davegee

Powerpoint will allow you to save slides as JPEG or PNG but unless I am mistaken they will not allow transparency in the PNGs. If you make the PP slide white text on a black back and use black as b/g in PTE the white text will appear to animate on the black b/g. It might work.

Lin is correct, The Left/Right arrows on screen allow navigation between keypoints but the Left/Right keys on the keyboard only work after you have mouse clicked on a keypoint. The strange thing is that once you get the Left/Right keys activated they work for all slides in the show not just the slide you were working on (if you use the Next/Previous slides arrows). However if you come out of O&A and return you have to "Activate" the Left/Right keys again. DaveG

If your Keypoints are in the right places then you should see the "outgoing effect" merge with the "incoming effect". Give the guys here more detail? DaveG

I'm With Al. Show by default. DaveG

Forgive me if this has been covered elsewhere - perhaps I missed it. I think that I know all of the different ways in which I can distort an object/image in the O&A dialogue (except one). Is it possible now or will it be possible at some time to be able to control each of the corner points of an object/image independently of the rest so as to produce perspective effects? I am thinking of turning a rectangle into a trapezium (or vice versa) while zooming in or out. This type of control would need three variations, I think. a. Completely independent control of each of the four corners. b. Control of two corners in the horizontal plane c. Control of two corners in the vertical plane. Something for Igor to consider, or is it possible now? DaveG

Hi Igor, Many thanks - that worked. You were correct that I set Windowed Mode when I created the Beta 2 show. I will await Beta 4 for the reinstatement of Windowed Mode and synchronisation of music functions. I looked at all of the new features and agree with Jeff about the renaming of "Ignore Objects Not Selected". I will find this more useful than the "Transparent for click" but I can see a use for both. I quickly found that some of the new features (e.g. file names in Objects Pane) are not applied when opening a Beta 2 project in Beta 3 but apply to all new additions to the project. In the "Project Options" there is some loss of text in the line: "Permit control of show …" The Time Range is a very useful feature but gets a little difficult to interpret toward the end of a long show. Could it read out in Minutes / Seconds and parts of a second? Thanks for all of your work and long hours (!). DaveG

Hi Igor, Regarding Windowed Mode - I guessed that it was not available. But why is my show appearing at the TOP of the screen with no black line above and WIDE black line below. It was not this way in Beta #2? The show appeared in the centre with the same thickness black line top and bottom. Why has this changed? Will I have to go back to Beta #2? DaveG

Hi Igor, In Beta #2 when running in "Windowed Mode" and a 1280x853 show my show was displaying full width in the centre of the screen with black line top and bottom. In Beta#3 it is showing full width at the top of the screen with a large black line at the bottom. This does not look right????? Also I cannot select "Windowed Mode". My show is Custom:1.5 and 1280x853. Is this a problem? Is there something I have missed? DaveG

Hi all, I have posted a Photoshop Action which will cut up any image into 10 equal parts so as to allow the Venetian Blind effect. It works for both horizontal and vertical blinds. You can download here. Please let me know of any difficulties downloading or using the Action? DaveG

Doesn't the Synth have a different volume control in the MASTER VOLUME display? It is possible that Ken and Ron's Synth Volume is down in the Master (compared to the rest)? DaveG

In the OBJECTS window in O&A right click on the image you want to change the order of then click on ORDER and all of the options are there. DaveG

Thanks Barry, Quote: "However, it may be simpler to say that, if you intend to pan or zoom an image the picture needs to be bigger that the rest to allow the quality to be retained during the movement or zoom". I merely quantified, to the best of my ability, what you choose to generalise on. DaveG

Hi Igor, I am not sure what you are proposing along with Al and Ken, but please remember that some, myself included are quite happy to proceed with what I proposed when I started this thread i.e. the combination of "Fit To Screen" and "Windowed Mode" which would allow for the playing of ANY aspect ratio on ANY monitor. DaveG

