Wish list for PTE - after 4.10 release

[mannybr2003]

May I suggest my long time secret wish for PTE? I've been wishing that I could have my "window" of slides if not movable, at least I could set it at creation and when viewed after compilation to appear in a certain place of the screen if it is not in a full screen mode. This is available in the other compilers I've been using but don't have most of the features found in PTE. If say, I compile it as Show1.exe, then another one I created to appear on another part of the screen as Show2.exe, then I can call both at different times by a click of a mouse, and each would appear in different part of the screen as mini-Windows of slideshows. This way, the need for use of animated gif's would be unnecessary, as a more photographic and animated and audible show could be made and shown at different location of the screen by calling them at the proper time from within our PTE projects. Thanks.

mannybr2003@yahoo.com

[ccmanz]

When inserting a background I would like to have an option for "Fit to Screen"

So my backgrounds will look similar when viewed on different screen settings.

I would also like to have the option of the Dir and Slide List to be

viewed either with Thumbnails or as Details. I would like the Dir and The Slide

list to be selected Separately. So I could alter between views on either side.

In the Project Options Screen tab. Set comments for all slides to……

I wish this option was a push button and not a check box.

When I am working on a show I have to check this box to add the Picture name for comments.

Then I have to go back in and uncheck the box.

If I don’t and I make changes to any comments. If I go back into the Project Options .

And change my background color or anything. It resets my Comments back to “Picture Name”.

Or maybe add a check box for show Comment. Like the one for Show Image.

Most of the time when I have trouble with this is when I take the comment off.

because I what the slide to be a title page. And the comments keeps showing back up

cc

[think(box)]

It would help a lot for P2E shows to have an "Always on top" feature. A PTE checkbox in advanced options could enable it for any type of show, windowed with/without border and fullscreen. With this capability a windowed show can serve as a selector that doesn't get covered up, for example. There are many other uses that I have developed using ugly DOS box "on top" and clicky windoze utilities that don't support script line or shortcut execution. Those utilites are cumbersome and the DOS ones always start with an ugly DOS box. PTE could do it with a really nice looking check box.

[nobeefstu]

Bill,

Im ... absolutely 100% - totally agreeable with adding the option of AlwaysOnTop and NotAlwaysOnTop capability.

Ive been waiting for this feature for a " looooonggggg time " to be implemented into PTE.

Now with PTEs RUN functions expanding ... this feature is becoming a must in this point in time.

I know theres a lot of new features that are being proposed ... but I think its about time to catch up on implementing alot of the old ones that fell into the cracks.

[alrobin]

I would like to see the ability to open a spreadsheet-like table of parameters which could be used for trouble-shooting one's shows, and also for manually changing the times, file names, and other parameters. Then I wouldn't have to go to Adjustor each time I want to make a global change or tweak some parameter.

One would be able to see at a glance the entire set of parameters without having to step through a number of windows every time one wanted to make a change, or check the value of a parameter. Such a table could also provide useful information about the show such as average delay per slide, total calculated time for non-synched shows, time for end of each music selection, technical information about the music used, etc, etc.

Also, PTE is becoming very powerful and feature-rich, but it is poorly organized as features have been added one at a time like extra rooms on a house. Trying to find and remember where to change the various parameters for a show is getting too complicated so I believe the entire user interface needs to be revamped before going on and adding any new features. In particular, a better method needs to be implemented for visualizing and controlling mutually-exclusive properties. The program needs a few more "smarts", and also more visual aids to help manage the multitude of parameters which are now available to the user.

I would like to see Igor sit down and plan ahead regarding which new features are going to be added in the next release, and then re-organize the entire user interface to display and implement these and existing features in the most useful user-friendly manner.

IMHO, anyway!

[potwnc]

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.

Al,

Unless I'm mistaken/out of date with v 4.10 features, going to non-synched mode reintroduces the problem

that pte shows run at different speeds on different hardware. I need to guarantee the same speed across

all hardware (withiin reason - I know not to target a 486-33MHz for example) because most of my audio

tracks are narration (I make documentaries) that need to be kept in synch.

Please expand if I'm misunderstanding your reply.

Ray

[alrobin]

Hi, Ray,

No, you are correct - synchronization is the only way to guarantee that the music will play exactly where you want it to on different pc's. I guess I was assuming that since you had so much silence in the show the sync wouldn't matter so much. (you know what they say about the definition of "assume" - "u make an ass out of me" ).

However, out-of-synch problems do occur more noticeably at the end of a long piece of music. If you have short pieces of music started by certain specific slides, you will probably notice less out-of-synch problems than using a single long piece in a non-synched show. (I haven't tested this premise, but it sounds logical. Here I am "assuming" again! )

[think(box)]

Stu, I agree - the AlwaysOnTop and NotAlwaysOnTop capabilities should make it into the next release. It's time

Al and Ray - thanks for reminding me. ALL P2E shows can be PRECISE, not just sync shows

I have had an idea about non-sync show timing since long ago and now is this time to ask.

