Wish list for PTE - after 4.10 release

[think(box)]

While Igor is busy with 4.10 release preparation and "quiet time" to receive everyone's final test results, we can take all of the requests that were deferred to next version - and new ideas too - and organize them for Igor's future consideration while still fresh in our thoughts. There are standing wish lists around, but these generally aren't being edited after each release.

For starters, I would like to request windows style "TOOL TIPS" for images used in the visual object editor if this can be done in PTE. It would be great if there were a two-way choice, that they can show either the photo image file name or an entered name. This method can display a name for a visual object editor image, clickable or not, so that we don't have to build it into the image or add separate text in the vis obj editor. Since tool tips go away with mouse position or elapsed time, they don't always cover up part of a picture. This is particularly important in thumbnail images.

[Barry Beckham]

I would love to see PTE display the images in the left window as small thumbnails that I can sort into order of preference.

I would also like to be able to maybe right click the thumbnail and change the name and/or rename the whole slide sequence once it had been sorted.

bbdigital

[JRR]

I must admit I am a little uneasy about adding to this thread. Poor Igor hasn't got Beta 16 fully finalized and launched yet. I think he needs time off after what he has just been through

But while I am here... I seem to recall somewhere along the line in the past few weeks, he did talk about "pause and resume" for a synced show. I hope this would be controlled by mouse clicks, even with the mouse hidden.

[saleeltambe]

Some easy way of adding a small animated starting title for the show and provision for adding small animated icons / GIFs ( may be one per slide ) would be an icing on the cake !

Even the opening title animation can be similar to the one used in powerpoint ( flashing text ..moving text etc).

I know it would require a lot of work....but once these feature are added ...it will be really WONDERFUL !

[jimlarkey]

Objects on last page, in synch mode.

Thanks.

[think(box)]

Many would like to see CD and DVD support for P2E shows, either in the form of native support from PTE or by using a .EXE converter or other PTE family application.

[think(box)]

For linking shows and other applications I would like to see an alternative to "Run application after last slide":

Run application after exit (with app name box)

This way if the person watching a show clicks an Exit button in any slide or presses keyboard Esc or Enter, then P2E will start the specified application as P2E exits.

[ronwil]

I don't like that idea Bill. Please see my recent comment on a similar thread in which I said

" I do set it for "Close show after last slide". What I am saying is it does just that with a momentary blip back to base before taking up "Run application after last slide". That is why I am suggesting that "Run application after last slide" should be transferred to become a fourth choice under Main>Show settings."

Ron [uK]

[Tom K]

My top three requests are:

DVD/VCD output. As a workaround in the meantime, are there any programs out there that allow screen capture video - that is, a program that will create an avi or mpeg or whatever of the activity on the screen? Seems like it'd be something very useful to have in general. Of course it needs to also capture the sound at the same time.

Thumbnails of the slide list. I find it annoyingly difficult to reorder my slides by file name - can't tell what's what. Presently I use ACDSee 5.0 to reorder all my pictures and rename them so that they show up in the approximate order desired, but fine-tuning always needs to be done.

Panning/zooming of individual slides. I like to create panoramas but a long thin picture across the middle of the screen loses a bit of impact, so it'd be nice to be able to scroll from one end to the other. I'd settle for having a "push" transition, so that as a picture moves off the screen from left to right (or vice-versa), another one moves onscreen at the same time. This would require using a photo editor to split the panorama into several pieces that butt against each other, but I could handle that.

Zooming in or out would also be way cool. I fiddled with a program called Stillmotion (I think) but the results weren't smooth and were low res. Plus the results weren't something you could put into the middle of a PTE show - I think it produced an avi.

[think(box)]

Oops, sorry Ron. It should be an additional checkbox in my post from 8:56AM. We should only add features and fix incorrect behavior for existing ones. I didn't mean to replace the feature for after the last slide completes. I'm not sure whether you are saying there is a problem right now - does the present Run application after last slide in the Project options, Advanced tab have any incorrect behavior?

[ronwil]

Bill

I don't think you can call it incorrect behaviour. "Close show after last slide" activates first and returns to base before activation of "Run application after last slide". This return to base, as I call it, is just a flash or blip view of the base image. It is a conflict of action what to do "after last slide".

Ron [uK]

[bjc]

First of all, a BIG thank you to Igor and all those who have assisted in the production of this latest release of PicturesToExe - the best just gets better and better, as they say !!

Although I TOO think it's a bit soon to be requesting new things for the NEXT release, I am still convinced that adding 'animated-gifs' to the existing gif capabilities of PTE would be a SIGNIFICANT step forward - this would enable scrolling titles and credits (for example) to be added to presentations quickly and easily, and at low file sizes, with the allotted time on-screen being set to allow the 'anigif' to run through one full cycle.

I've always thought it rather strange that on clicking "Help / About PicturesToExe" in the main PicturesToExe window you are presented with a 'SCROLLING TEXT BOX' listing all those involved in the development of the software - yet a similar option is not currently available to us end-users !?

