Lin Evans

Hi Ray, I used the default bit rates for audio and the Custom preset with 30 fps at 1920x1080 mode=1 pass, quality = 100, and used the same for the 25 fps. The size differences between the 30 and 25 fps version were about as expected considering the five fewer frames on the 25 for each second of playback. The original one I posted the link to was created as a 1080p for Vimeo using the only settings available. I don't know why it was so much smaller than the "custom" versions at 30 and 25 fps but I uploaded trials of the default as well as the 30 fps to Vimeo and there was no visible difference in their on-screen appearance or their performance. Of course they are converted to Flash by Vimeo and I don't know whether Vimeo changes video bitrates to make all HD videos equal or not. I've also tried the same show on Youtube with similar results. I made an AVCHD using the default version which was created using whatever Igor has programmed as defaults for 1080p and played it on my BluRay player with my Samsung 40" LED TV via a high speed HDMI cable and the playback was not really smooth. Likewise for the computer. I played the 30 fps version and the Vimeo version of the mp4 over my computer and it was essentially identical to the AVCHD on the Samsung. None were nearly as smooth as the executable version. The "image quality" was about identical to the executable, but the playback was not smooth. I have made numerous other AVCHD's lately, some with complex animations and some with just jpgs with minimal pans, zooms, rotates, etc., and they played virtually identical to executables of the same shows. I can only conclude that mp4 h.264 simply can't handle complex animations such as the ones in my demo. If there were an issue with resources or video card (both are sufficient in my case) then I'm assuiming it would also appear in the executable. There could be issues with bitrates, but Video Maker doesn't, as far as I can determine, allow any changes to video bitrate when producing an mp4 h.264. The only bitrate adjustments allowed are to the audio as far as I can determine. That's why I wondered if you meant creating an AVI and then converting that to mp4 h.264 because with AVI there are variable bitrates available as I remember. Best regards, Lin

Hi Ray, You mean as an AVI? Or do you mean using the custom controls to give 30fps and 25fps? The actual 29.97 isn't an option but perhaps 30 fps is an approximation. I can create as 30fps and 25fps if that's what you prefer. Best regards, Lin 30 Frames Per Second Link 25 Frames Per Second Link

A recent thread: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11591&view=getnewpost? has, among other issues, raised the question of whether or not there is a qualitative difference between MP4 h.264 at 1920 x 1080 pixels progressive and either MacIntosh or Windows executable of the same slideshow. The inescapable answer is "yes" there is a significant quality difference depending on the content, complexity and type of animation in the show. Let's put an end to this question which seems to periodically crop up when users notice no apparent differences between the MP4 and the executable formats. There "is" a difference folks. It may or may not become apparent depending on your resources and the type of show, but it is a very real difference. Many may not always see these differences, but if a significantly complex animation with a number of objects is created then played back on a system with sufficient resources to properly execute the slideshow, the differences are night and day in terms of smoothness of the playback. It doesn't matter whether the mp4 show is played back on a true BluRay disc, on an AVCHD, memory stick, Western Digital (or similar) device via a high speed HDMI cable or on a computer with unlimited resources, the differences are significant. If your slideshow consists of only normal sized images ( perhaps 1600x1200 or smaller) with some pan, zooms and rotates with transitions between slides, you may find that there is no perceptible difference between the Mac or PC executable and the MP4 h.264 or a BluRay or AVCHD created from the MP4. On the other hand, if you have lots of objects and significant complex animations, the differences will be immediate and very apparent. To demonstrate this, just play back my demo show "Alley Cat" which I have linked below. There are links to the MP4 h.264, the MacIntosh native executable and the Windows Executable. If you wish to see the differences, download the MP4 h.264 and your choice of the executable files and try it for yourself. Windows Link (about 8 meg) MacIntosh Link (about 8 meg) MP4 h.264 Link (about 48 meg) Lin

Hi Andrew, Thanks! It was a fun show to create just for the animation capabilities of PTE.

