and however I am trying to achieve it, I can always find a feature of PTE, or a combination of features, that helps me get the job done.

The v5.5 user interface is very different to that of earlier versions and it does require time to become familiar with what it has to offer. When it was going through its beta releases there was much heated debate on the forum about it - and about perceived loss of function. But I feel sure that none of us would now be willing to go back to the previous user interface. This one offers so much more.

regards,

Peter