Peter S

Hi Barry, "I have thought about a tutorial on the montage technique, but I am not sure it would appeal to many." It would certainly appeal to me. You could always ask someone to set up a voting system I have my 19" flat screen monitor at 1280 x 1024 and find the quality really falls off if I try to use it at 1024 x 768. It actually sends me a message saying I ought to get my settings sorted out! Sometimes things may look a bit small when using word or excel but there is a little box at the top that allows the user to set the zoom to any desired %age. I find this much better than going to a lower resolution anyway. I have a couple of pages from DigitalPhoto on an article you did on montages others who may not have seen this might find something along those lines useful if you still have any of the material available. Kind regards Peter

Hi Igor, I have tested the new burner on 2 brands of DVD-R and it did not work with either. I have had this problem with -R discs going back to some of my early beta testing with version 5 so it is perhaps not a great surprise. I did think perhaps a new version would have solved this but.... I have copied below the error messages and conversion/burning history. My test with DVD+R gave a perfect result and in very good time. I have copied its history for your information as well. DVD-R ERROR MESSAGE (Note this was at 8x using a 16x disc) Runtime Error! Program: ...es\WnSoft PicturesToExe\5.1 NewDVD\VideoBuilder\burn.exe This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the application's support team for more information. An error has occured while DVD disc burning. To fix this error please try to burn another disc and decrease burning speed. Please use only high quality DVD media. If this error continues to occur you can create ISO image and burn the image using other software. For example, you can use this freeware program: http://www.imgburn.com DVD-R 16 times burned at 8 times 17:53:04 - Start 17:53:04 - Converting to MPEG2: D:\PICTURESTOEXE v5 PROJECTS\Wild Flowers\Project Folder\Florasecret.pte 17:57:33 - File multiplexing: C:\Documents and Settings\Peter\Local Settings\Temp\Florasecret.mpg 17:57:53 - Converting menu to MPEG2 17:57:54 - VOB files multiplexing (This may take several minutes) - [100%] 17:58:08 - DVD disc checking 17:58:09 - DVD disc burning 17:58:09 - Setting of burning speed 17:58:09 - Burning start 18:02:01 - Operation failed 18:02:01 - Failed connection with Burn.exe 18:02:04 - Deleting of temporary files 18:02:04 – Finished DVD +R 16 times burned at 8 times 18:07:17 - Start 18:07:17 - Converting to MPEG2: D:\PICTURESTOEXE v5 PROJECTS\Wild Flowers\Project Folder\Florasecret.pte 18:11:47 - File multiplexing: C:\Documents and Settings\Peter\Local Settings\Temp\Florasecret.mpg 18:12:07 - Converting menu to MPEG2 18:12:07 - VOB files multiplexing (This may take several minutes) - [100%] 18:12:21 - DVD disc checking 18:12:22 - DVD disc burning 18:12:22 - Setting of burning speed 18:12:22 - Burning start 18:14:31 - Deleting of temporary files 18:14:31 - Finished Kind regards Peter

Hi Barry It's about 175 mile trip each way from Poole but you've certainly tempted me. Peter

Hi Barry, "can I ask where you thought they may be from?" I just wondered if you had scanned some of the paper signs or photographed them. But while I'm here and feeling inquisitive I would also be interested in knowing where you shot the pictures of the people. They look like real people wearing wonderful costumes. Did you have a fancy dress party Kind regards Peter

Hi Jean-Pierre, It is wonderful to see you back participating so actively on the forum again. You always have something new to share freely with other members of the forum and I still look back at your excellent explanation of the speed parameters in the PTE file in wonder. I am not sure if I will ever find a need for a PTE clock but please keep pushing the limits. Kind regards Peter

Hi Barry, Carol, What a labour of love! I imagine this took quite some time to assemble but it was certainly worth the effort - an excellent result. The way the texture came through in areas such as the clothes and the rolling pins was spot on and the overall colour balance was first class. I think it takes the montage into a different and much more interesting area than the single stand alone image the only downside being that it needs to be watched several times to take everything in. But actually that was no hardship. Great stuff. Were these all images from the camera? Kind regards Peter

Hi Peter, I think this is a nice concept but for me a few things need a bit more work. Several of the initial images seem to lack real sharpness and depth of field. I know it's a pain to carry a tripod but I find it helps me enormously in getting the combination of speed and aperture I want in landscape images. But I know I find it harder than some to hand hold and keep the camera steady. Being picky the blur in the Mount Grace title in snowdrops has a sharp edge on the left hand side which jars a bit and image 8 has a rather unattractive flare. I like the music which fits really well with the subject and I like the birdsong but I am not so sure that the two work together all through the show. It's probably just a matter of taste but I think snippets of bird song at carefully chosen points may have worked a little better. I would be interested to know (eventually) what your own doubts are and I hope my comments help. Kind regards Peter

