LumenLux

Dave, I don't think your sincere question detracts from Ken's nice presentation. You ask what most all of us have asked with equal sincerety. I think the answers that have been given in this brief round are all good. But a definitive answer that would make life easier for many, is, in my opinion, not available. So we all do what we think best.

Ken, I too enjoyed your presentation. My personal favorite photos are a few of your close ups. Several very nice compositions showed also the lens capability you were describing. Really nice rendering of the closeups and depth of field seemed nicely wider than what I might have expected on some shots. Thank you for sharing the info as well as the photos.

Absolutely! And yes, it was "Orchestra". And I still watch your skeleton occasionally for laughs. It is perfect.

Thank you Ken - and Ken - for getting this subject rolling again. I've always liked the Rogue's Gallery. But nothing conveys a personal image concept like the "personal symphony" PTE show that boxig literally directed, created, and brazenly posted a long time ago!

I suppose #79 has to wait for the official debut! No chance of a special screening for PTE family?

Initial testing looks good. I may be able to suggest a couple of minor improvements if I can get to it today again.

I think perhaps best to start new topic here on Granot's latest work (I hope there is not one I already missed?) I think his idea for this one is excellent. The MultiShow Player is already excellent, but for some of the features, it is somewhat confusing for the preparing person. The list files, the ord files, the cfg.ini coordination is not easy to keep straight for some of us less techie users. The new MultiShow Tool looks like it will streamline all the "tough" part of using some features of MultiShow. Go for it Granot!

Now, maybe I am confusing - I don't mean for the object to start the next show. I just mean for the object to allow you to jump to a slide very near the end of the first show. Then the interaction of the two shows would be without human intervention. The "object" would only be in a "Create as" .exe which you would play normally but it would be a very short time required to see the interaction between your shows.

Igor, the way I understand JRR's concern is that the shows you want to link might mean a very long wait for the first show to reach the last slide. The need is for the Preview that starts with a slide near the end, so that the link to the next show can be tested. The problem is not serious if the first show is only a short introduction, but if the first show is 30 minutes long, the problem is serious. Until, that problem can be solved, the only suggestion I would have Jim, is maybe to use temporary objects, during testing, to jump to near end of show . You have probably already tried that?

Yes Maureen, I'm sure many of us join in well wishing Bart and his family. As important as the web site is to Bart, he still knows the real priorities. That's always to be thankful for - the keeping of perspective.

Nicely said Fred.

What can I say - Only thanks.

Brian, thank you for your always helpful information. The question I still have - If I have not yet installed SP2 on XP, should I hold off or install it?

Have you tried your troubled project on a different computer? If you have the ability to email or post on a website, a PTE template of your show, I or other members could take a try at it. Or, some members might be able to learn something just looking at the .pte text file. Or, maybe someone else will jump in soon with the answer.

Congratulations Granot! Not only on the very good utility, but also on the best help file or read.me file you have ever done. (Of course I didn't dare not read it.) Your quick turn around time on improvements is amazing. It also means that my carefully documented comments on V1.0.1.0 never went beyond my notepad. I will also follow your request for comments now to just be on the current version. I think the current version is running very well and looks fine. Thank you and thank Ken. One annoyance to me: When running a list of shows, if I "escape" out of a show, it is very easy to hold the escape key too long which then also escapes and closes Multi Show Player. Ouch. For me, this is a real nuisance but it may be even more confusing if viewer person does the same thing. The viewer may not know to reinsert the CD or may not bother to do so. I wish I had brought this to your attention sooner. My suggested improvement would be to make MultiShowPlayer immune from the escape key. Allow your fine utility to be terminated only by the X you have in the upper right corner of the program. Maybe(?) this is minor enough change that you could still call it V2.0?

Assuming you are trying to upload to Beechbrook.com ? Your ultimate help is to email Bill, through the site. He is very helpful. three thoughts - 1. When you are uploading the actual show (not just a link), the process can take a seemingly long time with no indication on screen that it is progressing. Ultimately though, you will get a new screen confirming your success - if indeed it has been successful. 2. It seems that long ago, it was suggested to make your show file a short, no-space name and upload it from your root directory rather than a folder buried deep in the file heirarchy. I have no idea whether this will actually help you now. 3. You will get it posted.

Can you use the "save as" feature to give a new name to your current "mess"? Then see what you can do by loading the older Project file (the original .pte file.) Then see what you can do with the newer .pte file if necessary. This may not solve the problem, but may help diagnose the problem.

Just for the record Ken - I had dl'd your file when it was .exe. On my pc it showed up as a "file" with no extension showing. I simply added the .exe to the file name, and it works fine.

