tom95521

Hi MUR, From my limited understanding there are various methods to simulate correct Z order such as show front side only (rotating cube), switch transparency on/off, and multiple slides. It is hard to correctly display semi-transparent objects on one slide without drawing the objects in the correct order. Thanks for your demo slideshow. It is much more sophisticated than my versions. Tom

I use a MacBook Pro with parallels/win7 and it works. Do you have hardware acceleration enabled? http://download.parallels.com/desktop/v5/docs/en/Parallels_Desktop_Users_Guide/22986.htm What happens when you run dxdiag? http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/run-directx-diagnostic-tool Tom

Hi Ray, Are you connecting your video camera to your PC using firewire (ieee1394)? I don't use firewire now but when I did I found that scenalyzer (now free) did a great job for importing video to the hard drive. I payed for it when it was a commercial program and it was very reliable and easy to use. Limited to SD video (not HD). http://www.scenalyzer.com/ http://niftyvid.blogspot.com/2007/08/software-review.html Thanks, Tom

Hi Gary, Very nice. The video tutorial for Respeeder also appears to show video stabilization capability. I will put it on my wish list. Thanks, Tom

It would be nice if we had a new keyframe property to move layers up or down. This would be a manual method of adjusting for hidden surface removal without requiring Direct3D or hardware graphics function. It would be compatible with all operating systems that PTE supports. It may not fix all Z order problems but it would fix the simple ones like the one in the video below. The demo slideshow utilizes 4 slides to simulate layer moving at keyframes. I have not tested to see if it accurately models transparency but in theory it should since the layers are in the correct order. Thanks, Tom z-order.zip Update: Z-order transparency test. It appears to be accurate. z-order_transparency.zip

Since PTE slideshow objects follow a fixed path (not random) maybe it's possible to replace 3D graphics API and graphics card firmware with PTE code for hidden surface removal with transparency. Maybe by creating a custom lookup table for each slideshow generated with depth and transparency data including timecode which is then compressed embedded into slideshow. During playback it would be decompressed into memory and provide the data required for hidden surface removal with transparency. Lookup tables are not cpu intensive because the data has already been calculated. Then it would work on everything from XP to Windows 8. Tom

My guess is that 4K UHDTV are currently for files already encoded in video format instead of display mirroring due to the GPU requirements. I am sure that will change as new GPUs that are smaller and faster with lower power requirements. The 8 MP screen resolution should make video slideshows look great. Of course professionals can buy hardware (current gen Mac Pro) that can easily drive a 4K monitor. I often watch PTE exe slideshows on my HDTV using my desktop PC over wireless (chromecast desktop). It's not bad but not 4K! Also tablets are really getting powerful. 64 bits, quad+ cores. 10K photos a year? Amazing. Thanks, Tom

Hi Gary, I will have to experiment with hyperlapse. It reminds me of stop motion claymation but with people. Maybe I should get a good monopod first instead of a ball head video tripod. Thanks, Tom

Hi Judy, Cool. I am hoping the Panasconic FZ1000 with 5 axis stabilization will help reduce vibration. Thanks, Tom

Hi Barry, Yes. I learned a lesson. It is important not to crop the subject too tight when you are not using a tripod in case you want to use video stabilization software. I wasted about an hour of time trying to do video stabilization in PTE by adding keyframes and selecting a fixed object on the screen near the border of the image (rotation near center is very hard to detect). The lower frequencies were easy to remove but the higher frequency vibration is very hard to remove by manual keyframe pan/rotate adjustments. It takes math and a computer to stabilize video. Tom

Barry, It was a topic about 9 months ago. Hidden Surface Removal Lin has an example with PTE source here. The green floor should cover the red and blue squares when it is above the center of the screen. Apparently newer versions of Direct3D support hidden surface removal. Tom Lin's Example.

Hi Eric, About a year(?) ago DG tested 3D X axis perspective correction with good results. I think he was testing just images but it seems to work just as well with video. I did not find a How To for perspective correction. Probably a good idea if DG or Lin have time to add an example under 3D parameters or the How To section. I am a terrible writer. Tom

Currently Color Adjustment is limited to Original, Grayscale, Sepia, and Custom. It would be nice to have another option for White Balance. When selected a color picker would allow you to select an area on the image or video and set the reference white/gray neutral color. The color temperature would be adjusted based on the white area you selected. Thanks, Tom

Hi Lin, I'm sure you have used the Photoshop method for variable rotation using click and drag to create a reference horizon? I may be wrong but I think the click and drag between 2 distant points on the image (to establish either perfect horizontal or vertical) is faster and more accurate that manually using the rotate with grid option (which is awkward to fine control rotation even with keyboard). I find the "Photoshop" method intuitive for fine rotation down to .001 degree. The click and drag function already exists in Pixbuilder Studio so the source code could probably be added to PTE without much trouble. An even more advanced option would include 2 almost parallel lines and the software adjust the image so that they are exactly parallel (by auto adjusting the 3D X/Y axis). Thanks, Tom