Hi Dave, Yes the frames were done in PHotoshop. I created frames with one and two "holes" and black versions behind these. By blurring the black you get the soft shadow around the edges. I then sized and moved the images until I was happy with them and saved the result as jpeg complete with the caption. I then deleted the image layers and bought in replacements to repeat the process. Kind regards Peter

Barry, Like many others I have always admired the quality of your shows so I am delighted to have produced something (even just one show!) that meets your standards. My introduction to PTE was through an article you wrote in one of the mags several years ago and I have quite a selection of your CDs/DVs from which I have learned many of the techniques I used. So many thanks for that. It's taken a few years for me to summon up the courage to make one of my shows public . This forum has also been a great source for advice, guidance and ideas. The sense of community makes working with PTE so much more pleasurable. Kind regards Peter

Many thanks to everyone for the most encouraging comments and helpful suggestions. Peter, "For me, the circle transition on the Burnet Moth didn't really work." I was not sure about this and think I may have succumbed to the tmptation to use one transition type more than I should have done. All the cations were added in Photoshop. To change them in the way you suggest would be possible but I would need to think hard about the best way of doing it. All the images were taken in Dorset or Hampshire but at various times of the year. Some of the macros such as the scabious were taken in my sun lounge. I find it almost impossible to get a combination of the right light and a complete absence of wind out in the countryside. I usually take these pictures early morning or late evening when the light is soft. Patrick, I forgot all about the mouse cursor. Good point thanks. Kind regards Peter

There are many mundane looking things that we see when we walk through the countryside that are really worth more than a cursory glance. This is my attempt to show a few of them. I wanted to try to get over the problem of mixing landscape and portrait in one show and this is my best effort so far. Any suggestions for improvement greatly appreciated. Mediafire link: http://www.mediafire.com/?4z1cnfujls4 aprrox 12MB This is sized for 1280 x 1024 and uses "picture frames" other resolutions will have some black banding that will not look nearly as good. Does anyone know a quick way of resizing the whole show? Kind regards Peter

Hi Magicat, You might also try using Photoshop. Create a 32 x32 px file and drag your chosen image into this or create your icon from scratch. When you are happy choose Image/Mode from the menu bar and make sure you are in 8 bits per channel and select Indexed Color. You will be asked Flatten Layers? Say OK. Accept the defaukts from the next screen. Then Save As and look down the list and find ico. You will not see this option unless you have a suitable file (such as 16px square or 32px square) open. Kind regards Peter

Hi Judy, Have a look at Barry's post here: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=49615 If you watch some of his shows (or tutorials) with voice overs I am sure you will find the sound quality excellent. Peter Appleton hasn't mentioned his own excellent show "Lest we forget" http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....0&hl=forget. This will indicate what good sound quality he achieved using his methods. I think that if you want to get good quality sound using a PC one way or another you are likely to have to spend some money. The PC itself was not really designed to be a top quality sound recorder. One very strange quirk that I found is that I get lower noise using a mic connector at the fron of my PC rather than the one at the rear. As the one at the back is a more direct connection I have no explanation for this but if you do have two possibilities it may be worth swapping your input. To use Line In you may need to go through the following: Go to Programs Accessories Entertainment Volume Control. Select Options Properties and the Recording radio button. You can select All the options and OK then adjust your input volume for the Line In option or other chosen input. Kind regards Peter

Hi Barry, Judy Kay made this post: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=49353 in a thread about Audacity. As Peter Appleton said there's a lot of difference between just ripping music from CDs and trying to produce good quality voice overs with music as well. I thought your experience would be worth sharing with Judy. I'll put a post on the other thread directing her here. Kind regards Peter

Hi Brian, Many thanks for your detailed and comforting reply. I have been told I am a bit paranoid about my PC security but it is good to know that everything is working and my system is sound. I very much appreciate the time you spend advising us all on these issues. Kind regards Peter

Hi Barry and Carol, I enjoyed Enigma. Something a bit different but with your usually excellent quality images. One very small detail that just caught my eye was the reflection of your camera and tripod in the bottom of the copper bowl. A job for the clone tool? There has been some discussion on another thread about sound recording. I have a couple of your early sound tutorial discs which I found very helpful when I started trying to record voiceovers but I don't recall you saying much about equipment. Your sound is always first class and I would be interested to know; do you use anything special such as a pre-amp or high quality mic? My sound card is far too noisy if I try to get decent volume with a cheap mike as I think Judy Kay is trying to do. With the pre-amp it's fine. Kind regards Peter

Hi Ray Just to follow up on Barry's post - you might like to look at this site: http://gdesroches.free.fr/formation/ftestsdpi_jpg_en.htm There are some interesting examples of a test card at different jpeg quality levels and a question "Can you see the difference". There is also a good explanation and examples regarding the old chestnut of DPI. Kind regards Peter

