Igor

Peter, Thanks, I think it's a logic mistake. The "BlackSlide" object lays above other objects on the top level. Look at the order of objects in the tree. It explains why you can't choose another object. But if "BlackSlide" on the top why it doesn't hide underlaying objects? The answer in opacity which set to zero - so it's an invisible object. When I call "Order" -> "Send to Back" the problem disappears.

Please upload the executable EXE file of the slideshow produced in v6.0 where you see wrong Startup window to www.mediafire.com and let me know download link.

Please could you make as far as possible short demo where you can reproduce this visual problem? And then upload this EXE file to http://www.mediafire.com I'll try this demo on our Sony laptop with Geforce 6200.

Dominique, Yes, of course!

Thank you! And I hardly imagine development of such complex product without your help! It just impossible.

Scott, Is it one slide with 558 images, or 558 slides (one image per slide)? What size of produced executable EXE file?

WnSoft announces PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.0 We're grateful to all members who helped us develop this new version of PicturesToExe! Download link: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/picturestoexe-setup.zip (7 MB) User Guide: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/help/6.0/PicturesToExe_User_Guide_v60.zip Press-Release: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/press-release/pte-60.html What's new in version 6.0: 3D Effects for Images and Text A fresh impression to your slideshow by rotating of images, text and other objects in 3D is added. Output for Mac While using PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.0 for Windows you can create slideshows for Mac in the native executable files with the highest picture quality and smoothness of animation effects. Multidisplay support If you connect two displays and click Preview button the program will ask you for the desired monitor for the fullscreen preview of your slideshow. Improved Text A better visual quality of text objects. You can use any unique fonts for executable files of your slideshow now. PicturesToExe will automatically vectorize text objects and text comments and show text with the highest quality at any display resolution. New Customizable Startup and Help windows A slideshow has a new fully customizable Startup window and Help window. You can also create your own dialog windows using Objects and animation editor. Border for Images It's possible to add color border to an Image object and set canvas size for it. Editor of Masks A built-in editor to create masks directly in PicturesToExe for special effects is added. Full list of new features and changes: + PicturesToExe Deluxe now can create an executable file with a slideshow for Mac. See Create menu. + Added 3D transformations for objects. See Objects & animation editor | Animation tab | 3D parameters button. + Multidisplay support: > If you connect two displays and click Preview button the program will ask you for the desired monitor for the fullscreen preview of your slideshow. > To run already produced EXE file with a slideshow on the second display use a command line parameter -display 2 For example create Runme.bat file in Notepad with the next content: MySlideshow.exe -display 2 + You can use any unique fonts for EXE file of slideshow now. PicturesToExe will automatically vectorize text objects and text comments and show text with highest quality at any display resolution. It is no need to use "Rasterize to PNG image" option in Objects and animation editor anymore. + Vastly improved quality of text rendering. + Customizable windows in slideshow. It is possible to use Objects and animation editor to customize these windows. See Project options | Main tab | "Customize windows" button. > A new view of Startup window. > A new view of Help window. > You can add any number of custom windows to show them in a slideshow. See the new action "Show window" in properties of an object in the Objects and animation editor. + Improvements in Objects and animation editor: > "Adjust Image and Border" tool window is added. See Properties tab of Image object. It's possible to add color border to an Image object and set canvas size for an Image object. > Simple editor of presets for Masks is added. It is possible to create simple mask image right in PicturesToExe. > "Edge antialiasing" option for Rectangle objects (Objects and Animation editor, Properties tab) is added. + You can assign any icon for your created executable file of a slideshow (including large icons with alpha semi-transparency). + Improved font combo box in Objects and animation and in Project options. + Optimization for Mask objects when you set Time range is added. + An improved view of Open/Save dialogs under Windows Vista and Windows 7. + A new option to Shadow properties window - "Shadow for 3D mode" is added. + An improved compatibility with Windows 7. + Reworked "Download User Guide in PDF" function in the main menu | Help. Now it downloads PDF file directly from PicturesToExe. + New icons of PicturesToExe, project file and created exectable file of a slideshow. + PicturesToExe will show a text warning if you re-save a project file created in elder version of PicturesToExe. * Vastly reduced memory usage for Undo/Redo system. Earlier long work with very large slides could cause "Out of memory" error message. * The bug of previous versions when in spite of "When show ends keep last slide in show on screen" option enabled the first slide might appear again on the screen after last slide after several minutes is fixed. * Visual defects in Sky style of Navigation bar is fixed. * The problem with crashing of VideoBuilder if there is no installed DVD writer in PC is fixed. * A visual bug with statusbar of the main window under Windows 7 in some cases is fixed. * Improved compatibility with some DVD writers in VideoBuilder. * A visual bug (v5.5-v5.6) with blurred picture at 150+ ppi screen mode in Windows Vista/7 is fixed.