Hi Bill, Thanks! This one was not simple. We had worked out the cube some time ago and it's pretty straight-forward and doesn't take very long to create, but the tetrahedron and especially the ending isocahedron were quite problematic. It took, perhaps 30 hours to work out. Jean Pierre (JPD) had shown one in one of his last amazing shows and I regret that I never had the chance to speak with him to ask him how he did it, so I had to "reinvent" the wheel for myself; so to speak. There was lots of trial and error and a few choice words - LOL. It's not the type of project to be entered into lightly - LOL. Today is the last day of winter and it's going out with a bang here. Yesterday it was sunny, warm (about 60 degrees) and very spring like. Today its snowing furiously with about six inches already and another perhaps foot or more due today. In the high country along the northern Colorado front range, they are expecting up to four feet today! I'll try to get some pictures later and post them! Best regards, Lin

Just a repaint of an earlier fun demo in 1080. Alley Cat for PC & Windows: http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/alleycat1080.zip (Windows - about 8 meg) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/alleycatmac1080.zip (MacIntosh - about 8 meg) Lin

Hi Marcel, Could you possibly do a screen capture and post it so we can see exactly what is happening? I'm sorry that no one has replied to you request for help yet, but we can't quite understand exactly what is happening. When you click on "Create" it asks you for your login and password. When you type these in, then I understand that Youtube doesn't accept them? Is this correct? When you go directly to Youtube and put in your login and password does it accept them directly? Thanks, Lin

Hi Gary, The executable file will always be equal to or "better" than the video file assuming the system you play it through has sufficient resources such as video card, RAM and at least temporary priority access to these resources. Also a prerequisite is a proper computer monitor with a decent resolution and refresh rate and quality intermediate components such as a high speed HDMI attacment. Video is created by playing back stored images which were originally created with your PC in the first place. Executable code is played back by the creation and display of these same images in real time. There are some types of animation which play back better on CRT computer monitors which have better refresh rates and less probability of ghosting from fast moving objects than many high definition television receivers. The "best" television screens for fast moving objects are plasma types. The worst are LCD screens with slow refresh and next best are LED screens with better refresh. I believe you mentioned a Samsung 40" LED television which could fall into one of two categories depending on the individual model. It "could" have a refresh rate of variously 60Hz, 120Hz or 240Hz. The higher the refresh rate the "cleaner" some fast moving animations will appear. Conversely, if your computer monitor is an inexpensive LCD type you "could" get better results from your MP4 h.264 or conversions to BluRay and playback on the television than an executable played back on a less responsive computer monitor or with somewhat compromised video GPU. If you play your executable slideshows through a high speed HDMI input cable and with a computer having sufficient resources on the same television screen as your Bluray or mp4 h.264, the executable "should" be slightly better than the video providing that the above requirements are met. If this is not the case, then the suggestion would be that one of the components (the HDMI cable, GPU, CPU, RAM, etc.) is compromised in some way. Best regards, Lin

Hi Dom, Thanks for noting this - actually, all the links are wrong now. My Domain name expired and my host didn't notify me. The Domain went into Redemption and the host wants more money to renew it than I can afford so I purchased a different domain name for the site. After about three weeks I can repurchase the domain and everything will then work as normal "unless" someone buys it before I can renew it. lin-evans.net no longer will work but lin-evans.org is up and running and pointing to the same website. This means I must change all my links from lin-evans.net to lin-evans.org. I will try to do this for all my PTE Made Easy files but it will take a little while since the entire link is not visible on the PTE site. I must copy and paste the link location in the address line then make the changes, copy it again and paste it in the edited line. It will take a while I'm afraid. Best regards, Lin All Fixed Now - I hope!