The whole subject of Aspect Ratio / Image resolution / Zoom Degradation has provoked a lot of debate in various threads here over the last week or two. I have given my thoughts on Aspect Ratios and one possible way of approaching them. A question was posed regarding the correct/best Image Resolution and Zoom Ratio to prevent image degradation. The way I see it there is no single definitive answer because it depends on a number of factors: Where you are starting from: Camera resolution? Purpose of show: Your own monitor or everyone’s monitor? For example: A D70 camera produces a 3008x2000 pixel file while a D200 file is 3872x2592 and the Canon 30D is 3504x2336. It is immediately obvious that zooming into a 1280 pixel wide image from any of these involves different percentages of zooming. Also different monitor resolutions mean that the figure you are trying to achieve is different for each case. The “norm” these days is anywhere between 1024 pixels and 1600 pixels wide. I have attempted below, to produce a table which shows these differences. The figure given in each case is the Maximum Zoom possible from each of the camera files and for each monitor pixel size. Definition: Maximum Zoom is the zoom amount beyond which some interpolation is required by PTE to fit the image to the monitor pixel size. It is assumed that some degradation of the image to some degree will take place beyond this maximum zoom figure. Monitor Width: 1024 Pixels 1280 Pixels 1600 Pixels 3008x2000 (D70) 293% 235% 188% 3504x2336 (30D) 342% 273% 219% 3872x2336 (D200) 378% 302% 242% Taking the full-size D70 image on a 1280 pixel wide monitor with a 3 to 2 aspect ratio and providing for the maximum 235% zoom would require a 3008x2000 pixel image which is at least a 1Mb JPEG file at compression 8. (The same figure for the D200 file would be 1.5Mb). For PTE 4 the same full-size D70 image on a 1280 pixel wide monitor with a 3 to 2 aspect ratio would only require a 1280 pixel wide image whose file size at compression 8 would be just 215Kb. (The same figure for the D200 file would be the same – 215Kb). The file size required to perform these extreme zooms is at least 4 times as big!! The above table assumes that the show is being produced for use on the producer’s monitor. If the same show is uploaded to Beechbrook then the producer has to assume that someone, somewhere, is going to want to download and run on a 1600 pixel wide (or bigger) monitor. If this is accepted then the producer has to forget the figures for the 1024 and 1280 pixel wide monitors and work to the figures for the 1600 pixel wide monitor. Let’s turn it around a little bit. If it is known that the zoom ratio required is going to be less than maximum, what effect does this have on pixel sizes and file sizes? The table below shows the pixel size and corresponding file sizes for D70 images which are going to be shown on a 1280 pixel wide monitor and subjected to the zoom percentages shown. Zoom % 120% 150% 200% 235% Pixel width required 1536 1920 2560 3008 File Size 304Kb 456Kb 750Kb 1Mb I think it is clear from this table that if keeping the file size of the final file to a minimum is important then tailoring the image size to suit the amount of zoom to be subjected to it will assist. So what’s the conclusion? The producer will have to prepare his/her own table of Maximum Zoom percentages based on his/her original image size and the purpose to which the final show is going to be put. A spreadsheet or table with all possible combinations would be a job for someone with much more time on his/her hands than I have. DaveG Sorry about the justification of the tables but I think it is still clear what the figures are.

Al, Re: Windowed Mode. In my examples, if you change the values in the "Windowed Mode" box your Black Background or Canvas in the O & A window changes to suit. Therefore, by my definition, "Windowed Mode" works. I suppose though, that it is the LINE around the images that defines the "Window" in my examples. While I'm on definitions, can I give you my definition of "Fit To Screen"? Fit to screen means that if I create a 5:4 show it will "Fit To Screen" on my 1280x1024 monitor with no black bands around the image. The same 5:4 show will either fit to the height or width of any other aspect ratio monitor. DaveG

Al, I was away all day yesterday and unable to join in but: Please FORGET about image pixel sizes. How can anyone possibly get a 1820x1024 image to "FIT" a 1280x1024 screen - it is NOT possible. But it is possible to create a show on a 1280x1024 screen which will show on any aspect ratio monitor albeit with some black banding somewhere. However, by putting a line around your show the banding becomes less obtrusive. Re: Windowed Mode not being active? I'll get back to you. DaveG

Al, The reason that I have not downloaded your two Demos is that my Dial-up connection makes this a long-winded and often fruitless task. Which is why I developed the SKELETON TEMPLATE idea. My friends and I exchange our ideas in 20Kb files (as opposed to 20Mb files). Let me know what you think of what I have done and then see if you can apply the skeleton template idea to your demo? If you then post it I can download. Best wishes, DaveG

Hi Lumenlux, I have posted a link in "Aspect Ratios" to some demos of Windowed Mode and Skeleton Templates and would appreciate your thoughts? DaveG

