Enhance the Autospread function...

[goddi]

When you check Autospread, you can not 'customize the display time' for a particular slide.

I would like to suggest an enhancement to the Autospread function.

I normally check the Sync'd and Autospread functions so all my slides will be spread evenly across the music, automatically. I also want the flexibility to extend the display time on some of the images, while using Autospread. But you can not customize the display time of a slide if you have the Autospread checked.

I would like the Autospread function to subtract the total seconds of the 'customized display times' you have put in your slideshow and then recalculate the remaining time (total music time less the customized display seconds) and then spread that remaining time over the slides that don't have a customized displayed time. Now you have a more flexible program for basic slideshows. And it would be neat if it could work with reduced display times for particular slides, too.

Gary

[xahu34]

Gary,

When looking at pte-files (using a text editor) you will see that just the modification of the display time of a particular slide will not lead to personal (customized) settings for it, i.e. display time is not regarded as a customized setting at all. As a consequence, a change of time settings via the project options also has its effect on those slides which previously have been changed via the Customize Slide window. So, the situation seems to be more complex than one would expect, and I see problems for the realization of the proposed feature.

Best regards,

Xaver

[goddi]

Xaver,

I took a look at a PTE file but I could not make sense of it. I am not a programmer but I can't see why it can not be done. The Customized times would be somewhere in the PTE program as an input. The program already does a calculation to determine what would be the normal display time for each slide when the Autospread is check. All that has to be done is to have the total of the Customized display times subtracted from the total music time before the Autospread does its calculation.

Seems simple to me but maybe it is not that simple. I hope Igor will chime in here to let us know if it can be done.

Thanks... Gary

======================

Gary,

When looking at pte-files (using a text editor) you will see that just the modification of the display time of a particular slide will not lead to personal (customized) settings for it, i.e. display time is not regarded as a customized setting at all. As a consequence, a change of time settings via the project options also has its effect on those slides which previously have been changed via the Customize Slide window. So, the situation seems to be more complex than one would expect, and I see problems for the realization of the proposed feature.

Best regards,

Xaver

[xahu34]

Gary,

Here is a workaround for your problem:

- Do not use Autospread.

- Determine the length of of your music in seconds.

- Use a pocket calculator (or the calculator from Windows Accessories) in order to determine the display time of the slides to be changed.

- Now, use the slide list (not the time line): Highlight the first slide, scroll to the last one and click it while pressing the Shift key. Now all slides should be highlighted.

- While keeping the Control key pressed, de-highlight those slides whose display times should not be changed.

- Open the Customize Slide window and enter the precalculated time and click OK.

Backup your project before you start!

Good luck,

Xaver

[goddi]

Xaver,

I did not think of doing that. I'll give it a try. But...it would be nice if Igor could factor in this little calculation in the Autospread mode. Thanks for the instructions.

Sincerely, Gary

============

Gary,

Here is a workaround for your problem:

- Do not use Autospread.

- Determine the length of of your music in seconds.

- Use a pocket calculator (or the calculator from Windows Accessories) in order to determine the display time of the slides to be changed.

- Now, use the slide list (not the time line): Highlight the first slide, scroll to the last one and click it while pressing the Shift key. Now all slides should be highlighted.

- While keeping the Control key pressed, de-highlight those slides whose display times should not be changed.

- Open the Customize Slide window and enter the precalculated time and click OK.

Backup your project before you start!

Good luck,

Xaver

[AnKo]

Hi all,

I think this option looks very useful but has a backside. An option like this can easily ruine any slideshow when changing to many slides. Example: 12 slides of 10s = 2 min. Changing 2 slides to 20 sec will leave 4.444 sec for the other slides. This could make any slideshow a mess in my opinion.

I also agree with Xaver that this will not be easy to program. Changing individual slides in time, while the total time of slides may not change, and stay in sync with the duration of the music will give problems as long as the Autospread function is ON (because we want that option to do its work too).

Igor can clear up this sky for us.

Kind regards,

André