Igor

I'll fix this moment in the next beta. By default v5.00 installer will suggest another folder than previous v4.xx

For Pan/Zoom in fact only video card is the most important factor. Almost any CPU and memory size at least 256 MB NVIDIA Geforce 4 Ti4200, 5600 or 6600 (or ATI Radeon 9600, X600) already in several times more powerful than v5.00 requires for Pan/Zoom. So no need for more powerful video. I already don't speak about Geforce 7900/Radeon X1900 where we can load only 5 or 10% of this video card I think after releasing of Windows Vista (January of 2007) almost all video cards will be quickly upgraded. So all laptops/PC will have powerful video cards. Their new 3D Aero Glass user interface requires very powerful video card. Reliability of DirectX and video drivers also will be very high, because Windows Vista will be built on DirectX.

Ron, Thank you that you noticed it. We'll work with this question.

Al, Text objects will be in the next beta versions, but please download source files of my PteShow demo and you'll find that I used graphical editor to create perfect text with fine smooth shadow and saved it as transparent PNG image. One large text labels with shadow takes only 40 KB of file size. Patrick, OK! After this additional month or two, pleas write me all what you think about PTE and v5.00 in particularity

I really wondered how you quickly learned all new functions of the Visual editor! Thank you. I many times worried that Visual editor maybe looks too difficult for first understanding. But I didn't find other variants to provide you more simple inteface for individual animation of every object.

Thank you that you noticed problem with editor when it attempt to set Internet connection. Earlier it thought that it's a bug of my firewall Agnitum Outpost, but I see now that it's serious problem. PTE doesn't set any Internet connections, of course! Outpost informed that when we initialize DirectX mode some loaded to application system libraries (DirectX DLL modules) attempt to set Internet connection. We'll try to solve this problem in the next beta. Sorry for this problem! You see that we still have enough work with v5.00 but after we created new graphical engine and new system of scalable objects all "old" features will be quickly realized. Patrick, Please a little patience. This is an earlier beta for beta-testers only, I agree it's not fully public version. We will not publish it on our web site. Just to play a little bit with Pan/Zoom effects who want to have earlier look on future v5.00 When all will be OK, it will be called v5.00 final release. I consider that for more than 2000 pages of very complex new code it's a good result with only a couple of serious bugs only. Thank you, Ian for letting me know about several problems: Please send me such PNG image to int_support (_at_) wnsoft.com You need to uncheck small button between two X and Y edit controls. Temporal warning for us. It will be fixed. Other problem are temporal limitations of the first beta.

