Flying Scotsman

Hi Peter, Thank you for your reply. I did `Synchronise slide to music` as you suggested and it solved the problem so somewhere along the line, I had (probably inadvertently) unchecked the box and not noticed it. Now you can see why I`m not an advanced member and also the effects of old age creeping on. Many thanks and sorry for the stupidity. Very best wishes. FS

Hi Everyone, I have a problem. I`ve made a sequence set to music and set the project to `repeat show until esc...` The first time the show plays, no problem but when the show repeats, pictures are fine but no sound at all. I created the sound as an MP3 file in Audacity and added it via the music in Project Option and I`ve not customised any slides. I`ve synchronised the music to the slides and unchecked `Wait for a key press...` and `Permit control using keyboard`. I`ve not checked anything in `More` as it doesn`t apply to the sequence. Can anyone help? Also, I`ve found that if I run the `review slide show from here` no matter which slide I start from, the music starts from its beginning, but if I run the show from the arrow under the working screen, the music is properly synchronised. Now I don`t know if the two problems are related or if I have two separate instances. Any advice would be very welcome. FS

Hi Peter, Thank you very much for the thoughts. I`d gone through all the possible combinations of mouse and everything else before I posted the problem. Without doubt, it`s the Adobe Elements that`s causing it. I`d thought of all the antivirus and housekeeping stuff but not done any further investigation - which I think I`ll do. My graphics are Radeon HD3470 shared with dedicated memory of 1534meg. And the really good news is; when it comes to money (brass) a Scotsman is a Yorkshireman who`s lost his sense of generosity (so they say)! Cheers. FS

Hi Peter, I`ve 3Megs of Ram installed - didn`t realise Photoshop Elements was that memory-hungry. Do you think I need to upgrade to 4 meg which apparently I can do, or, being Scots and (supposedly mean) live with it and just not open the two at the same time? Laptop is a Sony with dualcore 2 centrino T5800 processor. Best wishes. FS

Hi Everyone. Come across a problem. Found that the `escape` key intermittently not working in PTE 5.6 both with `preview` and `start preview from current slide` and I had to resort to Task Manager to stop the sequence running. I tried all the main show settings and it made no difference. Then by mistake I found that when I had Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 also running, that was causing the problem. It was also causing pan and zoom effects to become `lumpy`. I closed down Adobe and the escape key worked and the lumpiness in the pan and zoom disappeared. Tried to replicate the problem with other programs and everything worked OK. Thought I`d let everyone know just in case anyone else has the problem. Is this a known bug? Can I sort the problem out myself, or do I live with it. My computer has Vista operating system.

Hi Geoff, I agree with Ken Cox`s points. I too installed AVG8.0 and suffered the same problems. Disabling as Ken suggests seems to fix it. Funny thing is, a pal of mine had the same problem with Norton 360 and eventually resorted to the same action. Hope this helps. Toot Toot for now! Flying Scotsman

Hi DaleB, What size are your pic. files? You could try reducing your pic. file sizes. I had this problem and taking the action I suggest eliminated it in 4.48 and 5.5. Large pic file sizes (in excess of 1.Mb) I found the software doesn`t seem to be able to read in the files in fast enough when you want a bit of speed in your slide changes. Or it could be that you have small file sizes already except one early on in your sequence which is introducing the delay and thereafter there is a knok-on effect. I reduce my pic file sizes using Photoshop down to anything between 500k to 700k. Best wishes. Flying Scotsman

Hello Xavier, Thank you for your ideas. You`ve solved the problem. I was using the `run external application after...` in the advanced menu of `project options`. Your suggestion of checking the `run external application...` for the last slide in the `Customise Slide` menu fixed it. I was in the wrong place! Well done and thank you. Best wishes. Flying Scotsman (The first steam locomtive in the world to reach an authenticated 100 miles per hour). Igor has a photo of it.

Hi Everyone, Can anyone help? I`ve just got going with 5.5 deluxe and think it`s very good indeed. But I have come across a niggle which I didn`t have with 4.48. When I use `run application after last slide` I cannot get a transfer from the existing file to the new .exe without the computer delaying for about 2 secs, before the new .exe file kicks in, the result being that I get my desktop showing between the two .exe files. As I said I use this feature a lot and have had no problems at all with 4.48. I`ve set up the whole thing as I do for 4.48 (same folder etc.) and switched off the 5.5 D3D hardware accelerator in both .exe files. I`ve also disabled all my antivirus scanners (see below), but the problem persists. I have a Sony Viao PCG-K series laptop with Pentium 4 and Radeon separate graphics and RAM increased to 1 gig. Windows XP with service2 pack etc. On another issue, I noticed someone asking about AVG 8.0. I downloaded it and it played merry h..l with my sequences (AVG 7.0 was OK) using both 4.48 and 5.5. So, before I start any work or shows I go into AVG and disable all the bits that are running and that seems to have solved the problem. Friend of mine had a similar experience with Norton 360 - same remedy. What seems to be happening is that all these upgraded anti-whatever bits of software that scan all files as they are accessed and used are slowing life up and making sequences very unpredictable in their running. Hope this helps.

Hi JK, I have a Nikon D70 and got some dust grains on the low-pass filter. My local photographic store recommended and sold me the SpeckGRABBER which is a stick with some very fancy stuff (copolymer plastic, whatever that is) on the tip which means you clean off the muck without applying pressure and it will not leave any deposits - the instructions tell you not to touch the tip with fingers as you will contaminate it. You get alcohol preparation pads to clean the tip. I have used it twice and it works very well indeed. Made by Kinetronics who have a website. Hope this helps.

Hi Igor and everyone. I`m still having problems with PXE4.48 and hope you can advise. WHen I run a preview without music, pressing the escape key to terminate the preview works every time - not a problem. WHen I add music and synchronise and then preview, hitting the escape key occasionally works i.e. returns to the main screen. Most of the times, however, the music stops and the slide is frozen on screen. Doing a control+alt+del shows the project and PXE program as not responding. Doing the `end task` bit etc returns me to the main screen. Checked my computer, there are not viruses. Reloaded PXE several times - no change. No other similar programs on somputer except smoothshow which I never use. Any ideas would be most welcome as it`s driving me crazy!! Best wishes, Flying Scotsman.

Latest. If I use the `pause` in timeline, when I quit `timeline` I get back to the main screen. Hooray!! Using `stop` give me the problem. But after using `pause` when I preview the first sloide in the sequence is not shown and I get a black screen then slide no 2 appears as normal and on time. But when I `escape` to stop the preview the music stops and the picture remains on the screen (Control+alt+del to fix). Hope this is a clue. Best wishes FS