We just tested on Sony laptop with NVIDIA Geforce 6200 TurboCache. It worked without problems.

For normal work of PicturesToExe and executable slideshows it's required at least 128 MB of video memory. Even if some slideshow uses heavy images which take more than 128 MB memory, DirectX performs smart management of memory and will use system memory of PC in addition to video memory of video card. Sometimes I heard about problems with similar visual artefacts on images and re-installing of video drivers always helped. It's first case when it doesn't help. I'm afraid it can be a hardware issue. Do you have other 3D applications or 3D games to test work of video card?

Thanks for this important detail. I can only make a conjecture that there is a problem with shared video memory and large images utilize damaged sectors of the memory. We have a laptop with NVIDIA GeForce 6200 Turbo Cache and I'll perform this test. Could you check up size of video memory? Press Win+R keys, type "dxdiag" and press enter, choose third tab (Display) in appeared window and let me know size of video memory.

Please start a new project, add several photos and create executable EXE file. Do you see this visual defect? Also try a new version 6.0 (Release Candidate) - http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/picturestoexe-beta.zip Really interesting visual problem. Images are damaged in video memory.

Mike, Thanks, I've download your file. But I can't reproduce this problem. Please could you make a screenshot of whole window of PicturesToExe when this error message appears? Also do you see have this problem when you try to open other projects?

I'm sure this visual issue definitely related with video card. Please update or re-install drivers of video card via Windows Update.

Tom, I've fixed both issues. Please download updated version: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10117&view=findpost&p=70562 To cure existing buttons you need: - Turn on "Antishimmering (mipmapping)" option in "Advanced..." window of a button properties. It will improve quality of text in your slideshow. - Re-check state of "Show back side" option in "3D properties" window. It will hide caption of a button together with background of the button.

PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.0 Release Candidate is available It should be last Release Candidate. And Final Release will be announced on Monday. Download link: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/picturestoexe-beta.zip (7 MB) Changes in release candidate: + Added ability to use PNG images for the tiled background of a slide (excluding 32-bit or 8-bit images with alpha transparency). + Added "Antishimmering (mipmapping)" option for the caption of a button object. See properties of this object | "Advanced..." button. * Fixed issue with caption of a button object when "Show front side" or "Show back side" option are changed.

Tom, Thanks! I confirm the bug with of a back side of a button. Will be fixed soon. Also we'll improve quality of text in a button. It's because "Anti shimmering (mipmapping)" option is not used for the button text. Daniel, Thank you, you're right. I'll fix it in this or next version.

Barry, 1. Owners of Standard license can freely upgrade from v5.6 (or any previous version) to newest 6.0. Owners of Deluxe license also can upgrade. But work of Deluxe features depends on date of Deluxe key (free upgrades during two years after purchasing). Please see About window. 2. Mac output requires Deluxe license key.

New PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.0 should be published on Monday.

Mike, Please send me full source files of this project (via Main menu | File | Create backup in ZIP). You can use mediafire.com to publish the file and then PM me.

Thanks, I see this mistake. It's because file damaged. I just fixed it for the future final release.

PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.0 Release Candidate is available It should be last Release Candidate. And Final Release will be announced on Friday or Monday. Download link: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/picturestoexe-beta.zip (7 MB) Changes in release candidate: * Fixed issue with work two sessions of PicturesToExe when projects have PNG/GIF images. * "Show help window" action assigned for an left mouse button click on slide when mouse cursor hidden.

Exactly. Just two different ways leading to same result.

PicturesToExe always loads all Image objects of a slide to video memory ignoring time range or opacity values. To provide non-stop animation PicturesToExe's engine preloads three slides in advance to video memory. But if slide contains many heavy images DirectX may unload invisible image objects from video memory giving priority to visible images. It happens in case of lack of video memory and it doesn't occur instantly - DirectX needs some time to render at least one frame of a slide to a screen to determine what images are more important at a particular moment.

Ron, In version 6.0 an each letter in a text word adds about 3 KB to EXE file. For example, phrase "Hello, world" increases EXE file by 33 KB. We understand this issue, and next version will be optimized.

Ken, No, it's a release candidate. I'll upload final release soon, probably this week.