Peter Coles

My Computer system failed and I have now bought a new Computer. I have downloaded PTE 6.5 but need a key and instructions how to re-start. Your records will show that I have purchased the delux version. Peter Coles My e-mail address is peter@3-c.coop

For me, Barry, all these "technical things" are only of interest if they contributute towards better communication. Quite often I find that "technical improvements" actually detract from better communication. If some clever trick or effect makes me think "That was clever", this is an interuption in any train of thought the author may have been trying induce. Any distracton which moves my eyes from where the author may have intended them to be in the direction of this distraction removes a few "brownie points" in my judgement; it may even prevent me from reaching the natural end of such a Sequence. Peter

When I started this thread, I did not, for one moment, imagaine it would end up being this technical discussion. You know, I used to go to Camera Clubs where the discusssion was about such technical stuff, rather than about the nature of what was being produced (or in most cases not produced!), My simple question received a simple and helpful reply for which I am eternally grateful. The rest may rest in peace, as far as I am concerned !

On this last point, Brian (Harvey, I suspect!) , there have been a number of occasions when other "artists" have been invited to Judge our AV Events. I have selected a few on a number of occasions (sometimes to the annoyance of other AVers!) They do add a different perspective to the Judgement, but on the whole the results seem similar, That's not all that surprising when art matches art, but rarely does an audience vote match the Judges' vote completely. I think the best line to take is that if we feel that for some reason the Judges and the rules don't fit what we would like, then we have a choice: to take part or to not take part. On the whole I decide to take part. After all most of these Judges and Organisers have some expertise that I don't have - ............. thank God! If I had decided not to take part then I would not have the 200+ International AV Awards I currently possess. The skip would not be as full when my wife clears up after I've gone !!!!! I'm not at all certain there is a shelf for AV Trophies in "The Kingdom" - and maybe not even one waiting there, in case we ever win the Wold Cup again!

I certainly agree with your last point, Barry. "The judges are still going to see a large image on screen and any judge who marks down a great sequence because it was not as big as the preceding one should not be asked to judge again." The folk who choose Judges are not always even as sensible as Judges !!! Rarely, these days, is there a "bad" Sequence shown at any International. Judges, on the whole, seem to do their job quite well, and they seem to favour those Sequences which have used all aspects of the medium well: music, words images and transitions; in other words, getting their "message" across exceptionally well. Things which distract from such perfection are those which get lower marks. I do recall in the "bad old days" 800 x 600 Sequences being regarded as "distractions from perfection", when they did not fill the whole screen. Any screen which obviously has a set size, must have a maximum size of image and consequently a maximum number of pixels which can be seen on that screen. Of course, an excellent Sequence is still excellent if it does not quite fit the screen, but at the end of the showing of say 100 Sequences, some Sequences do seem more excellent than others. Many things can affect the judgement of such excellence and a lot of these are, of course, subjective, so no wonder Judges do get it "wrong" most of the time !!!! If we notice Judges getting it "wrong" in not selecting "our" work, eventually we don't bother entering such events and just moan that most Judges are no good get it "wrong" most of the time becuase they are not proper experts !!!! If they were really good Judges and proper experts, then you and I would win ALL the time and that would be very very boring.

I continue to be amazed at what gets added to a simple question and answer. However, being an expert at winning International AV Awards (currently well over 200 of them!), I do welcome putting myself in front of these other "experts". I accept their expertise; I play their games; I read their rules; I do approve of such things as they provide me with deadlines. I don't really take Competitions all that seriously, but when I win an Award, I treat it as some sort of bonus. Sometimes, you see, THEY do get it right !!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I approve of these 'ere experts !!!! From time to time some of these "experts" decide I am an "expert"; then I get to do what they do. I don't mind !!!! Peter

When I asked my straight-forward question. I got a straight-forward answer. (well, two actually) These were very helpful. I did not imagine that so much other stuff could be attached to the simple question and answers. "Expert's?" !!! I like the definition: "An expert is a drip under pressure" !!! Most real experts listen well and write and speak infrequently. I try to be an expert listener (and reader of the PTE wisdom on this site). Peter