Hi Folks, Due to some recent interest in snow effects I have posted two new AVI tutorials for Intermediate/Advanced users of Photoshop who would like to create snow animations where snow builds up on trees, rocks, vegetation, etc., over time during the animation. These two AVI tutorials are accompanied by a "components" zip file which contains modified Panos Snow Globe PNG files to allow those who wish to do so to animate inside a Panos FX created snow globe. The tutorials are number 23 in my tutorials section and are pretty large AVI files being about 110 and 90 meg respectively. To animate the buildup of snow over time and use my tutorials you need to either have Photoshop or be able to extrapolate the Photoshop preparation to your choice of photo editing software which allows selection by color, fill, etc. Unfortunately, I don't have other software such as Elements to experiment with, so if you don't have access to Photoshop you are pretty much on your own. Essentially, what I'm doing is creating multiple PNG files with differing degrees of snow simulation covering vegetation. These are then played back with snow animation inside the snowglobe using PTE's fade in/fade out feature to simulate gradual build up of snow over time. Various other animations such as cloud movement, etc., can be used for more advanced PTE users, but this will give those who are interested some foundations to build on. Below I have placed links to the Tutorials section as well as to a sample of this being done in one of my own simulations: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7901 (link to tutorials page) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/xmas/springsnowspc.zip (Windows Sample) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/xmas/springsnowsmac.zip (MacIntosh Sample) Best regards, Lin

Hi, Not bad at all! I'm in the process of moving into town from our ranch so things are in disarray right now but in a couple days I should be able to dig up my tutorials and get the new one posted in the tutorials section here. Do you have Photoshop? If so that will make it easier because my procedures are based on Photoshop but could be extrapolated for any image editing software with similar features. I'll post a notice on the forum when the tutorial is up. Best regards, Lin I have the tutorials posted now and a reminder posted in the Slideshows section: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11568&pid=74898&st=0entry74898

Hi, Looks good! You might want to add an intermediate layer of intermediate sized flakes moving at a different rate and in slightly different direction for maximum effect. In different frames, you could vary the speed of the snowfall and the display time for individual slides. If you are interested, I have a tutorial which I haven't yet posted which will also show you how to build the snow on objects over time such as in this demo: http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/xmas/springsnowspc.zip (Windows - about 35 meg) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/xmas/springsnowsmac.zip (MacIntosh - about 35 meg) Best regards, Lin

Our thoughts and prayers are with JPD's family. He will be greatly missed. His contributions to PTE were incalculable and his mind was unique. Lin and Sherry Evans

You can't "convert" from an executable file to other formats - to create video files you need the PTE files and original images. Executable code works by giving your computer "instructions" to create transitions, etc., on the fly. Video works by storing created transitions, animations, etc., and playing them back and doesn't require a "cpu" to function hence the ability to play video on "players" which have no real computing "brain." Do you know which version of PTE you shows were created with? It "may" be possible to recover the original images then you could re-create the slideshow in an "internet friendly" format such as AVI, Flash, MP4 h.264, Mpeg 2, etc.. You could also do screen captures to get your images but they would be at the resolution of the display device. Best regards, Lin

Hi Allison, PTE will eventually be available as a MacIntosh application - the developers have been working endlessly on the MacIntosh version, but right now it is a Windows application which can output native MacIntosh executable code. To do this on a MacIntosh you must have a Mac which is Intel based and which can run Windows in order to create your slideshows with PTE. Our Mac users are using Bootcamp, etc. We have a number of MacIntosh users right now who can advise you, but the native MacIntosh output works "very" well. Here's a little sample PTE slideshow in Mac Format. Just download, unzip and play on your MacIntosh: http://www.learntoma.../seasonsmac.zip Best regards, Lin

I just received an email from Vimeo. They are now offering 1080p where they were previously limited to 720p. They are also beta testing a new player which may eventually have implications for our PTE shows, but now only those using Safari, Chrome, or IE with Chrome Frame installed. This new HTML5 player may eventually allow smoother playback but is not yet full screen. Time will tell, but at least Vimeo now allows full 1080p presentation. I have also noticed lately that apparently their servers have been upgraded because playback is quicker. Best regards, Lin

Hi Gary, I think you have a misconception about what "pan and scan" is. Please read this: http://en.wikipedia....ki/Pan_and_scan Best regards, Lin