I can only assume that adding 'anigif' capabilities to PTE cannot be quite as 'easy' as we might all think it would be, otherwise I'm sure IGOR would have done by now (?) - however - I'm convinced that this feature alone would add so much sophistication to the program that it would warrant a separate release in it's own right -(dare I suggest: "PTE-PRO" !?)-

I apologise for having raised the topic of 'anigifs' on more than one occasion - but I REALLY DO think it's important.

I am however delighted that '"Run application after last slide" has been included in this most recent release -(surely only a coincidence that I mentioned it so soon before it was added)- as I had just finished compiling a 33 slideshow CD using a third-party 'controller' to call up the slideshows in sequence --- this worked fine on most computers, but not all !! -- I subsequently re-worked the CD using PTE beta version 10 and "Run application after last slide" which immediately solved the problem (whatever it was !?) - so I for one am most grateful for this new addition -- thank you !!

Regards,

bjc

[Danabw]

1. Select and act on multiple slides on the slide list

2. AVI output

3. Resize graphic objects in the object editor

Those features would really make me !

Dana

[alrobin]

"Close show after last slide" activates first and returns to base before activation of "Run application after last slide".

Hi, Ron,

Strange, but I don't experience the "return to base" like you do.

Maybe it is also a function of how close to or how far from the end of the music the last transition is. Or, maybe whether one has a background selected or not.

I'll have to play around with the settings to see if I can get the program to emulate your scenario.

[HugoM]

I am very disappointed that there are still no thumbnails in the slide list.

[ecps]

I too am reticent about adding to the wish list in case it gives the impression that I am not satisfied with 4.10. I am very satisfied.

Having said that, I would like to add my support to Dana's first suggestion: Select and act on multiple slides on the slide list. I really would find this very helpful.

Eddie.

[Azmi]

First congratulations to Igor and all forum members for the final release of v.4.10.

This request is still on my wish list although some forum members do not think it as necessary - The choice to automatically fade out the background music gradually on the last slide before the show ends. This feature is available on two of PTE's competitor programs.

Well. I hope Igor can still look into it in his future releases.

Regards

Azmi

[ADB]

Firstly congratulations Igor and the team on 4.10. I have been working on an Autumn show and it has been a pleasure to use the new versions.

However in the quest for continual improvements I would love to see the following:-

1. When working in the customizable sync window it would be great to at the same time change the order of the images, I think you could almost have the customizable sync window on the main page along with the "image folder" window and the "images in the show" window. At the moment if you don't like a particular image in a certain position you have to go all the way back out to the main window to change it. I spend a lot of time in the customization sync window so in my opinion this should be what you see when you first open PTE.

If this feature was too hard perhaps a quick toggle button that lets you switch instantly between the file windows and the customizable sync window?

2. Thumbnails in the file lists on both windows

3. Support for zooming and PANNING!!!

4. Output to AVI/MPEG

5. One tiny little thing, the very first slide in a show can not have its settings changed from the cust. sync. screen. Should there be a "to1" included on the timeline?

All these things in a perfect world of course, and top marks to Igor and the team for producing and continually improving this fine software.

Regards

Andrew

[JRR]

Thought I would add one more request (as a result of some recent "fun and games" moving PTE folders from one drive to another.

This might not be a "popular" enough item to warrrant a change in PTE, but I thought I would mention it.

I assign each PTE show a folder and a subfolder. The folder has the .pte and .exe files, the subfolder has has the images and the music.

When I moved my shows from drive C to drive D, I learned about paths !!!

The pte files could not find their images even though they were right there !

So could we have (an optional) feature that sets the images with a relative path, not an absolute path (If I have the terminalogies right) so I don't have to use ALROBIN's ADJUSTOR program to change the paths.

Thx

[think(box)]

I agree with Jim. I've had path delights when moving in levels of hierarchy on the same drive and between drives. This is one of the more frequent reasons for having to edit the .pte file manually.

I think the best relative path source is the folder containing the .pte file, and that it is OK to require that the .pte file is at the top of storage hierarchy for image and sound files. The .exe file should have no relation or restriction though. For example, I make large shows and often have to create the .exe elsewhere due to space constraints.

[alrobin]

So could we have (an optional) feature that sets the images with a relative path, not an absolute path (If I have the terminalogies right) so I don't have to use ALROBIN's ADJUSTOR program to change the paths.

Jim,

I know this may not do exactly what you want to do, but in the new PTE if you move all of the images into the same directory as the .pte file, PTE will find them there without your having to rename the images.

However, if you want the images in their own sub-directory, it won't work, and you will either have to rename them one by one in PTE, or use Adjustor!

[Igor]

Thank you all for new suggestions and ideas!

I'll attentively read all messages after vacation.

[JRR]

A LONG vacation Igor !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You earned it

[potwnc]

I'm one of those who would like to see avi or mpeg output as top of my wishlist. But also, for my

presentations, I often have quite a lot of silence. If I have a 10 minute show, that's a 10 MB mp3 file.

If half of the show plays in silence - just the images - I have 5MB of extra, unnecessary file size. Since

many of my users download from my website, that adds up to a lot of unnecessary bandwidth.

Would it be possible to have a "play next track starting at slide x" option?

Happy vacation, Igor!

Ray

[alrobin]

Ray,

Maybe the solution in your case is to use non-synched mode. Then you can customize certain slides to start playing a new shorter music selection.