Igor

PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0 Beta 17 is available now. It is a very important beta version which includes almost all features of version 7.0. Download link in the first post above. List of changes: + After adding of video clips PicturesToExe suggests optimize heavy video files (in H.264 format) for smooth playback. + Various improvements. * Fixed issue with encoding to MP3 in voice recording function. * Fixed problem (Beta 1-16) with opacity of video clips in executables for Mac. Opacity always was locked to 100%. * Fixed bug (Beta 1-16) with a casual disappearing of the file tree in the main window.

Thanks, I'll add this correction (I also will correct other links). I'm grateful you that you told me about this problem! We plan send all textes to a special company for proofreading later. Also we plan move the user guide to a wiki-based system on our website. Can I ask you - what quality of text in the program (PicturesToExe)? Is it suitable or should we urgently order the proofreading?

User Guide for PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0: English: http://www.wnsoft.com/files/picturestoexe/user-guides/7.0/PicturesToExe_User_Guide_v70.pdf

Complete User Guide for PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0 English: http://www.wnsoft.com/files/picturestoexe/user-guides/7.0/PicturesToExe_User_Guide_v70.pdf

Thanks, Barry. I'm glad that PicturesToExe now works better with 5D Mk2 video files. Indeed cameras use a special fast profile (simple algorithms) for video recording and don't use all power of H.264 video codec. Compare how much time it takes to output H.264 video in PicturesToExe or in other software? So to avoid visual artefacts cameras use the highest video bitrate for H.264. Even using MPEG4 video codec we can reach same quality using lower bitrate because we have more time for video encoding.

Barry, Please excuse me for late response on your previous post! We think that the new navigation bar introduced in version 7.0 Beta should be very useful for viewers of AVs and slideshows. Since Beta 15 we've solved the problem with casual appearances of the navigation bar on startup of executables. AV creators didn't use the old navigation bar because it was almost useless, that I can say honestly. A slideshow which may contain any complex objects and animation should use aspect ratio of the slide. Our nearest competitor also use aspect ratio. Every user need to easily check up and change aspect ratio for his projects. So far as it's a very important parameter I've placed this one to the most visited tab (Main) in the Project options. Virtual slide size is intended for advanced users only and most part of users don't use it directly. Probably you're right. Can we hear an opinion of other users on this subject? There is a warning when you turn this option off. Indeed I agree with you and I want to remove this option at all. I think we will do it in the following version 7.5 You're right. But I'm afraid we can't fix it quickly due to a way how we save audio clip duration. We need to find a solution to recognize this situation. We plan rework audio part of PicturesToExe in the following version(s) and I've added your bug-report to my TODO list. P.S. We'll publish the updated user manual for version 7.0 on this week.

Probably we'll add support of AAC audio files in version 7.5

Thank you, Tom! I confirm both problems. We've fixed first problem (with Mac right now). And we're working on the second problem.

We didn't finish an integration of the video converter with PicturesToExe yet. The following Beta 17 will have complete solution. The program will detect heavy video files (H.264 and size 1280x720 and larger) and recommends automatically optimize (convert) them.

Hello Mike, I apologize for this problem! Please could you give more information on this problem? 1. Did you have this problem with audio in previous versions of PicturesToExe, before 6.5? 2. Please repeat all steps to burn DVD disc in version 6.5, but on the last page with settings uncheck "Burn DVD disc" option and choose only "Create MPEG2 files" option. Now the program will create MPEG2 video file. Try to play in the media player. Do you hear audio track? 3. Try to start a new short project in version 6.5 (several pictures and one background audio file). Will this problem occur now on DVD? 4. Do you observe this problem with latest version 7.0 Beta? Thanks in advance!

Did you observe a casual disappearing of the file tree in the main window of PicturesToExe in version 7.0 Beta? I've seen it several times during past months. Today I finally traced this funny bug which is related with a work in the Open/Save dialog windows and double-click to a file. This bug will be fixed in Beta 17.

Xaver, I confirm this issue with MP4 video file. We'll check up it today. Thanks. Harold, Thanks for sending me sample files. I'm downloading them now. Please let me know: 1) Version of Windows. 2) Screen resolution of your display. Also I've sent you PM, please reply me.