That often-too-rare condition does command a smile. And we probably all know what you mean.

I swear Granot, I have read every Readme file you ever wrote except this one! I have now tried Version 1.0.0.8 My first comment is - although the cfg.ini works just fine loading PTE show to hard drive - I think there is a better way from the stand point of the PTE show creator and the recipient of the PTE via MultiShow. If I use MultiShow to convey a PTE show on CD to someone, I have often no idea whether their pc or cd-rom player is fast or slow, adequate or inadequate, for the PTE show to run properly from the CD. Therefor, I think it would be much better if you can figure a way where the CD recipient can make the decision to install to hard drive or not. My preference would be if you can add another button so the viewer person could select whether the selected show(s) would be installed to hard drive or not. A related issue that I think could be improved - I tested version 8 with the cfg.ini set to install to HD. My CD had only one show - a very large show, 72mb. When the CD auto-runs, the viewer never has a chance to see MultiShow, only the actual PTE starts playing. In the case of my large show, it takes a very long time to install and load without the user having any idea whether the right thing is happening. I dare say almost no-one would be patient enough with such a large show and many not even with a shorter show. I think, even with only one show on the cd, it would be better to let the end viewer person decide install or not. Then even with a long show, he may expect "ok" if he has taken a conscious action. Also, if he gets to make the choice, he has benefit of an explanation that the preparer can provide for with your "About" button. Now more from my testing: I burned MultiShow & a single PTE show onto a data DVD instead of a CD. I could not get the autorun feature to work. I don't know if an autorun.inf has to be different or something to work on DVD? When the Autorun did not work, I clicked on the Multishow.exe. Because there was only one PTE show on the DVD, I never saw the face of Multishow, but only eventually the PTE show did appear. The PTE show was created to play over and over until stopped. So (as I read in earlier posts ) the show never ends so that Multishow can takeover at end. What I did not expect however, is that I could not even manually Escape from the show. That is, repeated pushing of the escape key did nothing. Using WinXP, I had to CTRL-ALT-Del to bring up window to terminate the PTE show. When I terminated the PTE.exe, the MultiShow terminated also. I suspect that leaves the PTE.exe file on the hard drive? Which "Temp" directory would I search to see if it is still there? And, when the MultiShow installed PTE is running, can the PTE.exe file be seen as a normal file somewhere on the hard drive?

Granot, I hope you don't mind me listing here again the link of your latest version. Making this download link easier to find may help interest other forum users. (PS, I would still encourage everyone to look around your list at all your utilities.) http://www.thailandphotoalbum.com/MultiShowPlayer.zip

Larry, I think you are asking all the right questions, but I for one, am sharing "what I think" and don't remember or know the sure answers. If Igor could jump in here, that would certainly be correct info. When I had burned both NTSC and PAL versions of a DVD, at least one time, it was not a PTE show, but a homemade mini-dv tape that had been put on DVD for here in America. I then used Ulead or Roxio or ? to "rip" the video from the American DVD and then burned the result using the PAL option of the software. The PAL version DVD I then know only would NOT play on my NTSC DVD player. The sad part is, the recipient in Germany, being a teenager never reported back very accurately what she was able to view of the two (NTSC & PAL) versions I sent. I think Ken has made a couple of further good ideas - 1. If you can trace down a commercial video shop that is willing to talk even if he won't get a $, you may get the answers you need. Or you may decide it is worth paying to get it done. Some of the commercial shops don't want to mess with such small potatoes as business but will nicely share the knowledge you need to do it yourself. 2. Finally, as Ken suggests, YOU will become the expert and we can come directly to you for the next round of this type of question. And my parting advice - Remember, this is fun.

Yes, the direct tapeing from PC to video tape has always been possible with appropriate PC hardware. But the quality was always much less when played on TV from the tape. Igor's Video/AVI feature brought us a huge improvement in quality. Which now leaves many of us with much to learn with that direction toward DVD when applicable.

Granot, I am still paying attention but have fallen behind in trying or testing. My only question for now - don't hit me if I have not paid close enough attention - Does the current version install the shows from CD to hardrive and run them from hard drive? Now, remember, who promised not to get violent!

Larry, I have not looked at the links posted by Ken. What I can mention is that PTE itself has in the Video section, the option to prepare your .avi for NTSC or PAL. I think I once successfully used the PAL option and sent it on DVD (along with my NTSC) version to a friend in Germany. Also, I think some of the typical DVD software offers the option to burn for either format. It is therefor my understanding that the issue is easier to deal with via DVD than via tape.