The oldie

Peter, Further to my last - I have found a couple of sequences that had not been upgraded to new version and recreated as overwritten exe's, and they will not work using the buttons system. This seems to be part of the system to be lived with ? Alan

Peter, Since your question, I went back to try the buttons system on an introductory screen. It now works as before ! It may well be that as I have been upgrading all my projects using the latest version the system works. Before, I was having difficulty getting the "run application or open file " to call up the exe file and run the sequence. As i got fed up trying, I used Playview from Nobeefstu and found it very good. It now seems that I can revert to my intro screen system if I wish. However it rather seems that in reading the thread, that all the projects have to be updated into any new version for the button system to work ? Thanks and best regards, Alan in NE UK

Having struggled to use my usual introductory screen with buttons in the latest version, I had given up trying to get "run application" to work. However saved by the excellent utility PLAYVIEW from Nobeefstu ! Absolutely excellent solution with even the ability to use your own logo etc at intro. Many thanks indeed to Nobeefstu and his other mates who produced this little gem. Once again proving the tremendous value of the forum Thanks and regards to all, Alan in NE England

Mary, I think Peter mentioned it earlier, but there is a very good free programme called Audacity which will do all you want with a music file. I think Peter also gave you the link to download it. Living in the NE of England I wonder what your measure of "Chilly" is !! Whatever it sounds great in your neck of the woods. Best regards, Alan

Mary, I thought I would just mention this small point ---- MP3 files are in a lossy format. ie if you manipulate the file in any way and resave it you lose a little quality each time. Best to work on a file as WAV (this is non lossy and you can play around as often as you like) and when you are sure it's ok convert to MP3 and attach to Project. Best of luck. Alan in NE England.

Ronnie, Al & Gerard, Many thanks indeed for the very useful advice. I have played around with a fairly late beta of V but decided to wait for the final version before really getting to grips with all the super playthings in "objects and animations". I am of course looking forward to the updated tutorials that so many of you experts write. My friend Jeff Evans (jevans) wrote a very neat general and timeline tutorial for the earlier version which was excellent. I have a feeling he will update. I think Ronnie also will be writing new tutorials ? I think a detailed tutorial on the O & A section will be a good help. Interesting Al your comments about sound. I have done many shows with sequences all made or updated to 4.48, and audiences have remarked how good the sound is. I have a pretty uptodate laptop for shows with a decent soundcard and the results seem fine. If V5 is an improvement it will be even better ! I have been reading this forum since 2003 and have enjoyed all the really brilliant technical input from so many of you. As has been said so many times not only is PTE a cracking good programme but the forum really makes it so user friendly. Personally, watching the developement of this programme, the introduction of the timeline and the "light table" was to me the most significant improvement over the years. I think I will adopt Al's suggestion and convert one project and add something from V, and compare the running between the two. All great fun ! Once again many thanks, Alan

Firstly, to add my congratulations to Igor and the team for their fantastic work. Now comes the challenge of learning all the details of V5 ! However a question occurs. I, like many I am sure, have lots of av's already made with previous versions. All my saved projects are in 4.48 (itself a splendid version). If I do not, at this time, plan to change or add to the sequences, is there any merit in converting all the projects to V5 deluxe ? I had in mind that maybe everything will run better, more smoothly etc. using V5 ? (Not that I have any complaints about 4.48) Peraps it would be important if one was making DVD's ? It is my intention, at least at present, to keep v4.48 installed. So there is no problem either way. My thanks also to all the splendid friendly forum members who spend so much time helping others ! Alan in NE UK

Ronnie, I got my digital copier from Imatronic. It says on the box that it is Japanese made. It fits onto the front of the A200 which is 49mm thread. A 49 - 52mm adaptor fits the copier. I have no idea how it would go with an SLR (which I do not have). The Minolta lens is a 28 - 200 built in zoom, you zoom in to the slide carried in a two slide carrier. You can also of course zoom further in to "crop the slide". If you use the highest settings on the camera (even RAW) you get quite a respectable image. As I said in my first reply a slide with burnt out areas does not go very well, but then I don't think they scan very well. A chum with a Nikon SLR and I had a good look at some copied slides and then scanned them to see any difference. In both our opinions the results were fine for av purposes. And it is miles quicker ! Hope that helps. Immatronic might advise re SLR's? Alan inNE England.

