Lin Evans

Windows Zip is a "third party" zip. Zip was "co-invented" by the late Phil Katz, an outgrowth and vast improvement on ARC developed by Thom Henderson. The developer of PK Zip (Phil Katz Zip) improved and refined the process and produced what I think is by far the finest implementation of this. "Windows Zip" is a rather crude implementation and isn't available with all Windows operating systems. Best regards, Lin

I never send a URL as an attachment, just embed it in the body of the email as a link. If hotmail won't send an email with an embedded link, it's worthless in my opinion. I never use hotmail myself, but have had no problems with gmail or any of my normal email hosts. Too much "paternalism" with hosts today - they are becoming like Microsoft and Apple - they want to do everything for you and protect you from yourself !! LOL. Best regards, Lin

That's a problem with some overzealous email servers, but not with links, at least not in my experience. I rarely, if ever, send any of my shows via email but simply upload them to my site as zipped exe files and so far, at least, no one has had problems downloading them that way. There are numerous other advantages to zipped files such as security encryption with password, etc. Best regards, Lin

Why? I already have a better zip program (PK zip). Having to use another program external to PTE defeats the convenience of being able to create a zipped version of the exe and the exe version with one mouse click.... Best regards, Lin

Since we already create a zipped MacIntosh format as an option, and since almost everyone who uses PTE zips their executable files to send them to Beechbrook or to put them on their own website with a link, why not include both the EXE version "and" a zipped version containing the PC version of the EXE file as an option? It would greatly facilitate and save a lot of time. Lin

Hi Judy, If someone were to post a "question" about good presentation slideshow software there then we could respond, but it's difficult to just "plug" the software without a lead-in... Best regards, Lin

Panos of PanosFX has created a beautiful new snowglobe action for a Christmas present to his registered forum viewers. It's a free action and creates a very sophisticated globe which can be changed by the user to include a variety of different colors and so on. See and download it here - register on the Panos FX site before downloading: http://www.panosfx.com/ I've been working with Panos and have created a snow (and fire) animation for this new globe which was just released today. I have also created a brief tutorial in PC and Mac formats as well as demo's in both formats. Links are below as well as some basic instructions: Download three of the following five files from the links provided. If you have a PC, you will want the PC demo and PC tutorial files plus the "snowglobefxprojectfiles.zip. If you have an Intel based MacIntosh and you are running Windows via Bootcamp or other dual OS enabling utility, then you will want to download the Mac native exe zipped tutorial, the Mac native exe zipped demo and the same snowglobefxprojectfiles.zip file as the Windows folks use. Here are the links: http://www.learntoma...1/sgdemomac.zip (MacIntosh demo file) http://www.learntoma...tutorialmac.zip (MacIntosh tutorial file) http://www.learntoma...rojectfiles.zip (Project files for either Mac or PC) http://www.learntoma...11/sgdemopc.zip (PC demo file) http://www.learntoma...gtutorialpc.zip (PC tutorial file) http://www.learntoma...fxsg2011/sg.htm (800x600 video demo) The above files are zipped. The Project Files will need to be extracted for the MacIntosh, but the demo and tutorial zips will play without extracting them on the MacIntosh The PC versions will need to be extracted then play the exe files inside for the demo and tutorial. Create a folder and extract the content of the Project files inside. Watch the executable tutorial for an overview then: Step 1. Create the Snow Globe Next create your Photoshop PNG file using the new PanosFX SnowGlobe Action. If you plan to use the animated snow feature, then I suggest turning off "Reflection 2" via the Layers in Photoshop. The rather heavy reflection coupled with the snow overwhelms your picture inside the globe. Once you have your snowglobe, copy the file to the folder with your extracted project files for convenience. Next open PTE, click on File, Open and navigate to the folder where you extracted the files and open the .pte file found there. You will find two identical slides set up for a two minute animated display. The snow animation runs properly in one minute intervals. You can copy and paste your slide as many times as necessary but it's best to not change one minute per slide intervals or the velocity of the falling snow will be affected. Replace the image file as instructed in the tutorial with your own snowglobe creation. Delete the Mask Container containing the fire video if your image has no fireplace or other use for the fire animation. Either delete the PNG "frame" (which will undoubtedly not exactly fit your image unless adjusted as per the tutorial) or replace it with your own if you choose to in the same way you replaced the original snowglobe with your own. Decide if you want the sound and music or not and handle as per the tutorial. Get your own slide one working properly, then delete the demo slide 2 and copy and paste your own slide one in its place if you want more than a one minute animation. Step 2. Manipulate the Fire Animation if it's being used. The way a mask and the video work together is like this. The mask "container" allows the entire assembly to be moved around in different locations. All three components (mask container, mask and video) may be moved and sized individually, but care must be taken that the "mask" be positioned around the boundaries of the video as seen by the green bounding rectangle. When the mask boundaries are "larger" than the video boundaries, the entire video area will be seen. When the mask is "squeezed" into the boundaries of the video, the mask will constrain what is visible. So if you adjust both you can position the fire animation anywhere on your image and use the mask to determine how wide and "tall" the flames will be. By adjusting both you have great flexibility in positioning and sizing your flames. A little experimentation will quickly let you learn how to manipulate these two items for best effect. The video can also be changed in opacity so the fire could be extinguished or started at any time via keyframes. It's beyond the scope of this brief tutorial to explain keyframing, but if you need help, just post a message on the forum and I'll try to explain how to do more sophisticated things with your animation. Finally: Once you have your animation working as you like (use the preview feature in PTE) then simply click on "Publish" at the top of your screen on the left - then choose the appropriate venue. You can create a Windows executable file, a native MacIntosh file (suggest using the create in zip option), an HD Video or several other options for iPad, iPhone, etc. Merry Christmas from Lin and the folks at PicturesToExe. We hope you enjoy your animated globe and we wish to thank Panos for his amazing actions which make this all possible! Lin Evans December 2011