Hi Carol, Thanks for your comments. Your menu certainly looks very good and very professional. You reminded me that someone had made a post quite a while back on this topic and after a bit of searching I found this thread started by Mary Warner - http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=42594 She produced a very helpful pdf tutorial on changing menu templates that I see you used and she ended up by saying "One thing that I haven't figured out yet is that the default templates supplied with the product include two sets of Option... ini files in the folders -- one labeled Options_4_3.ini" and one called "Options_16_9.ini". When you create a new version of the template by selecting the "Templates\Add Template" button, only a single "Option.ini" file is created. I have not experimented enough to determine how you would set up the two ini files. I will leave that exercise for another day (or perhaps another user who has already figured it out). Did you figure this out or do you have any other hints to add? I could well end up with 10 or 12 chapters in my current project so it could get a bit cluttered on a single screen but I'll have go and see what it looks like. Kind regards Peter

Hi Peter, I had missed this thread but thanks for bringing it to my notice. ContaxMan mentioned Howard Gregory in his post on that thread and Howard is the person who supplied my pre-amp and some useful tutorials on mics and their use. So we have now gone full circle. In spite of the fact that I write a script first I still find I need to make quite a few changes to voice overs. I also want to be able to add music that I can reduce in volume at certain points and match the voice over to very specific points in the slides (or vice versa). I think this is easier to achieve using Audition (or Audacity) where you can identify and mark points on the wave form, make changes and then go back and readjust everything another day if you want to make further changes. It's the flexibility that I am looking for - probably a case of horses for courses. Kind regards Peter

I have now got my DVD menu to work OK. Thanks for the suggestions. I am not sure if I found the cause of the problem or not but it may have been something to do with the fact that the first item on my DVD menu was a looping menu created for an EXE version of the show that I had not changed. I really don't know if this was the cause but changing it and re-burning resolved the problem. I have had a couple of times when the burn ( with a +RW disc that had been used before) has ended but the burning utility in VideoBuilder refuses to recognize that it has completed the process. It just sticks at 99% and the DVD burner light stays on. On one occasion I had to reboot but the DVD was OK and played without a hitch. Anyone else had this problem? Kind regards Peter

Hi Jdy, I was given some very helpful advice at the last 123 AV competition. In summary it was: Buy a decent microphone - not one from a PC shop but a "proper" mic. I ended up with one from a company called AKG. Use a pre-amplifier between the mic and the PC input. It must be an amplifier that produces minimal hiss itself. I had previously used a cheap mic and tried to eliminate the background hiss in Adobe Audition. It was pointed out to me that it is impossible to eliminate the background without cutting out some of the sound you want and the best solution by far is not to record it in the first place! This has made a big difference in the quality of the sound I can now record. Kind regards Peter

Hi Brian, Many thanks for all the information you have already provided on this topic. I would like to add yet another question. Can you please put me (and possibly others) right on the influence the use of a router has on all this. I have used Zone Alarm for some time - Firewall, AV and Spyware plus several of your previously recommended stand alone products such as Xsoft.. The Firewall log used to show numerous alerts. I recently installed a firewall and now the Zone Alarm alerts have stopped. The router manual (It's a Netgear) says that it uses two rules: Inbound: Block all access from outside except responses to requests from the LAN side. Outbound: Allow all access from the LAN side to the outside. I assumed that this is why the Zone Alarm alerts have stopped? Would it be true to say that the router provides the best facility for blocking unwanted traffic and is "better" than a software firewall? Or have I fallen for a good sales pitch? Kind regards Peter

Hi Lin, Just to add my thanks for this excellent series of tutorials and to let you know I have had no problems with downloads today 13th Jan at 22:00 GMT. Kind Regards Peter

No nobeefstu, I created the DVD version using videobuilder and created a menu as you describe. Peter

Hi Tom, I have attached a file showing one way of achieving what I think you are after. There are probably several other solutions maybe some more elegant. Each of the slides is Customized by setting it to "Loop this slide" under the Main Tab. Under Project Options "Advanced" tab tick the box Show navigation bar then click on Customize navigation bar and choose waht you want the viewer to be able to do. I decided it would be good to be able to go back to your "menu slide" (first slide) the next slide the previous slide pause or exit. Actually pause is not doing much in this case so you could delete that. The first slide is like a menu slide. Click on this slide, go to objects and animation, select the second button from the left in the tool bar at the top of the screen (the add button icon). You can move, size, rename and customize the button as you wish. They certainly need tidying up from my quick version. Select the "Common" tab in the right hand pane. You can rename your button here and the new name will appear in the objects list below. The important thing is to change the "Action on mouse click" to Goto slide number.....and then put the appropriate slide number in the box below. You can check it all out from the PTE file I have included in the zip. TEST_TOM.pt.zip