PicturesToExe Deluxe v5.00 Beta How to download v5.00 http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr-deluxe_beta.zip Example of slide-show created in PictresToExe v5.00 1) "PteShow" - http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip (8 MB) EXE file Source files of this project: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow_sources.zip (8 MB) Powerful slide-show with high quality 2400x1500 images. Intended for modern video cards. 2) "Flowers" - http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Flowers.zip (1.5 MB) EXE file and source files. 1024x768 images. Works fine almost on any video card. 3) "NoResizing" - http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/NoResizing.zip (1.5 MB) EXE file and source files. This example shows how to display images as is without resizing on any screen display. Exactly pixel in pixel. But personally I don't like this option. It better to use scalable images, as in settings by default. What's new in v5.00: + New Visual editor where you can add Pan/Zoom/Rotate effect. See "Objects and Animation" button (Ctrl+ on the main window. - Added "Drop Shadow and Glow" option for objects (see Objects and Animation window). - Added "Drop Shadow and Glow" option for objects (see Objects and Animation window). - Added "Diagonal" style for Rectangle objects. - Added alpha parameter to color of Rectangle objects. You can set alpha 255 for one side and 0 for another side and make partially semi0-transparent rectangle. - Added "Perspective correction for Zoom" option for objects. See "Objects and animation" window. With this option enabled we simulate true movement of a camera to an object. + Added Undo (Ctrl+Z) and Redo (Ctrl+Y) features. See Main menu | Project | Undo (Ctrl+Z) and Redo (Ctrl+Y). + Transition effects: + All transition effects work much more smooth with new graphical engine, especially "Curling of page" + You can change center of appearance for "Circle" effect. + Improved Navigation bar. > New Navigation bar styles. > Added support of skins. You can add any images of buttons and background, Navigation bar can be semi-transparent and has a shadow. See folder "NavBar" in PicturesToExe's folder. Just add new folder to create new style of Navigation bar. + Added tree of folders to main window. See Main Menu | View | Show tree (Ctrl+G) + Added support of PNG images files (including PNG with partial semi-transparency). + You can quickly remove slide(s) from Slide list simply dragging them back to File list. + You can quickly press Enter to show "Customize slide" window for selected slide(s). + Main image of a slide can be transparent GIF or transparent PNG now. + Added new function to Main menu | File. "Create backup in ZIP" which compress all files of your project into one ZIP archive. It can be useful for moving project to another PC. + Vastly improved speed of work of PicturesToExe's main window. Instant response now. Especially when you work with 1000 or more slides in the Slide list. + Added new style of background image of a slide: "Fit to screen". + New view of color dialog. + Added option "Keep slide aspect ratio" (1,3333 by default) to correctly draw slide + Added "Scale keypoints in objects (on time change)" option in properties of a slide, "Main" tab. This option useful if you have complex animation (with several keypoints) and you need to change slide time from 4 seconds to 12 seconds, for example. + AVI video output window: + Added "Anti-flicker filter" which is turned on by default. + Added "HD-1080" mode. If you slideshow has 4:3 aspect ratio it produces 1440x1080, if 16:9 then 1920x1080 + Added "HD-720 progressive, 50/60 frames" mode. + Fully rewritten music player and improved quality of sound. + Vastly improved quality of video output (AVI, DVD and HDTV). + Ability to insert comment or description from EXIF info of JPEG images. See Project options | Comments tab | "Set comments for all slides as" | "Display EXIF". on various displays (usual 4:3 and wide screen). See Project options | Screen tab. + Added compatibility of main interface of PicturesToExe with Large font (120 dpi) mode of Windows. + Main interface of PicturesToExe supports "Clear type" font mode of Windows XP. + Various improvements in File list in the main window. + You can customize double click in the Slide list: show Slide window or Objects and animation window. See main menu | View | Advanced options. + Enlarged size of preview area in "Customize synchronization" window. + Added text macros. + New "About PicturesToExe" window. + New Welcome Screen. + New drive bar (in main window). + Added compatibility of main application of PicturesToExe with Windows Vista. + Added compatibility of main application of PicturesToExe with restricted user accounts in Windows. + Improved installer (allows to choose folder where to store settings and templates). (Please leave you responses in the next thread. This topic only for announcement.) Please note that new Pte 5.00 beta #8A Deluxe can be downloaded also from http://www.guru.to.it/en/downl_e.htm (server in France). Page en français: http://www.guru.to.it/fr/downl_f.htm Pagina in italiano: http://www.guru.to.it/it/downl_i.htm

Please leave here your responses concerning PicturesToExe v5.00 beta #1

Al, Please tell me more. What version of DirectX you had before? Where you download new version and what version of Windows (with SP2 or not) you have? It's a very important information for me.

"Flowers" demo doesn't contain music. I already several times was asked about this problem. You're right, it may causes misunderstanding. I'll update this example tomorrow and add music.

Thank you for your all responses! It seems that now v5.00 beta slide-shows work on all PCs without serious problems. Currently in beta #1 speed of movement of objects is linear, but in the the next betas it will be adjustable (with acceleration, deceleration, etc)

Please ignore this message about memory leak. It's a simple mistake and our quality control system informs us that we forgot to free 36 bytes of memory before closing of slide-show. We'll fix it.

Thanks, I see that we should use more small image for Geforce MX4000/MX440 cards to fix jerks. In fact PTE v5.00 shows images and makes all effects in 3D space as known 3D games. So I think it's good and serious usage of your video card Future Windows Vista from Microsoft will require much more fast video cards for drawing of desktop and windows than PTE v5.00 requires.

mellow, Terrific video card! PTE v5.00 in fact uses 10% of power of NVIDIA Geforce 7800 GTX.

