Igor

Ok, I've added this option to my TODO list. Thanks!

Also during development of new graphical engine we discovered several critical problems. Some solved, for some we've found other solutions. We contacted to NVIDIA and ATI. Today I'll send two bug-reports with examples to Microsoft and to INTEL, with descriptions of two new problems with using DirectX. Of course, even if they will be solved later in new DirectX/or drivers, we won't use that code and found another solution.

It's a very difficult task to find optimal usage of video card for perfect Pan/Zoom/Rotate effects (sharp picture and smooth motion). Several other products have some problems with it. Not enough sharp picture, jerks in motion and even narrowed color range in case of PhotoStory3 because of WMV re-compression. So all this requires much time to tests all ways and choose only one. We've added PNG support, Main picture can be transparent GIF or transparent PNG. New option for a background image of a slide "Fit to screen".

Thank you for your work!

I see at least a month for the first beta. We're working as it possible fast to prepare it. Please wait a little more!

Currently we consider that Geforce 3, or Geforce 4 MX 440, or ATI Radeon 8500, will be quite enough for absolutely smooth Pan/Zoom/Rotate effects even in hard 1280x1024 screen resolution. For 1024x768 it will enough Geforce 1 or Geforce 2 and maybe even Riva TNT2. Opposite, it won't require modern CPU, it's absolutely enough even Celeron 900 Mhz. So if you plan to buy new notebook, choose any CPU, but prefer models with NVIDIA or ATI video accelerators. It will possible to use large photos 1600x1200 and maybe more for enough quality of Zoom effect. I suppose the only limitation for larger photos will be more long time between slides. Also as I've tried with earlier tests of our new graphical engine, photos looks *much* more sharp and with more details than in some another product mentioned above. It was *very* difficult task. In any case any slide-show will work on any PC, even on Windows 95 and with very old video card 1 MB of video RAM. Also as usually 1,5 MB of PTE and instant run of a slide-show and PTE.

Ok, it shouldn't be difficult. I agree with you, that it was necessary to add it for a long time ago. I also agree that JPEG is the best choice for almost all photographies and PNG for special effects with partial semi-transparency.

Not a problem. It will possible to Pan/Zoom/Rotate partially semi-transparent PNG image (main picture of a slide) across static background of a slide.

I think we'll able to add PNG support to PicturesToExe in the next version. Including PNGs with alpha channel (partial semi-translucency).

Rainer, Future Undo/Redo feature (Ctrl+Z, Ctr+Y) will help you to work with such large projects. And Slide list in the new version also works a little faster with 400 slides.

I also have some personal thoughts concerning this idea. It's really not difficult to realize them. However I prefer to leave it until new Pan/Zoom/Rotate effects and new Visual editor (with animations) will be ready. Currently work on this new v5.00 looks as developing of absolutely new product. Of course, old interface of main window, but fully rewritten slide-show engine. As usually it should be not more than 1,5 MB. Also we just tested PTE with newest Windows Vista (Beta 1 for developers) and almost no problem. Slide-shows play fine.

There are several ways to select all time-points on the timeline. 1) Press Ctrl+A combination of keys. 2) Variant which JRR described you. 3) Or choose first time point and pressing Shift, press End key. 4) To select several slides, select any slide, then pressing Shift key, press several times or hold Right or Left keys. 5) Click the cursor on white empty space, then holding left mouse button pressed, move mouse cursor (so as you select files in Windows Explorer). It also suitable and for Slide and File list in the main window of PTE.

Oh, please excuse me! I've deleted not this duplicated message, but your first message. If it possible, write again, and I'll try answer immediately.

Your are right, we'll add checksum to help to learn about reason of the problem. Usually it happens, if file is not properly downloaded (not only mistakes of web server, but it can be a mistake of download software) and case when virus damages EXE file. Personally I never watched such error, so thanks to members of the forum, who found exact reason of such problems. In light of reason when EXE file incorrectly downloaded, I found very useful to pack EXE file into ZIP archive. So if file will be damaged, you will know about it during attempt of unpacking.