Sutherland, I am with you all the way when it comes to a large stock of slides and going digital ! I have quite a few analogue av's which I have converted. If there are a lot of slides it is a monumental job with a scanner. My solution was to get a digital slide copier which attaches to the front of my digital camera ( A Konica Minolta A200). I find if they are photographed with a daylight input ie. in a bright window, the results are really good. A very bright slide with any burnt out parts are difficult, but then those sort of pics are difficult to scan also. If. like me, you have lots of slides the copier is much faster. I set up the camera on a tripod pointed at the window and once you have all the camera settings ok you just click away. I think the benefits of digital when you have to carry the gear around is tremendous. I have a digital projector and a good laptop and the results on a large screen are splendid. When you get round to using digital images from the camera it is even easier and better. With regard to the latest offering from WnSoft. Although you can do just about anything except pan and zoom in 4.48 version 5 will also do all that 4.48 does. Be not afraid ! If an old codger like me can manage to cope with v5 then you certainly can ! You don't have to use all the bells and whistles but there are many features with regard to multiple pictures etc which are much easier in v5. Good luck, Alan in NE England

Ken, Guido, Jean-Claude, very many thanks. Jean-Claude, I imagined that your excellent programme would only work on v4. Obviously much work needed to up date when v5 is finally available. Thanks for all your work on SY(P) and indeed the update when it comes ! Best regards Alan In NE UK

I have just set up a replacement PC, my previous machine having expired. In the reinstallation etc. I have not got SY(P) Synopsis. I downloaded this very useful programme originally from the forum and cannot currently find a link. Assistance please. Alan In NE UK

Lin, Your PDF version of the tutorial reads very well including all the screenshots now. Many thanks. Thinking of the various comments it would seem that both your and Jevans approaches have much merit. Maybe trying to combine them would be difficult ? I think Jeff's (Jevans) guide, followed by your step by step apprcach tutorial with examples will do the trick ? Whatever your final offering we are all indebted to you for the work ! Best regards, Alan in NE UK

Ken and Lin, Firstly thanks Ken for the link to the free Magnifier prog. Works a treat ! Lin, following our e-mails on the problem of unreadable detail in the screenshots in your tutorial I thought I would report that even using Ken's Magnifier over the screen shots the details is still unreadable and distorted. I know you are looking at different solutions. Regards to all you good people helping the aged and dimmer members of the forum (And I don't just mean eyesight !) Alan in UK

I could not believe my eyes on the forum. An item from Maureen- who I see comes from South England !!! When I met the delightful Maureen recently at Snods Edge in Northern England I could swear she has a lovely Welch accent..............what with the Welch flag and all....... I note that you have taken on yet another role in the UK world of AV Maureen. It's obvious to me that poor old Robert peels the spuds and has all the washing up to do... On the other hand he does an odd thing with AV does'nt he ? I've got it........ They have a butler ! Best regards, Alan in NE England.

I have seen some excellent info on this forum over the years, from all the regulars. I have to say Lin Evan's exposition on this subject is just about the best explanation I have read in a very long time. WELL DONE LIN and many thanks from a regular reader of the forum. It would seem that anyone on the forum should consult Lin before buying your next digital camera !! Alan in NE UK

I, like AL and others , got ACDC bundled with a small camera and made the mistake of installing it ! I had to fully uninstall to stop it smothering everything else. TO BE AVOIDED !!! Best regards to all on the Forum. Roll on v 5. Alan in UK I meant ACDSee of course ! Alan in UK

I really think you have something splendid in this idea. My friend "Jevans" and I are in regular contact and I will have discussion with him on ideas for this special sequence. I also would be delighted to submit say three pics in the required resolution with captions ? Is there maybe some poetry about world peace or a suitable song ? Once such a sequence was made , it would be easy for all the forum people interested to spread it around to all sorts of clubs and organisations where audio visual sequences are shown. My own club has a "Roadshow" of local sequences about our area of the NE of England, Northumberland and so on. We show this to outside clubs, not just photographic societies, and of course a "Peace in the World" sequence would go very well with this. Alan in NE England.

I put this in as a item on the forum without getting any answer so it seems this may be the place to make the suggestion ? As the item suggests may be you have already changed this feature on the timeline in v5 Igor, Greetings. I have been doing the odd workshop (tutorial) on PTE. and find in discussion with audiences the following would be desirable. I think one simple difference in the timeline would be to make the initial laying out of slides along the timeline evenly over the whole length of the music the default. I find that the default setting which lays out the slides at the specified interval and with the set transition much less useful than when they are laid out evenly along the timeline. Also the menu item for selecting "auto adding of New Transition Points for new slides" seems to be illogical in the "View" menu ? Maybe better under "timed points" menu. Of course you may have already changed all these items in v.5 . Looking forward to the new version with great anticipation. All the people I have had at workshops, and do not know the programme, are very very impressed by it ! Keep up the excellent work ! Regards to all your team.

