Sound Bug

[jevans]

If you create a new project in PTE (I have tried Versions 5.62 and 5.6) and then add a sound file via the "Project Options", "Music" tab, PTE correctly identifies the length of the sound file and shows the correct waveform on the timeline. Now if you modify the sound file in a sound editor and export the modified sound file with the same name as the original file, then PTE recognises that the file has been changed, shows the new file duration in the "Music" tab and plays the modified sound file correctly. HOWEVER, the waveform remains unaltered as the original sound file form.

This effect occurs whether you save the PTE project and close it in between changing the sound file, or whether PTE remains open. It also occurs both in Version 5.52 and 5.6. I have not noticed this before because of the way I have been creating and naming my sound files for various projects. In order to obtain the correct waveform display if you modify and existing sound file used in a PTE project, you must change the file name.

It appears that information about the sound file waveform is being retained by PTE, even if this original file is changed.

Jeff

[xahu34]

Jeff,

The audio file seems to be protected against modification, as long as it is defined as background music in the open PTE project.

Regards,

Xaver

[fh1805]

Jeff,

I don't see this behaviour with my copy of v5.6. I tried to follow your sequence of events thus:

- Create project and add music file (in my case Music01.mp3 length 30 seconds)

- Preview etc and confirm that all is OK at this point

- Show Waveform on Timeline view (all is as it should be)

- Leave PTE open

- Use Audacity to cut the music file down to 15 seconds

- Export as Music01.mp3 into the same folder as the previous copy (got the warning about the file already existing, and went ahead with the over-write)

- Switched back to PTE

- Timeline view still shows 30s of waveform

- Project Options...Music shows 15 seconds of music

- Click on OK to exit Project Options

- Timeline view adjusts to show 15 seconds of waveform

Did you click OK to exit Project Options the second time around or did you click Cancel? You have made a change to the Project Options (albeit by doing an external edit of a sound file's duration). It isn't "intuitive" behaviour by PTE, but if you give it a fair chance to update it's Project Options, it does seem to do so.

regards,

Peter

[jevans]

Peter,

Ahh ... but you reduced the sound file length. Try increasing it and see what happens. Yes I clicked OK to exit the Project Options otherwise the change would not have taken place.

Regards

Jeff

[fh1805]

Jeff,

I cannot complete the test because I cannot save a lengthened sound file under the same name as the one that is open in PTE. Audacity and/or Vista will not let me do that. Yet, an hour or so ago, they happily let me save a shortened version! How odd!

Just out of interest, what operating system and what sound editor were you using?

regards,

Peter

[jevans]

Peter,

Operating system is Windows XP SP2, sound editor is Adobe Auditions 1.5. To do the test you must follow this process ;

1. Create dummy project in PTE (just a few image files)

2. In sound editor, create some sound of know length, say 15 secs

3. Export sound file as, say, sound file 01.mp3

4. In PTE project add sound file via "Music" tab

5. Look at time line waveform and compare length with value shown in "Music" tab

6. Remove sound file from "Music" tab

7. In sound editor, add sound to lengthen duration and export using original file name sound file 01.mp3

8. In PTE, open "Music" tab and add sound file. Look at new (longer) duration.

9. Look at timeline. You will see that the waveform retains the original look and duration. HOWEVER, when you play the sound file, it plays the new version.

Thus PTE is retaining the waveform graphics although the actual file has been changed. I am sure that this is not correct.

Regards

Jeff

[fh1805]

Hi Jeff,

After your step 6 I did not OK out of the Project Options window, I just left it at the Music tab.

I used Audacity to lengthen the music item by 3 seconds (from 30s to 33s). Audacity and/or Vista would not let me save over the top of the existing file. I got a pop-up warning box advising that the file was in use by another task. Obviously that other task was PTE.