Hi Guys and Gals, The question was raised on a post here about "transparent text." My assumption was that it was a situation where what was desired was that we see the text as an image or even as a video which was "bounded" by the dimensions and shape of the characters. With that assumption, I made a brief tutorial and converted the AVI to MacIntosh and Windows PC zipped executable formats. For anyone interested in such - I've posted the new tutorials with my others (#28) on the "Tutorials and Articles" section here: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/forum/8-tutorials-and-articles/ The answer is "yes" we can do this when we use text as a mask. The "how to" is very simple and it's a very quick and informal tutorial. Best regards, Lin

Hi Gary, That works well - I'm certain you are already aware of this, but don't overwrite your originals with the reduced file size images. Essentially, the only time you need an image larger than your intended display audience (in your case 1920x1080 pixels) is when you are contemplating a deep zoom into picture details. In such a case you may want to use the original jpg from your D7000. If you are really trying to conserve overall file size, even then you may want to crop the original and simply use the crop rather than zoom into the full image. In terms of the file size of the executable file created by PTE, compressing jpgs will greatly affect this. In terms of resources on the system being used to play back the show, there is no difference between an uncompressed and greatly compressed jpg except perhaps image quality. As you are undoubtedly aware, jpg files are fully "uncompressed" in memory before they are displayed on a computer screen. So, for example, if we begin with a 10 meg file and use jpg compression to make it into a 3 meg file, for storage purposes inside an executable container, the compressed file will result in a smaller executable size. However, when that executable file is played by the system, it expands to its full 10 megapixel size and the system requirements to "play" this file are the same as if you had used the original. So the only way to actually achieve a resources relief is by removing pixels. This is done by resampling and saving the resampled copy of the original. Since the vast majority of display devices today have a resolution equal to or less than HD quality (1920 x 1080) there is no real advantage in your images being any larger than two megapixel resolution. The only exception to this being for deep zooms or in the unlikely event that your audience may be looking at your show on a four megapixel display device. There are a few of these and even "some" nine megapixel display devices - but they are out of the realm of "most" of your audience for slideshows. Whether you use Fastone, Irfanview or Photoscape is arbitrary. All will give you very "similar" results and all are equally satisfactory in my experience. Best regards, Lin

Hey Peter, LOL - Thanks! I think the only thing I've "mastered" here is having fun! And a very Merry Christmas to you and yours! Best regards, Lin