What version of PicturesToExe you use? If it newest v4.4x, please create small test slide-show (one-two photos) and set same date limitation. Try again. If it still works even after trial period, please send this EXE file to me int_support@ [remove_this_spam_protection] wnsoft.com

I think one-two weeks in August or September Not only I work on v5.00. My colleague, Aleksey, is working on the most difficult part - base core of the new graphical engine. I never could able to write such difficult formulas, it's just even above of area of high mathematics! You just will see transition circle effect in new version, but inside it really more like complex scientific calculations.

Thanks for your all ideas! We're going to realize all these features. However more likely that new Visual editor will be ready after v5.00, i.e. in v5.10 because as we discovered, it might delay final release of v5.00 on additional 2-3 months. So new Visual editor will be main key feature of v5.10 Currently we're continiously working on the new graphical engine (Pan/Zoom/Rotate) to finish it for v5.00 during 4-6 weeks. Also we're rewriting all existing transition effects. So Curling page effect will work very smooth.

Ray Yes, it's not a problem. PTE will able to show Pan/Zoom/Rotate with screen resolution of the display or projector. The only thing, such large images (3840x2160) will require more time for loading, so you will need to have fast PC or set longer interval between slides. Harold I still can't say if slides may be placed more closely (if you mean task of simulation video - fast show of slides without any effects). Some time interval still is required between slides. However we've solved another problem - you will able to place a new slide right after ending of a transition effect of previous slide. So you can show continuous fade effect (through all slides) or continuous Push effect - without any delay. For example, 3 seconds time interval between slides, and every slide contains Fade effect exactly for 3 seconds. So *every moment* of your slide-show will contain effects or motion.

I guess you tried to use that option in windowed mode? This option - "Show transition to desktop after last slide" - works only for full screen mode or windowed mode without borders (as you found).

Tim, sorry I so late with my answer. It possible that PTE's built-in mp3 player doesn't support some rare combinations of frequency/bitrate/stereo modes/VBR. However the most pleasant particularity, that if such rare MP3 file doesn't work, it will not under any PC. And on the contrary - if works fine, works fine on all PCs.

In the future we hope to using our own MPEG2 encoder to fully solve all cases of these strange problems. I apologize for such difficulties.

Please remind me (int_support@) after a month, if beta still is not ready, I at least will send your prior documentation, screenshots of new settings, and a list of main new features. We can't create EXE with slide-show at this moment, all new features in state of hundred separated blocks.

Bill, let me express my deep gratitude to you!

Harold, Yes, we're closely working on the next version. It's very difficult work. We never done like this complex task. Right today I started to implement graphical interface for customization of Pan/Zoom/Rotate motion effects. Also we have seen how these effects work, they look very terrific and I'm very impatient to finalize next version, as soon as possible! There were (and are) many difficult moments. As author may wishes, new slides should be loaded on the fly, because all slide-show can contains *continuous* non-stop Pan/Zoom effect across slides. It's separate serious problem in Windows. Also all code of slide-show viewer will be fully rewritten (first time since v3.00 five years ago). Because of this I hope the first beta will be ready in 4-6 weeks.

Currently we have no plans about adding of JPEG 2000 support to PicturesToExe. There is main reason not to do it: Much slower loading of JPEG2000 images. Aproximatelly in 4 times! Because better compression algorithms in JPEG2000 take more CPU time. It's not suitable for slide-show at all. p.s. I've created test JPEG2000 file (42 KB) using IrfanView and JPEG2000 plug-in and usual JPEG (also about 42 KB). Both from BMP file 512x512 768 KB. I found that JPEG2000 image has blurred areas in some places, but JPEG looks as BMP original in same places. The only thing that I found that JPEG2000 looks better than JPEG on very low file size, then JPEG has terrible artefacts, but JPEG2000 looks much better. But for usual purposes I see no reason to use JPEG2000. It's my personal opinion, of course.