So, I then switched to PTE and OK'd the Project Options. The waveform line in the Timeline display now disappeared. I then switched back to Audacity and now was able to Export an mp3 file and save it over the top of the original one. Once again I switched back to PTE and now I added the mp3 file via the Project Options...Music tab. The new length (33 seconds) was displayed in the Music tab. I OK'd out of Project Options and the Timeline showed the correct length of the music track (by the position of the "End of music" line) but did not update the waveform display (even though the space where the waveform had been was still present in the Timeline view, it remained blank).

Clicking on the "blue squiggle" button in the Timeline window removed the waveform area from the Timeline view and clicking on it again, showed the waveform of the 33 second long track.

To my way of thinking, my system is behaving correctly by not letting me save over the top of an already open file. The only quibble I could possibly have is that, having given PTE the new sound file, and PTE having recognised its length and having recognised that the Timeline display includes an area for the waveform, it (PTE) should then have rebuilt the waveform display in the available space.

I have to say that, over-writing a sound-file with a modified form is not my normal working practice. I version number my sound files.

regards,

Peter

[jevans]

Peter,

Although I agree with much of your comments, particularly that processes should not allow saves over open files, the procedure I outlined involved the removal of the original sound file from PTE BEFORE saving a new version. Thus the original sound file was not open. I also agree that version numbering sound files is good practice. However your tests now agree with mine in that the waveform graphic is not changed to match a new version of a sound file with the same name. Irrespective of whether using the same name for a sound file is good or bad practice, the fact remains that PTE should update the graphic. Try adding the sound file, saving the PTE project and closing PTE. Then change the sound file and open the PTE project again. The waveform graphic is not updated. Try this with any other program that uses embedded files. If you update the file, the embedded link usually updates.

Anyway I agree completely with your working practices and I don't want to get into an extended argument/discussion with you. I am just highlighting a potential anomaly in the operation of PTE which has already caught someone else out.

Regards

Jeff

[TonyFalla]

Jeff

I don't see see this problem, like Peter I use Audacity as my audio editor.

The same as Peter I have found that if you leave PTE open while you amend your audio file when you try to export your new file under the same name it tells you, firstly already exists do you want to overwrite and then it is already in use. It then exports it under the same name but with a suffix added. As this is a different name then obviously PTE does not recognise the new file.

If I close PTE then modify my audio file, when I export as the same name it again tells me it already exists do you want to overwrite, if you agree the file is overwritten. When you reopen PTE the Project Options, Music Tab shows the increase / decrease in the time. Clicking on the waveform symbol a new waveform is shown of the correct time length.

If I use the Project Options, Music Tab and remove the audio file, the waveform space remains but is blank. I have to OK the Project Options otherwise I get the in use problem when I go into Audacity. Leaving PTE open I then modify the audio file in Audacity. After create the new audio file with the same name when I return to PTE I add the new audio file and get the correct time length. When I OK Project Options then I get a waveform of the correct time length. This occurs both for increasing and decreasing the time length.

Personally I always close PTE when I change an audio file and then it automatically picks up the new version when I reopen

Tony

[jevans]

Jeff

I don't see see this problem, like Peter I use Audacity as my audio editor.

The same as Peter I have found that if you leave PTE open while you amend your audio file when you try to export your new file under the same name it tells you, firstly already exists do you want to overwrite and then it is already in use. It then exports it under the same name but with a suffix added. As this is a different name then obviously PTE does not recognise the new file.

If I close PTE then modify my audio file, when I export as the same name it again tells me it already exists do you want to overwrite, if you agree the file is overwritten. When you reopen PTE the Project Options, Music Tab shows the increase / decrease in the time. Clicking on the waveform symbol a new waveform is shown of the correct time length.

If I use the Project Options, Music Tab and remove the audio file, the waveform space remains but is blank. I have to OK the Project Options otherwise I get the in use problem when I go into Audacity. Leaving PTE open I then modify the audio file in Audacity. After create the new audio file with the same name when I return to PTE I add the new audio file and get the correct time length. When I OK Project Options then I get a waveform of the correct time length. This occurs both for increasing and decreasing the time length.