Igor, Greetings. I have been doing the odd workshop (tutorial) on PTE. and find in discussion with audiences the following would be desirable. I think one simple difference in the timeline would be to make the initial laying out of slides along the timeline evenly over the whole length of the music the default. I find that the default setting which lays out the slides at the specified interval and with the set transition much less useful than when they are laid out evenly along the timeline. Also the menu item for selecting "auto adding of New Transition Points for new slides" seems to be illogical in the "View" menu ? Maybe better under "timed points" menu. Of course you may have already changed all these items in v.5 . Looking forward to the new version with great anticipation. All the people I have had at workshops, and do not know the programme, are very very impressed by it ! Keep up the excellent work ! Regards to all your team. Alan in UK

I read in the last year or so a learned article about the safety of digital equipment, cards, portable hard discs etc. which suggested that unlike film there was no risk at all. (Sorry can't remember the article source). Last autumn(04) we had a nice med cruise with lots of stops and chances for pics. I carried an "Image Tank" portable hard drive (very neat and small) of 40 gb with me and downloaded the cards from the camera each night. It worked very well and because of increased security all the stuff had to go through not only airport security but large airport sized ship scanners everytime we left and reboarded the ship. No problem with any of the gear. It really is a big bonus with digital cameras to be able to shoot away and not worry about running out of film. I carried 3 - 256mb cards which gave me lots of elbow room each day. Now with 1gb cards available the sky is the limit ! Regards to all the good people on the forum. Alan in UK

John, Apart from the desirable change to a better mic you may not have the settings right on the sound card. If you go in Programmes, accessories, entertainment, volume control you will get a long window of settings of either play back or recording. In the window you will see options go in and set to "record" this will put up all the different levels for different recording devices. Set the volume on the mic input high and then see what level you get. If that does not work you probably need a better mic with preamp Worth a try tho' Best of luck Alan in the NE of UK

I have recently got a very nice DLP Projector, which is a Hewlett Packard model HP VP6200. This machine is XGA (1024 x 768) resolution. Very good spec with 2000 ansi lumens and 2000:1 contrast . Very small neat machine with carry handle.Small credit card sized remote which has all the adjustments for colour, contrast, brightness etc. It also has an eco setting which seems to me to be still very nice and bright. This they say gives the lamp 4000 hours from the standard 2000. It weighs just 2.8 kg and is very small and neat. You can see the spec on HP's own website. I got it at a very good price from www.misco.co.uk. (Much cheaper than the HP website shop). I am not sure whether you are in UK but Misco probably deal elsewhere. Hope this helps. Good luck. Alan in UK

Igor, Since my last post, the glitch has corrected itself! Now an amendment with the same sound file name is being read OK. I now hope it was a little local glitch! Alan in UK

Igor, I seem to have found a strange little bug in 4.40beta7 (I don't think the new beta mentions this sound problem) I am using a voice over for the timeline at the moment, for a sequence with various sound effects and music which will be mixed and added later. I use Cooledit 2000 with the multitrack plug in. If I come out of PTE, minimise the programme, go into Cooledit and amend the file in any way and resave it, when I go back into PTE the old wave file is showing on the timeline without the amendment. I have tried removing the old wave file and then inserted the amendment but it still will not read it. I have found that only by renaming the file, and removing the old, then reinserting the new named file will PTE read it. This is not a problem, but if one is often amending the file it is a nuisance to have to rename the file each time. I am pretty certain this was not the case with previous versions. Maybe I am missing something in the new version? Another small thought, I am a little concerned that the programme will become overcomplicated with all the new ideas. It seems to me that one of it's great strengths was simplicity of use. I do hope we don't lose that. Saying that it is still a splendid programme! Regards to all on the forum. Alan in UK

Igor, I really thought last week that the many problems and all the different requests for improvements to the timeline would take a huge amount of work, even if you could find a way to solve them to satisfy everyone. And now this amazing new beta dealing with everyone's wishes and problems has been so quickly produced. Amazing and astonishing!! Very many congratulations. Alan in UK