PicturesToExe Deluxe 7.0 Beta 16 is available now. It is a very important beta version which includes almost all features of version 7.0. Download link in the first post above. List of changes: + Added support of IPTC info in JPEG image files (advanced EXIF text comments). You can use IPTC or EXIF fields for text comments now. + In the popup menu of the File list the "Edit file" function works for audio files now. + Improved voice recording window. * Fixed problem with appearing of an error message on launching of executable file for Mac. It happened with all previous versions when folder or file path to slideshow had some national symbols. * Fixed bugs with voice recording. * Fixed problem (Beta 1-15) with one second flicker on video for iPad and iPhone. * Fixed small bug (Beta 15) with a wrong font in the navigation bar in Mac executables. * Fixed issues with synchronization of video & audio in some AVI video files. * Other improvements and optimizations.

Done in version 7.0 Beta 16 Today later.

We've extended support of EXIF text comments in future Beta 16. Please try it today later.

Ian, Thanks, I'll wait sample file. Xaver, We've fixed problem with audio synchronization in the AVI file. For WMV we can not do anything. This file has problems with playback. My VLC and MPC players crash in 30% of cases on loading of this file.

It's my mistake. This problem will be solved in Beta 16 today. Thanks!

Tom, Thanks! I confirm this problem under Lion. We're checking up for this problem right now.

Resize option will be available in Beta 17 or so.

Barry, I've reproduced the problem with playback of recorded voice comment. We mistakenly choosed MPEG-Layer2 profile (MP2) instead of MPEG-Layer3 (MP3). Some audio players don't support this old format. We'll try find a solution.

Harold, Thanks for your report and questions! 1. Do I understand rightly that the problem with smoothnessof pans comes when you set unsharp mask value as 0 (zero) in the Project options? It's a interesting problem, because zero (default value for a new project) means that the unsharp mask doesn't work at all. With zero value slideshow should work as previous versions. Please try load this project in previous version 6.5 (ignoring warning of incompatibility) and check for smoothness of pans. Could you please upload for me this executable file? I'll check up on our PCs. (You can use www.mediafire.com and then send me PM message with a download link.) What pixel size of these images? 2. Currently the unsharp mask can be applied for entire screen only (due to performance issues). Probably we will add unsharp mask for objects later. PicturesToExe uses a standard unsharp mask algotithm with same quality as in Photoshop. PicturesToExe allows adjust only "Amount" for the unsharp mask. "Radius" is locked to "1" and "Threshold" set to "0". Regarding "Sharpness/shoftness" parameter for an image object. Since version 7.0 all image objects use mipmapping. More info on mipmapping here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mipmap This method helps to avoid shimmering and moire problems for images. In fact "Sharpness/shoftness" parameter is a correction what level of mipmapping we should choose for current moment. It's not unsharp mask or real sharpening/blurring. But this gives more sharp or more blurred picture.

Thanks for your response on voice recording! We'll rework this feature. Since Beta 16 you can change a folder for voice comments separately and the program will remember path to this folder within current project. So you will need change the folder once and then only type comment name. Recorded voice commentary is being associated with currently selected slide (or a track in the Project options | Music tab). So to record another comment you need to choose another slide before start new recording. I'll check up for the problem with recorded MP3s and Vista. P.S. I'll reply on other posts a bit later.

Tom, Thanks for the confirmation. Can you send me your executable file which doesn't work in Lion?

Thank you, I confirm this problem with both video clips. We'll try solve this quickly! P.S. The problem described by Ian can be a different problem.

Thanks for sample videos! The problem that you described here is related with color management of video players. In PicturesToExe we don't use Windows color management for video clips. It's important to keep original colors of video clips in executable show. EXE file can be played on any PC/Mac with different settings of colors in Windows/Mac for video. To avoid different results we keep untouched colors. On my PC I see same colors of this video in PicturesToExe and in Windows Media Player. Probably later we will include built-in color correction for individual video clips right in PicturesToExe. Thanks