Personally I always close PTE when I change an audio file and then it automatically picks up the new version when I reopen

Tony

Tony,

Never one to image I don't make mistakes, I have repeated my tests and get the same result. Just to make sure that everything is the same as you and Peter, I used Audacity as the sound editor instead of Audition. Attached is a pdf file with my results. You can see that if you increase the length of the original sound file, PTE knows that the file has changed, but still remembers the graphic associated with the original sound file. If you play the project, you hear the new longer sound file but the graphic is wrong.

As I said before, I agree that you should not modify a file and keep the name the same. However I often create a commentary file in bits as I go along and keep attaching the same file to PTE to see how things are going. I don't rename the file unless I have finished it and then make subsequent changes. I think the fact that the graphic does not change is an undesirable action in PTE.

Jeff

Explanation.pdf

[fh1805]

Hi Jeff,

I think you have a minor "typo" in your pdf file. At step three you state: "...Using Audacity, increase the length of the original audio file. Save this file as “Audio 02.mp3”. With the PTE project open as after Step 2 (i.e. with no audio file attached), attach the new audio file “Audio 01.mp3”..."

I think that last file name should be "Audio 02.mp3", shouldn't it?

What you were doing isn't what I was doing, so I need to retest. But if I get the same result as you, then I would agree that it does point to a definite bug in PTE.

regards,

Peter

[jevans]

Hi Jeff,

I think you have a minor "typo" in your pdf file. At step three you state: "...Using Audacity, increase the length of the original audio file. Save this file as “Audio 02.mp3”. With the PTE project open as after Step 2 (i.e. with no audio file attached), attach the new audio file “Audio 01.mp3”..."

I think that last file name should be "Audio 02.mp3", shouldn't it?

What you were doing isn't what I was doing, so I need to retest. But if I get the same result as you, then I would agree that it does point to a definite bug in PTE.

regards,

Peter

Thanks Peter, you are correct there is a typo. The file should be Audio 02.mp3.

Jeff

[TonyFalla]

Sorry Jeff

I have followed your instructions which were slightly different from my interpretation of the problem. When I first tried it out I only used one name for the audio file throughout my tests, whereas your instructions in Step 3 you first of all give the audio file a different name.

I have now repeated the test following your instructions and again I do not get any problem, the waveform always reflects the last size of the audio file. I have even tried it with single and double channel waveforms, and all 3 auto-scroll variations.

Tony

[xahu34]

I made a similar test as Jeff and Peter, and I made the same observation. The astonishing fact is that this bug only shows up in cases where the original audio file is replaced by a longer one. Even after closing (without storing) and re-opening PTE (and reloading the last audio file), the wrong waveform is still to be seen.

Regards,

Xaver

[fh1805]

Jeff, Tony and Xaver,

I now confirm that I get the same result. There is a definite bug here somewhere. Over to Igor and his wizards to investigate and resolve.

regards,

Peter

[xahu34]

Peter,

PTE seems to cache the waveform in the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\**username**\Local Settings\Temp", using the audio file's name with file extension *.wmc (WaveMapperContainer). After deleting the wmc-file, the said effect disappears. So, the bug discovered by Jeff seems to have its origin in a caching problem.

Regards,

Xaver

[Igor]

Thanks, I've reproduced this problem.

It occurs if remove an audio file from Project options when you recently used waveform feature. In this case PicturesToExe "forget" to remove a temp file of waveform and continue to use this file until it will not be deleted manually.

I'll try to fix it.

P.S. If do not remove an audio file, close PicturesToExe, update audio file and start PicturesToExe again the problem will not occur.

[Igor]

Jeff,

We just fixed this bug. Please wait for the updated v5.6.1.

[jevans]

Igor,

Thanks for so rapid a response.

[Igor]

Jeff,

Updated 5.6.1 Beta is available:

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=62767

[jevans]

Igor,

Thanks for your prompt action. Beta 5.6.1 cures the problem of the waveform not updating.

Jeff