Ken, Yes, you can add several images to one slide and add individual Pan/Zoom effects. Please look at this example: http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Fractal.zip (1 MB) Here you see 25 images and 25 text labels on one slide. Fred, Pan/Zoom effects in v5.00 will not work on video cards lesser than 16 MB of video memory. In fact it requires 64 MB for ideally smooth animation. In final release of v5.00 Pan/Zoom will work on such old video cards, but very slowely (without hardware acceleration using CPU only).

Lin, I just sent you email. Please reply me.

For Pan/Zoom PTE v5.00 always uses video card, Radeon 7500, too. But this video card can't show smoothly Pan/Zoom effects for large images 2400x1500 ("PteShow" demo) If I use 1024x768 images ("Flowers" demo), you said it worked perfectly.

Thank you very much for your responses! nickles, "When I quit the show I got some kind of diagnostic window having to do with memory leak? with counters..." Thanks, we'll fix it in the beta #2 Ken Cox, No music in "Flowers", I used music in "PteShow" only. JPD, Unfortunately Radeon 7500 is not enough fast for PTE v5.00 But you see that PTE v5.00 gives much more sharp picture especially in high resolutions. Also you can place several images on one slide and animate them independly. Of course, in v5.00 Fade effect will work fast as earlier. But flexible system of objects and Pan/Zoom requires more modern video card. We did all we can with optimization. If we reduce internal resolution for rendering (always 720x576, as some other products do) it will reach same fast speed, but with blurred picture. In fact you can do same thing - reduce size of images (as I did in "Flowers" show). In "PteShow" I specially used large images - 2400x1500 I like especially sharp picture with high details on my HDTV projector.

"Flowers" http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Flowers.zip (800 KB) 1024x768 images. Almost for any video card. Please leave info about your video card in your responses (where you tested "PteShow" slide-show).

Please try my slide-shows I've created in future PicturesToExe v5.00 beta "PteShow" http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip (12 MB) Very large images 2400x1500 for maximal HDTV quality on any displays and projectors. It requires modern video card (NVIDIA or ATI) for ideally smooth Pan/Zoom effects. "Flowers" http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Flowers.zip (800 KB) 1024x768 images. Almost for any video card. Maybe PicturesToExe v5.00 beta #1 will be published already on Monday, May 1st.

Sorry! I just added Matrox cards to the list.

What video card installed in your PC or laptop? If you don't know exacty name of your video card, please click Start button | Control Panel | Display | and choose last "Parameters" tab. p.s. v5.00 beta #1 almost ready.

LumenLux, You exactly thought. It's terrible task to get it work on wide range of hardware. We could easily get it work on several variants of PC, like Mac, but in fact even skipping of two frames looks as jerk in Pan effect. For example, on this week I found serious bug in Geforce 4 MX440. I thought it was our mistake, but when I tried several games with mode we use I found that they also lock up. Of course, we found another way (after 4 days of work) to solve this problem, but it's strange that NVIDIA still didn't fix this obvious bug during 4 years since 2002. Currently we have ideal work of Pan/Zoom effects on all PCs where we tested (with videocards like Geforce 3/4, or Radeon 9500), except of only one PC where we still trying to get it work smoothly. I think the optimal way for PTE v5.00 will be including of: - New graphical engine which you enable when use Pan/Zoom effects. Hardware acceleration for all effects. I think it will work fine on 99% of PCs without problem. Required videocard like Geforce 3, 4 or Radeon 9500, X300 - Old graphical engine (CPU based from PTE v4.xx) for guaranteed work and speed of Fade effect on all PCs (as now). Scalable objects and new Visual editor exist and work.

To install screensaver in Windows you need to place produced .scr file: - to "System32" folder in Windows folder (usually C:\Windows\System32) For Windows 2000, NT4, XP and future versions of Windows (including Windows Vista) - to "System" folder in Windows folder (usually C:\Windows\System) For old Windows 95, 98, Me Also there is a lot of free installers. For example, please see http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4247

As I tested today with latest optimizations, in v5.00 slide with a huge image 3500x2300 (JPEG 5 MB) loads only 2-3 seconds on Athlon XP 1.6 GHz with. More "smaller" 2000x1500 load within 1 or 2 seconds.