Thanks, Barry. This seems to have worked OK on my computer. I expect it to be OK on projectors too , but I have yet to try this. It does seem that I do not need to make a mask. Many thanks again for the speedy replies. Peter

I have made one or two Sequences recently with the format 1920 x 1080, but they are played either on my computer which is in a 4 x 3 format or on my projector which is 1024 x 768. The pngs which form movement passing through the 1920 x 1080 frame show in the black areas above and below the letter-box frame. Can this be prevented with some button within PTE or do I need to make a black mask. If the latter is true then please advise me on the simplest way of doing so. I expect that when played on a projector 1980 x 1080 the problem does not occur but as my stuff is shown on different systems, I do need to ensure that such distractions do not appear before any audience. Also, recently I showed some 4 x 3 format Sequences, on a 1400 x 1050 projector and one or two of the frames were still 1024 x 768 within a frame of 1400 x 1050. The owner of the projector did the projections and I did not wish to appear to be very critical. The 1024 x 768 images were projected smaller than the 1400 x 1050 images, so making a bit of a mess of the whole Sequence (well for me, anyway!) Others may have drifted off by then, as no-one commented adversly afterwards !!!! Please advise. Peter Coles

Thanks, Lin. The Sequence is 3minutes 21seconds duration. It would be nice to be able to have the snow coming and going and with different "flakes sizes" to denote distance away, but I expect this may be asking too much !!! Peter

I am trying to find a way of making snow fall throughout a short Sequence. I know it has been done before, but I would like to download a "template", if this is possible to save me the bother of inventing the wheel again. Could someone point me in the right direction, please?

I enjoyed your tutorial, but if there is a template by theDom to make one by just inserting the six images, where can I find this?

Many thanks, Lin. The Sequence is in currently early embrio. When I saw your rotating earth come from behind the sun, I thought maybe that would look good fading in and out of dissolving abstracts already on the screen. And maybe I could get the whole lot to disappear into a "black hole" which appeared within these dissolving abstracts! From what I had read, but not yet experimented with, I also imagined that two PTE files could now, within PTE 5.7, interact with each other; hence my experimental desire. The whole project is also part of an ambition I have to get a long-standing AV worker back into producing worthwhile Shows. He and his wife were (are) in many ways the father and mother of AV in the UK. His original work goes back almost 50 years - mine a mere 40 !!! His original best work was with abstracts interpreting music. Mine has almost without exception always relied on the spoken word and music, together with interacting visuals. So in my imagination, I had hoped to bring all this together to produce something memorable.

I did, eventually, manage to download the file via your second site, even though it took me two attempts, initially being informed that I could not download it, but then being told I could continue. Anyway, I thought it was very effective. Am I allowed to use a section of it in a Sequence I have in mind - "String Theory". If so, how do I do that? Can it come in via "objects and animation" or is there now an alternative way, though incorporating one Sequence alongside another? I would appreciate some guidance. Peter

Lin, I think it must be a problem at my end, as the video would not come down either. I'll try the other sites you have mentioned. Peter

I tried to download both, but was informed that the download did not work and that I may be able to download these fron an alternative site. I tries that with no result - there no alternatives ! I'd love to witness what you have done but it seems I may be denied this priviledge. Peter

I understand, from Peter Brown, that there is to be an article about the National AV Championships in the next edition of AV News, the magazine of the Royal Photographic Society Audio-Visual Group. This will contain my statement about trying a 1400 x 1024 projector brought to my home by Eddie Spence to play some of my 1024 x 768 Sequences which contained several .png images, and also my concern over Sequences which were other than 4 x 3 format which did not pay particular attention to the guidance within the "Information Pack". I hope this thread within Beechbrook, together with the forthcoming article by Peter Brown in AV News, will encourage an even more confident participation within our National Championships in Leicester later this year. Peter