Just playing around with Mercalli 2 Rock-Steady Camera option (stationary hand held capture) and PicturesToExe 3D Rotate X for perspective correction of building. The combination works great together. For still photo perspective correction you could use PicturesToExe 3D X rotate, Photoshop, or the free German software ShiftN. Tom

Like Photoshop and many other image editors it would be nice if we could click and drag a line between 2 points (vertical or horizontal) on image or video object to auto rotate image. I know some people think ALL image adjustments should be made outside of PTE but for beginners who just want to import some photos and create a slideshow a simple image rotate would help. The existing method of manual rotation using the alignment grid is not as accurate or fast as click and drag a straight line. Auto zoom to fill in rotated background would be nice too. Thanks, Tom

That would be fantastic if objects includes hidden surface removal. I hope it happens in a future version!Thanks, Tom

Maybe you could export slideshow using page curl transitions as 1080p and then import video into a slide. Tom

It sounds to me what Peter is describing is a multiple track video editor (Non Linear Editor) like Premiere, Final Cut Pro, etc. This leads me to wonder when 4K video becomes the new normal how does Wnsoft market PTE? Does PTE morph into a video editor with image support? Most video editors can create video slideshows from images. If most display monitors are 4K or less what makes PTE stand out among the competition? The distribution format (binary instead of video)? The smaller file sizes (for non video slideshows)? Before Igor turns PTE into a video editor (I think) there must be a strategic objective. Tom

Hi Eric, Quadcopters/Hexcopters are really popular for aerial filming. The DJI Phantom series are really popular. Maybe someday when I retire I will buy one. I could not view the video without using a VPN/Proxy and my guess is that is frowned upon by the BBC. We already have DO NOT FLY zones for drones. If the FAA develops strict rules to limit the altitude too low it would not be much fun. I agree it's dangerous to fly them above 150 meters or close to airports. Tom

Hi Lin, Strange. That's not the result I am seeing with my simple stroboscope slideshow. When I drag a mp4 video into the chrome browser I can view the source and can verify it is using the html 5 engine (not flash). If I save the html and double click to open in the chrome browser it also plays back correctly. Can you verify your web page is using html 5 syntax (and not flash)? *IF* my Panasonic FZ1000 ever is delivered I can experiment with real video. http://www.w3schools.com/html/html5_video.asp Source code from drag and drop saved as html to verify 60 fps. <html> <head><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width"></head><body><video controls="" autoplay="" name="media"><source src="file:///D:/60.mp4" type="video/mp4"></video></body></html> Thanks,Tom

Have you ever wondered how Walt Disney's animators were able to zoom and pan accurately without computer animation? Objects like clouds and the moon less than the foreground objects? http://nofilmschool.com/2014/08/walt-disney-multiplane-camera/ I have always been amazed how much labor and skill was involved in making hand crafted animated movies before computer animation. Tom

Hi Lin, I have tested in the browser by dragging the video into a Chrome window. It plays back at 60 fps and looks almost identical as the media classic home cinema player. This is not using a html page, just drag and drop. I just wish YouTube would be faster implementing the upgrade. Download and play in browser/Media Player http://1drv.ms/XRV1Vj Slightly different topic: Did you know that YouTube allows you to use their music and sound effects in both YouTube videos AND other content you create (PTE slideshows) as long as you do not distribute the audio files. https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/soundeffects "Additional terms and conditions Your use of this music library (including the music files in this library) is subject to the YouTube Terms of Service. Music from this library is intended solely for use by you in videos and other content that you create. You may use music files from this library in videos that you monetize on YouTube. By downloading music from this library, you agree that you will not: Make available, distribute or perform the music files from this library separately from videos and other content into which you have incorporated these music files (but not for standalone distribution).Use music files from this library in an illegal manner or in connection with any illegal content."Interesting. Tom

Unfortunately YouTube is not finished with their 60 fps upgrade. I just uploaded a PTE created 60 fps and it's only 30 fps. The red line should match the green line at 60 fps. http://youtubecreator.blogspot.com/2014/06/look-ahead-creator-features-coming-to.html Tom

Hi Eric, I think the privacy option is a nice feature in PTE. If you publish from PTE with a privacy setting it should also be the same in YouTube after upload without having to change in YouTube Video Manager. It is also missing an option UNLISTED so you share only with people that know the URL. The UNLISTED privacy is the one I use the most since many of my videos are shared with friends and relatives and I don't want them searchable in YouTube. Thanks, Tom Maybe some screen captures will help explain the problem.