Hi Andrew, The basic answer is "no," you will not be able to run executable code from your website. To run a PTE show it will need to be converted to Flash or AVI or MPEG or MP4 h.264 or some other video format. Web hosts will not let you run executable code on their servers. The only way you would ever be able to do this is to own your own server and believe me, that gets very expensive very quickly. The way to have people run your show as an executable is to zip it and upload to Beechbrook or your own site and provide a link. Of course you "could" use MediaFire or other service, but if you have the storage capacity it's just as easy to upload it to your own site. You just need FTP software and you will be able to access your web host's server where you will see the file structure. You create your own folders and upload to one of the folders. Then you provide a "link" for your viewers to click on which allows them to download your zipped executable file and play it on their system. Good FTP software is available free. When you install the software on your computer, you will see your own hard drive tree on the left and when logged in on your host's server you will see their hard drive file structure which they have provided for you on their server on the right. You simply find the zip file on the left, navigate to where you want it to go on the right and click on the appropriate "send" and your own zip file gets uploaded to your web site. You then provide the link. Let's say your zip file was called andrew1.zip and was on your C: drive in a folder called slideshows. It would then look like: You just find your file on the far left using the tree, then on the far right you create and navigate to the folder where you want it to go and then click on the "arrow" pointing to the right. To load a file from your web server to your own hard disk, you reverse the process by finding the file on the right and the folder where you want it to go on the left then click the arrow pointing to the left. In the case I demonstrated above, I would give a link such as: htt"p"://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/andrew/andrew1.jpg The "P" would not be in quotes. If it's "quality" of presentation you are looking for and you want your viewers to be able to run the show from your website, then about the best you will be able to do is MP4 h.264 at HD 1080p or 1600x1200 and upload to Youtube where it will be converted to high quality Flash. You can then embed the link on your website and when someone plays it it will appear to play on your own site even though it is actually being sent from Youtube. If you want to purchase additional software, you can create high quality Flash shows and place them on your own website, but this is more difficult and much more expensive than just uploading to Youtube and embedding the link provided by Youtube in your own website. Best regards, Lin

Hi Boogie, CMYK has quite a different gamut than RGB or sRGB and is primarily only used for printing by offset printers. By using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (K stands for "key" or black) printers can approximate the color spectrum but can't print nearly all the subtle colors in image created for display on devices which use primaries of Red, Blue and Green mixed with varying intensity of light. Normally, one would not want to use CMYK unless the images were going to an offset print for a magazine, etc. The color spectrum is much better on any display if the images are in RGB or sRGB. The interesting thing is how you came to have your images saved in CMYK in the first place? Digital cameras never uses CMYK and output from scanners, etc., don't use it either. Generally CMYK is only used by printers who are preparing the files for offset printing and they have specialized conversion software to convert from RGB color space to CMYK. It's interesting that this has, to my knowledge, never come up before but that's probably because its so rare to see this color space outside of the print business. Best regards, Lin

Hi Nordlicht, I'm not certain there is a "best way" but using the PTE video codec without Video Builder results in an AVI where with Video Builder you have options of MP4 h.264 as well a MP2 so perhaps we can assume that Video Builder is more versatile. For animation, probably the MP4 h.264 is preferable because of frame rate versatility and better compression, but it's actually more a preference than anything else. Best regards, Lin

There are several options to play back hd on your own television without BluRay including TV's which have USB input provisions as well as by using Western Digital and similar media players, or even connecting your laptop and playing executable files via the HDMI inputs, but the primary reason for creating BluRay or HD optical media is to share with friends or clients. Best regards, Lin

Hi Robert, Yes, just a convenience. Sometimes, when the original file size being used is not too large so as to place a burden on the hardware, I find it easier to accommodate the 1920x1080 wide screen by just positioning the image to encompass the same geography as it would have contained had I physically cropped the image in Photoshop, Perhaps this habit of mine is less useful to some. I have a number of clients who use 2500x1600 pixel displays. I often make a copy of my originals sized at 2500x1667 and then simply adjust the position to slightly crop the vertical aspect to fit the 2500x1600. I just adjust the zoom in PTE for these essentially four megapixel images and "pseudo crop" by positioning for 1080p rather than again manipulate the images thus having a third set of essentially the same captures. I also frequently shoot my wildlife using a Sigma SD14 and sometimes an SD10 where the native file sizes are 2640x1760 or 2268x1512 respectively so that there is only a small amount of zoom either way to fill a 4:3 aspect ratio or to accommodate a 1920x1080 without reworking the originals at all. Best regards, Lin