"The Great Darkroom in the Sky" An AV worker was once very concerned about when he died, so he asked the local Vicar, if there were decent 1400 x 1050 projectors in heaven. The Vicar said he was not sure but he would try and find out! He would pray. Next week, when asked about it, the Vicar said that there was good news and bad news! Lets have the good news first: Yes, there are wonderful projectors up there, not only that but there are wonderful audiences too, who clap loudly at anything you have made, for as long as you like; even standing ovations are built-in to each performance! What's the bad news? Your first Show is next Tuesday! Peter

"Also if you have any sequences with images set to original mode, be they panned, zoomed or png images, they will not be adjusted to fill the new resolution. So it is something to bear in mind when sending sequences off to competitions etc." So what must the authors do then, poor things? So what must the authors do then? Today, I received a digitised version of the most "Awarded" Sequence in the world, in all time. The words just happen to be written by me. Now, if this digitised version of the Sequence were to be sent in to an event using a 1400 x 1050 projector (which, incidentally, it has no chance of being sent, because the authors are aware of such problems!), it would not be shown to best advantage. All this seems rather sad to me and, in some ways, a retrogressive betrayal of our heritage. Not quiet so, for this Sequence, "Mororway", is now to be shown in the oldest continuous Annual International AV Event in the world, later this year. In Epinal, France. It is here that digital AV was born, long, long before PTE was even thought of; when digital projectors cost more than BMWs and "crashed" even more frequently than their motor counterparts! So what must the authors do now, poor things? So what must the authors do now? What they do is cry, silently! And they leave the technicians to pass by into their anonimity. But for whom do they cry? "Weep for yourselves, not me"! Weep for your anonimity. Peter

I am sure you are right, Maureen, I was merely quoting from the bits of paper I received labelled "Information Pack" ! Following Eddie's visit, yesterday, before I invest in any "improved" projector, I would also like to know when a shorter focus lens would be available for such Optoma projectors. I find the digital Royale I have now so easy to use that I can arrive late and still start on time! No one, so far has complained about the image quality or the Sequences. More often than not, when I see several Sequences shown one after another, it is the Sequences that need improving rather than the projectors! Peter

UK National Championships I had some initial concerns about the way 1024 x 768 Sequences would play on a projector 1400 x 1050. I expressed these concerns to the organisers. Today, 30th May, friends from Leeds AV Group brought one of these projecters to my home, here at Lacy House Farm. I am considerably relieved to find that, provided the format is exactly the same, ie. 4 x 3, then all play OK. For any who have made Sequences with a 3 x 2 format, I would still have serious concerns unless, in PTE, under Project Options/Screen/ the "Fixed size of slide" is ticked. Otherwise, pngs would appear to come in from any black space above/and/orbelow the main frame of the jpg images. It is important that all authors, using any other than a 4 x 3 format, recognise this otherwise they could be disappointed with the performance of their entries, particularly if pngs are included. This must reassure most authors and encourage them to send their Sequences to our most important National event. To find out more visit: www.avg.rps.org or contact brian-jeffs@tiscali.co.uk

Thanks for that, Maureen. To me it does seem very important that, when authors send Sequences to be viewed by others, there should be no confusion. Clear specific directions should be given as to what is required by Organisers of Events. It should never be a "suck-it-and-see" matter. When changes are made, clear expectations need to stated. If authors find their Sequences are played in a way that they were not made, they may decide not to bother sending them again. Thanks for your e-mail; I have sent a zip of the Sequence you mentioned. Any comments would be appreciated. Peter

Thanks, Ian. Your response is most helpful. This is exactly the sort of thing I suspected, but as I do not yet have a 1400 x 1050 projector, I could not test it. I have too many Sequences already made to go and alter them all. I'm always too busy looking forward to spend a lot of time in the past. I also expect that we may get a few others who notice minor differences which they regard as major. That's part of the problem: we all notice differences in our own Sequences, whereas others may not! What can seem important to an author may not even be noticed as significant by most viewers. I would still value any comments from others who may have noticed differences in a switch from 1024 x 768 to 1400 x 1050 (or to any other format). Peter