Hi Dave, If I understand you right, you would like the image to be in the "shape" of the text. That is the text itself would be composed of the parts of the image which could be seen through the text if the text were transparent as if the text had been cut out of a sheet of paper and you were looking through this cut-out from a distance and seeing what was behind the sheet of paper? If that's correct, the answer is yes. What you do is make your text pure white. Then you want to use the option to "rasterize the text" as a PNG file. Do this even though there will be a message that you no longer need to do this. Then you take your text file which will be automatically saved as "Text.png" and you use this text as your "mask." That is you right click in Objects and animations and choose "add mask" then you choose "from file". Choose the file "text.png as your mask and put the picture inside the mask between the mask and the mask container. Then you will see your text letters as if they were written with the picture elements. If you have problems either understanding how to do this or with the instructions, let me know and I'll make a sample file for you to study. I have made a tutorial on this - here are links for PC and MacIntosh: http://www.lin-evans...tutorialmac.zip (MacIntosh Version) http://www.lin-evans...ktutorialpc.zip (Zipped Windows PC Executable Version) If this isn't what you had in mind, perhaps what you need is text which has been outlined with "stroke" in Photoshop or Pixbuilder, etc. Make the text the same way as in my tutorial, then take it into Photoshop or Pixbuilder and use the "stroke" feature to make an outline. Then open this in Pixbuilder or Photoshop and "erase" the white part so that you see the checkerboard which represents "transparent." Then when you load this text on the layer above your image, you can see the image "through" the text rather than "in" the body of the text. The bottom line is you "must" have at least a border around the text which is opaque or you wouldn't be able to "know" there was text. Best regards, Lin

Hi Roger, Thanks! I sent one to my grandkids and I hope they enjoy playing with it! You and your family have a very Merry Christmas too! Best regards, Lin

Thanks Daniel, Though this was just a little fun exercise in the possible, you're right, the important thing is that there are features available in PTE which make it very versatile for more than just presentation slideshows. Best regards, Lin

Thank you for trying it Bert ! Best regards, Lin

Hope they have fun - I sent you a PM.... Best regards, Lin

Although it is not yet possible to adjust sound in your video directly yet (fade-in, fade-out, use sound envelope, etc.) there is a viable work-around. If you extract the sound from your video as an MP3 (use the freeware Xmedia Recode) you can then insert the extracted audio track as normal sound in the audio track, "mute" the video and adjust sound using all the audio features now available. If you don't have this software you are welcome to download it from my site on this link: http://www.lin-evans...edia/xmedia.zip Just use it to extract the audio as an mp3 then follow the procedure outlined above. Best regards, Lin

Hi Chris, Thanks! I heard by email from another Mac user that it worked fine so that's good news! I "think" this is the first time we've really tried "interactive" executable code with a Mac. I had a discussion a while back with someone who wasn't impressed that PTE could do "native Mac executable" files because he mistakenly thought that PTE only created video output which could be seen by Mac users, and of course, any "video" code created by any presentation slideshow product can be seen on a Mac, and most any Windows slideshow product can be run on an Intel based Mac via Bootcamp, etc. The difference is huge though because PTE can be used manually with all features working.... Best regards, Lin

Thanks guys, just a little fun thing - I wish a Mac user would try this and let me know if everything works there. Lin

http://www.lin-evans.org/xmas/xmascardpc.zip (about 25 meg zipped PC exe) http://www.lin-evans.org/xmas/xmascardmac.zip (about 25 meg zipped Mac native exe) Lin

Bravo Andrew! The photography, presentation and music were wonderful! Some of these could only have been taken from a boat ride down the Seine? Lots of it looks very familiar from my last trip to Paris many years ago. Best regards, Lin

WOW! Outstanding - both the photography and presentation! Excellent job! Best regards, Lin

That's a bit "windy" for old Scotland, Eric - dang... those Scottish Lasses are smiling! Hold down them Kilts lads! Best regards, Lin

Sorry Peter - danged winds can be wicked sometimes. This happens nearly every year where I live. 100 mile per hour winds are not uncommon here - we have frequent "micro-bursts" which do localized damage. My daughter tells me southern California has been hit hard lately. It seems our weather patterns are being manipulated by forces beyond our control.... At least you were not injured...... Best regards, Lin

NIce one Eric! Great "summer/winter" contrasts. I must admit, though, that I was a bit confused by the song "The Royal Canal" as to whether I was looking at the Tyne or in Ireland, but quickly figured it out - LOL Best regards, Lin

Thanks Colin, Actually, about three hours to get everything correct and PTE shines as always! Best regards, Lin