Igor, will you please make ALL shows SYNC shows? I think it can be done. Here's how:

Keep track of real clock time and eliminate imprecise timing!

A show is made up of events in sequence.

Each event is timed even in the so-called non-sync shows of today.

Effect times and slide display times are everything.

There are no other times that matter unless the user pauses the show.

So it's simple. Watch the clock. Music playback is by the clock. Do this for slides too.

Start an effect that is supposed to last 750ms ON TIME, at time zero.

If it lasts longer because of imprecise display speed then make it up.

Do this by starting the slide display timer at time zero plus 750ms.

This means we shorten the image display time to make up lost time. That's one way.

It is least obnoxious when event timing completion is off.

Start effects ON TIME. End them as closely as possible to the correct time. Smartly adjust as you go.

The show timing suffers only when back-to-back events just don't have enough time to execute.

And that does NOT have to mean that the MUSIC HAS SKIP TO MAKE IT UP!

Be smart and shorten a programmed effect fade or wipe time to make up lost time.

And/or shorten slide display time.

Maybe even let the show developer declare priority, as in aperture priority vs. shutter priority in photography,

only they are declaring accurate effect timing priority or accurate display timing priority.

I've just described how to remove NON SYNC from the PTE showmaker's vocabulary.

We should be differentiating between fixed, independent, and fixed, customized per slide, and fixed, timeline specified music to slide timing. Forget SYNC vs NON SYNC. Everything is SYNC. Everything is ACCURATE.

Take preparatory steps to keep timing on track (some techniques are likely already being used in P2E):

Read image files from hard drive or CD immediately when slide display time interval begins.

Form image bitmap immediately after reading image file.

Then wait for correct transition start time.

I'm sure P2E already does some of this in SYNC show mode!

If you think about it, a SYNC show with pause capability and a NON-SYNC show with pause capability and accuracy are really the same thing! We need only decide whether to pause music or let it keep playing when the show is paused (a PTE option checkbox can be used to declare preference). In let it keep playing mode, if music is left playing during pause then there is a fresh start on wall clock vs. event timing once the slides are resumed. That is the closest to unsynchronized that a show should ever be - not at all.

[think(box)]

Music buffering in sound card: Igor, are you using the maximum buffer size supported by each sound card? I am having a significant incidence of short music skips since the built-in music player was introduced, including in final 4.10 version. Judging by the rate of repeats in skipping I wonder whether buffers are most fully utilized.

Can you make a buffer such that P2E shows can be like portable CD players with no-skip buffers (they never skip)?

[alrobin]

Bill,

You said:

The show timing suffers only when back-to-back events just don't have enough time to execute.

And that does NOT have to mean that the MUSIC HAS SKIP TO MAKE IT UP!

Be smart and shorten a programmed effect fade or wipe time to make up lost time.

And/or shorten slide display time.

I agree with you almost 100 percent on this. It's something I have been requesting of Igor for some time now.

By the way, has anyone tested the ability of the new 4.10 to carry the timing for "non-synch" shows over to other pc's? One of the reasons Igor has gone to the new player is to be able to achieve precisely this type of control. Maybe it's not completely implemented in 4.10, but reserved for the next release.

[think(box)]

I have many times needed to pass parameters to an application called from PTE in visual object editor button, link or graphic link actions, but no syntax I have tried will work. This leads me to the belief that PTE does not support starting applications with parameters.

Can "run application" command boxes in customize slide, project options and visual object editor all have support for applications with parameters? Thank you

[think(box)]

Quoted from another topic thread that diverged a bit, this is a Custom Synchronization window feature originally requested by Pege (member name pegebo) in Pictures 2 EXE in national UK Magazine, September issue topic. We have general agreement that visual cues about sound level will help get the best timing most quickly. Here are the three defining messages:

Hi, I am one [of] Digital Photos readers in Sweden and I am seriously considering buying PicturesToExe (PTE) because of the things I saw fom Barrys Yosemite slideshow that you can accomplish with the application.

I tried some competitors products but so far the impression is that PTE is the overall better one. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of being able to synchronize the pictures to the chosen music. You can do that in PTE but it takes some trial and error to get it precisely in synch.

Being new to the discussion forum I haven't looked around the forum at all yet (and I will) and with the risk of saying something lots of people already have pointed out I would like to hear from the developers the feasabilty of adding the an "amplitude chart" of the music on the timeline for the synchronization of music and transitions!!??? This would greatly even more improve the usefulness and ease of use when doing the synchronization.