There is some relevant information available on the web concerning BluRay and HDTV which may be of interest to those who have not yet purchased a high definition television. Today there are three different technologies which are available along with some variations of these basic themes. Also all BluRay players and burners are not created equally versatile. I found this explanation which was put out by LG (A manufacturer of high quality television receivers). Keep in mind when reading that there will be some bias toward LG and that other very high quality systems such as Samsung, Visio, Sharp, Sony, Panasonic, etc., are probably just as good and in some cases perhaps even better. But it is nice that LG produces a very thorough explanation of differences here and I think it's worth reading for the value of the general information. To begin, a quote from the site which is of interest: ================= There are three varieties of 1080p: 1080p/60 indicates that each frame is repeated twice every 30th of a second, a format increasingly found in high-definition camcorders;1080p/30, the standard frame rate for live or recorded HD video; and,1080p/24, which displays the same 24 frames per second as standard movie film, and the standard Blu-ray frame rate used to preserve the film frame rate the filmmakers intended. Not all Blu-ray players can output 1080p/24 and not all HDTVs can display all three 1080p frame rates. However, all LG Full HD 1080p LCD and plasma HDTVs are capable of displaying all three 1080p frame rates via either HDMI or component video connections without the digital flim-flam found on lesser-endowed HDTVs. Plus, LG's 24p Real Cinema processing further enhances the reproduction of films on Blu-ray when connected to the 1080p/24-capable LG BD300 Network Blu-Ray Disc Player. ====================== Link to good information: http://us.lge.com/CES2009/education/benefits.html Lin

Hi Dimmy, Understood.. The reason for my reply was that it wasn't clear to me why Andrew wanted to reduce the file size and whether he understood that compressing a file would not help with other than storage capacity or transfer loads and times. It was only your suggestion for the compression software that prompted the general reminder; it wasn't really directed at anyone in particular. Perhaps many of us who have extensive experience with file formats understand compression and how files behave in memory, but actually there are "many" who post here who apparently don't. The fact that I have had numerous emails about my "puzzle" test files which exploit these differences tells me that there is still lots of confusion. Two executable files having virtually identical sizes by virtue of their components behave totally differently because of compression of the component files. One works very smoothly in almost any system, while the other, which expands in memory, can challenge even very good GPU's. To many observers who don't realize that components in one of the executables have been greatly compressed, it seems to be a very strange situation. What I've been trying to determine is "why" Andrew wants a smaller file size. Is it because of jerky pans, stutter, slow loading, or other memory or GPU related issues or just because he wants to be able to load the exe file on limited space media or to conserve space for a lengthy show on a CD, etc.? My point is that by changing pixel dimensions via crop, the true file size and all that implies will be diminished. By compression, only the load times, transfer times and storage capacities will be affected and there will be no real differences in performance viz the GPU or CPU. Best regards, Lin

Hi Guys, Keep in mind that no matter how "compressed" a file is for storage purposes, it will still expand to its full "uncompressed" size in memory. So if the purpose of compression is for storage or to reduce the size of a download, etc., then compression of jpg, png, tiff, etc., can be useful. However, if the reason for trying to make the file size smaller is to facilitate the processor or memory of the computer or GPU, then compression doesn't help and what you need to do is to reduce the "dimensions" of the file to conserve memory, etc. As long as there is no compromise in image "quality" then reducing dimensions can be an effective way of reducing the load on the CPU or GPU and perhaps making the zooms, pans, etc., run more smoothly. But "compressing" the file, though helpful for reducing upload or download times, has no beneficial effect in terms of smoothness of playback, etc. So utilities which do lossless compression of files will not help for this purpose. Best regards, Lin