Hi Al, In a recent e-mail from Ken, he said: "Hello Dave: Your aspect ratio method sounds like it might work...if Igor's software is not having a problem with "fit to screen. What about creating a concept demo set of PTE files or shows. Maybe with the two worst case aspect ratios for images. I think 16:9 at 1820x1024 is the widest aspect LCD panel I've seen and 5:4 1280x1024 is the narrowest aspect ratio I've seen. I'm thinking of a demo that people could "easily" try on various aspect ratio monitors to see what happens. I can get access to quite a few. Just a suggestion. I would try to do it myself but I might screw up your idea. Sincerely, ken" Never one to duck a challenge I produced a couple of Templates as per Ken's suggestion and they demonstrate both the Windowed Mode and SKELETON TEMPLATE principles. Anyone interested can download both from the following link and please read the readme.txt file in each. Each is only around 10Kb file size. Proper viewing will necessitate the addition of Ken's Photo_6x4 file in its original 3072x2048 pixel format. If you don't have this photo any 3072x2048 pixel image will do but the PZR functions might not suit your image. Just rename the file you are going to use to "Photo_6x4.jpg" and overwrite the same name file in each template. The result is that either PTE file should work on ANY aspect ratio monitor and all PZR functions will be performed within the border I have applied. The 5x4 PTE should work FULL SCREEN on a 5x4 ratio monitor and similarly the 16x9 ratio show will work full screen on a 16x9 monitor. Any problems - please let me know? The Link: HERE http://www.gould68.freeserve.co.uk/templat...etemplates.html DaveG

I have been spending a little time investigating the effect of differing aspect ratio slide shows being presented with the current (Beta 2) version of PTE5. (Following onfrom Ken's Topic). I have come to the conclusion that there is no problem as long as the following procedure is adopted. Let's take, for example, a show which I decide to put together using full screen on my 1.333 ratio (1280x854) monitor. It just so happens that this is the aspect ratio of my camera images so nothing is lost if I want to use these images straight out of the camera. The "Project Options" that I set for Screen would be: Fit Slide To Screen - 4:3 PC/DVD - 1.3333 I also set Windowed Mode and enter the same aspect ratio figures there i.e. 1280x854 My background would be Solid Black. Obviously, if I now add an image which is 1280x854 it will immediately cover the black area in Objects and Animations and if I press preview I will get a full screen image. If I had wanted to start with a 120% zoom into the image and then zoom out to 100% or vice versa then I would start with a 1536 pixel wide image (or greater). To this I would now add a thin white line around the image by inserting a 1280x854 pixel PNG file with a 3-6 pixel white border inside (as an object) on top of my original 1280 or 1536 pixel image making sure that it is not added to the Main Image but as an independent object (otherwise it would zoom with the Main Image). The preview would now show the same image, full screen, but this time within a thin white line border. I would have to add this same PNG file to every image in the show but this is not a big problem. My one image show is now ready to be turned into an EXE file and will play full screen on my 1.3333 ratio monitor. But what happens if I send this to someone with a different size or different aspect ratio monitor? If the recipient has a 1280x1024 (1.25) monitor then the EXE will play full width, all zooms etc contained within a white bounding line with black bands top and bottom. I have not tried it, but I am assuming that anyone with a wide screen (wider than the 1280x854 aspect ratio) would see the black bands on either side of the image rather than top and bottom. So there it is - one size fits all. Other things to consider: The recipient might have a larger monitor (bigger than the 1280 pixel width). If I want to cater for this possibility then I will have to make the minimum size of my images the same as the maximum monitor resolution which is possible in order to avoid PTE having to interpolate upwards. For instance if I want to cater for a 1600x1200 monitor then all of my images will have to be 1600 (plus any zooming percentage) wide. DaveG

It's been covered Tony: Untick "Hold Time Points" in Main Screen. Igor will make this the default in later Betas. DaveG

Is there a possible conflict there. Lin? Would you then want these "twelve objects" to be grouped so that the same keypoints were applied to all 12 or would they have seperate keypoints. If it could be done easily then why not? But I think I like it the way it is. DaveG

Hi Ken, I have sent you a personal e-mail which hopefully will demonstrate the "white line around shows in PTE5" principle and also how a PTE5 template can be cut down to around 20 Kb so that Forum Members can e-mail very small files between themselves to demonstrate PTE5 Techniques. DaveG

Hi Ken, I have sent you a personal e-mail which hopefully will demonstrate the "white line around shows in PTE5" principle and also how a PTE5 template can be cut down to around 20 Kb so that Forum Members can e-mail very small files between themselves to demonstrate PTE5 Techniques. DaveG

Thanks Ken, Did you get my e-mail? DaveG