Thanks,

/Pege

Here is my feedback to an intermediate message from Al:

Al has great advice about how a slide transition has to be positioned in time relative to a musical beat.  But Al, don't you think the job would be a lot easier with a visual sound amplitude graph aligned to the timeline as Pege suggests? You will get to know the required timing offset from the beat for various transition effects, visually.

Right now the visual association of timeline and effect duration in PTE custom sync window is very well done, in combination with the ability to play from a spot preceding the transition.  But all that you see is the position of the effect against absolute time.  The sound beats or level changes, if also visual, could greatly improve developer productivity in setting the desired timing.  Everything you need to know will thus be visual.  Listening to the segment can be used far fewer times in setting up a given transition. I agree that there is always some trial and error in setting the timing, but I think a sound level visual association would be a great advance for Igor to consider.

I know that Igor considers sound-music synchronization to be an important feature of PTE.  Therefore I think this improvement idea should be added to the wish list for future PTE versions beyond 4.10? Al and others, how does this sound to you?

And here are Al's conclusions:

Hi, Bill,

Yes, I did say in my reply to Pege that:

"a music wave timeline would be useful in selecting the transition points, particularly when using "quick transitions", or "cuts". "      

I agree with you that even with slower transitions, one could have a chart that indicated the usual advance in the start of the transition to make the first visibility of it coincide with the accent of the music.   (I was merely pointing out the fact, for those not as familiar with the fine-points of putting together AV shows, that it isn't quite as simple as it might sound on the surface.)   You're correct, though - a coincident music wave timeline would be handy.    (Provided that the magnification required to see accurately the music beats, is not so large as to interfere with the ability to readily follow the cursor on the slide timeline.)

But, even here, the advance in the transitions is not strictly proportional to the length of the transition, for a given transition type, particularly a fade or dissolve.   For example, a transition from a dark slide to a brighter one will be visible sooner than one from a bright slide to a darker one, hence adding another variable to the equation.   So, in these cases, as you indicated, some trial and error will still be required.      

Of course for non-dissolve type transitions, the start of the transitions will likely coincide pretty closely to the beats of the music, regardless of the transition speeds, although, even here, there may be some tweaking required to get it to sound just right.    

Igor, please consider our proposed feature! ==>

[JRR]

Bill:

If we are going to post things in both places, then I will repeat my response from the other thread too.

That is the trouble when a thread evolves to the point that its description does not fully reflect its content. It is important that Igor have one thread to look at for requested changes.

Here is the summary of my response to the other thread:

Yes, the music wave line would be nice, but other items, for my uses of PTE, are a higher priority: e.g.

1. OBJECTS (or something like that) that do not move with different screen resolutions when using the full screen mode.

2. A sound mixer within PTE so we can line up different tracks with particular images. ( e.g. animal sounds mixing with music backgrounds) Currently you have to go back and forth to your sound mixer until you get it right.

3. Output in VCD and SVCD formats (If I have the technical terms right for output that will run on a DVD player)

4. thumbnails in file lists

(I realize I am likely dreaming in technicolour re #2, and perhaps #1)

[think(box)]

Jim, when I read your post with wish list and priorities in that other topic I thought it should be here. It is good that you took care of that.

This topic is a very complete wish list that Igor can use for reference. I think he is so well organized that we could be a lot sloppier with postings scattered all over the forum and he would still do very well. If nothing else this one-stop listing will possibly give Igor more time to work on features.

Posts that describe bugs get immediate attention, so they can be scattered without impact. But the next release features really should be accumulated for everyones' benefit, since new releases come out about every 4-5 months (in recent history).

[mcarthur]

I'll add my ask for zooming and, especially panning. Panning should be based on a path, preferably a spline with as many points as the person asks for (well, upto some max like 20 would probably be fine). You would place the image where you wanted it to start from, give the path, and the picture would be moved along that path for the time it is displayed. Of course you would be able to fade in and fade out, either during the path or before/after all movement (selectable). It would be possible to have multiple images panning at the same time: e.g. a background image moving very slowly up the screen while in the foreground other images were fading in/out, and possibly panning in from the side. I've seen one done fwith GlobFX Composer which was very effective like that. Oh, and the panning can be selected to move back along the path as well once it has reached the end (like in the background pan in the above example).

[ccmanz]

1. I would like to see a Grid show up when I am

in the object editor. Or at least a button so

I could turn it on and off. Now I have to change

my picture so I can see a Grid. I think it would

be very helpful placing object.

And if this is added it would be nice if we could select

that the object go to the nearest grid line if we are trying

to line up more then one object. this would help get things

lined up.

2. Also when I go to the object editor I can select a (preview in) screen size

option to see what it will look like on different screens.

I wish this option could remember what I select.

every time I am go to the object editor I need to reselect what

screen size I am trying to work on. I know I can change

my computer screen. But then I can not see the complete window.

It is nice to have my screen set larger then what I am working on

this way I can see all of my objects when I am working in the

object editor.

cc

[think(box)]

I am quoting swan_atn to move this suggestion thread to the wish list and add my own ideas:

Is it possible to add event ['doubleclick'] in PTE on objects (buttons,images) ?

Only click is available.

So far the expectation is that double-clicking could cause errors like double-running an application. While I think this problem could be resolved with a built-in delay before a second single click action can be repeated, there may be an alternative that isn't error-prone and that offers even more options to the show developer. In the context of right-handed people, while a left click is commonly used in Windows to open items, a right click is just as commonly used to get a context-sensitive pop-up menu with multiple actions. In a P2E show a right click on button, photo or hyperlink could have various actions, like:

• Popup menu items like "Buy", "Add to wish list" (runs app, passing pic#; must add parameter passing to run app!)
  
• Popup menu with P2E functions, such as Print, Save, Goto slide <section name> commands (slide # added by us)
  
• Information listing, like camera settings for pic, or names of people and story of pic, description of place
  
• Popup menu item to play audio description of photo subject (plays a sound file)
  

For left- and right-handed preferences, either left or right mouse click could have context menu or action, as desired by slideshow developer.

I'm sure there are other good ideas that could further add to the utility of this extra click feature set.

Thanks go out to swan_atn for the suggestion, and to Al (and others?) for feedback on this feature

[think(box)]

I have the need to provide information TO a running P2E show, such as a slide number to goto for a resumed show. Igor, could we please have a feature that can be enabled for the home slide upon startup only to read the clipboard, and if it has a number string (slide number) then goto that slide number to begin show?

We can use utilities, other app's or Windows script commands to place a character string number on the clipboard prior to starting the P2E show.

There may be other useful information to bring IN to a P2E show, such as text and/or credits in chosen language, context-sensitive information that is keyed by slide "run app's" for example, P2E show parameters like display time per slide, play clipboard-specified slideshow or app upon exit, an image file (path, name) to display when show developer specifies, etc.

[alrobin]

While we are on the subject of our wish list (aka "dreaming in technicolour" ?? ), I would like to see a "nudge" feature on the timeline. Today when I "grab" one of those little blue transition boxes and try to move it left or right with the mouse, it jumps by a larger amount than I want for fine-tuning.

There may be a good reason for this, but at times it is disconcerting. Therefore, it would be helpful if one could "nudge" the box only slightly left or right using the left and right arrows on the keyboard.

[think(box)]

To address the "multiple-click" issue that has been raised elsewhere in the forum, I propose the following new PTE feature:

"Run application one time" (new visual object action):

A button, clickable image or hyperlink works only ONE time while a slide is displayed, and is re-enabled for a subsequent ONE-time operation by viewing another slide and then returning to the slide with the clickable object.

This can unquestionably eliminate the "multiple-click" problem. How rapidly someone can "multi-click" becomes irrelevant. The number of times they click an object becomes irrelevant.

BTW, we do not need a one-time version of "Run application and exit" since this feature should already function only once when clicked multiple times.

The "Run application or open file..." action is general purpose and should respond every time it is clicked, as it does today. It differs from links in a web page because a browser generally understands the hyperlink action and can thus disable further clicks for actions like "open new web page" or "open new browser". PicturesToExe slideshows run applications without internal knowledge of what that application will do. It may just run a utility that has no window and that will increase the sound volume level a notch. Or it may run a new P2E slideshow. If someone clicks a P2E slideshow "Volume up" button three times to increase the sound volume level a lot, then the button should function all three times, even if clicked rapidly.

In summary, making a new visual object click action is the only way to fix the "multiple click" problem provided that it is not agreeable to just solve that problem with utility software. My vote is for the new PTE object action.

[alrobin]

1. I would like to see a Grid show up when I am

in the object editor.

Hi, cc,

I have designed a simple transparent grid for use in the Object Editor. It is available on my web site at This Page .

Just add it as a regular Object, line up your other objects, and when finished, delete it.

Please let me know if you need more information on its use.

[ccmanz]

Thanks Al,

This is the option I already use. I just change the name of

my picture to the Grid. And when I am done I put my picture's

name back.

I download a Grid from Beechbrok that Hans Van-Klinken

Posted a while ago. Called "Rasters for placing buttons"

I thought it would be handy if I could just click a button

to see a grid. And maybe have a choice to change the

width of it. But most of all have it objects snap to the line.

Or If I could just enter the a starting place for my objects

would work too.

Thanks for offering the Grid.

cc

[ronwil]

Your grid works splendidly Al. Thanks for such a simple solution.

Ron [uK]

[Igor]

I'll reply soon!